Page 120 of Cherry on Top

Their relationship was still taking a bit of getting used to, but Enzo had meant everything he’d said to Oliver the other night. He was thrilled they’d found happiness, and in some way, it made total and complete sense they’d discovered it with each other.

On the other side, Luca and Oliver must’ve taken time out from their busy schedules, because they were there, not holding hands, but with such an air of possession around them, an air of belonging, that you’d never believe they weren’t still madly in love with each other.

Oliver was even looking at his mother with fondness in his gaze—making Enzo hope that any wrinkles from the fallout of Joy and Giana’s relationship coming to light had been smoothed over already.

“And now, a big round of applause for our local artist, who came back to his hometown to paint this incredible representation of Eliza and Nathaniel’s story. Ladies and gentlemen, Enzo Moretti.”

Enzo waved and stepped up to the makeshift podium. He tucked his sunglasses into the open collar of his shirt and lifted his voice. “Thanks for that welcome, Joy. I’m going to be honest. I was not all that grateful to come back to Indigo Bay. For as long as I could remember, what I wanted most wasn’t to stay here, but to leave. To learn to paint. To show people from all over what I knew I was capable of. I wasn’t looking for an opportunity to come back, and give back, but I am so happy that I was gifted one, anyway.

“Growing up here in Indigo Bay, I never really understood Eliza and Nathaniel’s story. I knew love existed, but I had never experienced it, so I couldn’t understand it. But now . . .I’ve fallen in love and it was not only my pleasure to paint this mural, to give this town a visual representation of its history, but it’s been my joy. I’m honored that I was the artist selected to do it. Even more, the artist trusted with this commission.”

Joy went to shake his hand, amongst the applause, but he hugged her instead, tightly. “We’re family now,” he said to her, and she smiled wide, clearly pleased at his words.

After their speeches, the crowd milled around, many of them approaching Enzo to tell them how much they loved the mural.

By the time he was finally finished shaking hands, making polite small talk, and taking compliments, he looked around and realized Will had gone back inside Cherry’s.

Well, that was fair. The town, festooned with red, white, and blue banners all down Main Street, was full of tourists and as a result, Cherry’s was probably full of tourists.

Enzo turned the corner and yep, he could see through the big picture windows that the interior was packed. Will was working hard behind the counter, along with Kate, Rocco, and Mari.

Enzo hesitated only for a moment, then pulled the door open, working his way around the crowds inside, until he stepped around the counter.

Rolling up the sleeves of his dark blue button-up, he slid into place next to Mari. “Can you make ice cream stuff?” he asked her under his breath.

She looked over at him in surprise. “Yes?” she asked uncertainly.

“Okay. Then you do that. I can’t, but I can take orders.”

“You’re sure?”

“If Will’s unhappy about it, he can take me into his office later and punish me,” Enzo said, giving her a wink. “Promise. I can handle this crowd.”

“Alright.” She looked relieved, and she stepped away to help Kate with an order.

Will met his gaze for a second and Enzo was pretty sure he was saying thank you.

Enzo straightened, taking in the fairly straightforward screen. He could figure this out. He could do this, for Will.

For himself.

“Hi, welcome to Cherry’s,” he said as the next family stepped up. “I’m Enzo. What can I get for you today?”

Every muscle in Will’s body ached—except one.

Well, it did ache, but in a deliciously sweet way.

His heart felt like it kept expanding more and more, giving him an infinite capacity for love.

“I just flipped the sign off,” Enzo said as he came back around the counter.

Rocco was in the back, washing dishes. Kate and Mari were in the seating area, cleaning up tables and sweeping up abandoned napkins and cherry stems on the floor before they went back over and mopped every inch.

It meant that for now, it was just him and Enzo.

Enzo, who’d taken one look at the crowd inside Cherry’s and hadn’t even hesitated for a second. He’d come in, Will’s very own knight in shining armor, rolling up his sleeves, gently pushing Mari off to help them make ice cream, and had taken every order. Had figured out his point-of-sale system on the fly and soothed impatient tempers at the long wait and did it all with an easy, charming, very Moretti smile on his face.

“I don’t think I had time to say, but thank you. Thank you.” Will pulled him in, not worrying about the smears of ice cream and caramel and chocolate and strawberry streaked across his T-shirt and apron, because Enzo’s shirt had hardly been clean before this.

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