Epilogue

A year later

Enzo was halfway up the scaffolding, the early breeze coming off the coast of Oregon ruffling his hair, when his phone rang.

"Hey, Mom," he said, answering without hesitating.

There'd been a time when he'd have put it off. Let her call go to voicemail. Call her back days—maybe even a week—later. Until his guilt was so overwhelming he couldn't do anything else but listen to it.

He'd become semi-permanently tied to that uncomfortable feeling that pressed up against his breastbone.

But no longer.

Now, she called and he answered, gladly, actually excited to talk to his mom, again.

"Enzo! I'm so glad I caught you. You aren't working, are you?"

The re-establishment of their relationship hadn't just been about healthier boundaries—but about mutual respect.

He'd learn to respect more what she'd sacrificed, and she'd learned how to respect his choices. It hadn't been immediate, a flip of the switch, but a developing process. They'd both had to grow. Had to learn.

"Nope, not quite yet. You caught me right before I went up."

"The pictures you sent me yesterday were gorgeous. And Will showed me a bunch more when I stopped by to pick up some ice cream for Joy and me."

"How's that going?" Enzo asked. He knew that a week ago, Giana had finally moved in with Joy, to the apartment she had in the Inn.

"The place is small but . . ." Giana paused, and Enzo heard a hundred emotions in that pause. Happiness and joy and frustration and angst at the inevitable change.

"I bet it is," Enzo said. "I couldn't believe it when it felt like my apartment was too small for us."

"It was too small. It barely had a kitchen, which was fine for you, but for Will . . ."

"Yeah," Enzo agreed.

"But no, it's good. We've both lived on our own for so long it is a bit of an adjustment to have someone underfoot. But in the end, it's good to have someone to share a life with, now."

"I'm really glad for you, Mom."

"And now the house is empty. I had it cleaned. You and Will can move in next week when you come home."

"You didn't have to do that for us, but I know both Will and I are appreciative."

Enzo had fully expected that they'd have to do some house hunting a few months back during one of his breaks. He and Will had started talking about it only a few weeks after he'd moved in. They'd realized pretty quickly that his apartment, while cozy, was really too small for two.

The lack of a real kitchen had been hard, too.

But then Giana had suggested over the holidays that she and Joy were talking about her moving into the Inn—leaving the house Enzo had grown up in empty.

"It seemed like the best idea," Giana said, sounding pleased, too. "You two deserve the ability to build a real life together."

"Thanks, Mom. You too."

"Anyway, it's all set to move in when you come home. You're going to be finished with your mural on time, then?"

"Yep." Enzo smiled at the mural, thinking of the excited call he'd gotten to make to Will last night, telling him that he'd bought his ticket to fly home.

This had been a short-ish job on the Oregon coast—only a few weeks—but it was the last one he'd done in several months where Will hadn't come with him.

He'd missed him even more than he'd thought possible.

"I bet Will's thrilled. What day are you coming home, then? We should do a big family dinner the night you're home—since you two will probably be too busy moving, after?" Giana asked slyly.

Enzo laughed. "If that's what you want to call it. But yeah. Wednesday. We could do that."

"I'll set it up," Giana said.

"You mean you'll ask Luca to set it up," Enzo teased.

"Well, yes , your cousin does love planning these sorts of things. Why should I deprive him of that joy?"

"Why should you?" Enzo mused. "Well, Mom, I gotta go. If I'm gonna go home next Wednesday, I've got work to do."

"Send more pictures! And good luck, darling. Love you!"

"Love you too," Enzo said and slipped his phone into his pocket.

He'd never imagined that he'd be happy to be going back to Indigo Bay, happy to be moving into his childhood home, wildly in love and ready to settle down.

But even settling down looked different to him and Will than it looked to others. He'd always be traveling, painting all over the country, though he was trying to prioritize jobs that were closer, these days. Will always told him not to do it—to take the jobs he wanted to take—but he knew now that their relationship was all about give and take.

He pulled his phone back and snapped a quick selfie, texting it to his boyfriend.

Love you. Miss you. Can't wait to move in with you, again.

Will texted back almost instantly. Love you more. Miss you more. Can't wait to christen every room in the new house.

When Enzo finally headed up to the mural, climbing up the scaffolding, he couldn't stop smiling.

It had only been a year, but it was amazing how much had changed.

And even more amazing, how goddamned happy he was about those changes.

Will didn't think he'd ever get tired of the surge of happiness he felt on the days Enzo came home to Indigo Bay.

To him .

He experienced them less frequently than he used to, because these days he often traveled with Enzo more often than not—but this time around, he'd been helping Kate finalize the summer specials, and the mural had been a smaller one, so he'd stayed.

Plus, he'd wanted to make sure that if Giana needed any help moving, he was around for her.

Oliver and Luca had volunteered of course. It felt like Giana had a whole town of people she could call on to help, but Will and Enzo had talked about him being around to offer his assistance, and Will had been happy to do it.

He didn't think, even after only a few weeks of separation, that he'd ever get used to this thrill racing through him. Didn't think he'd ever get tired of it, and how he knew, more than ever, that he was in love with Enzo. And he knew he'd feel like this every day of the rest of his life.

"Enzo coming home today?" Kate asked as he packed up his laptop, getting ready to meet him at the empty house they'd be moving into together tomorrow.

"Yep," Will said, grinning before he could stop himself.

"Aw, you two are too dang cute," Kate cooed. "A year in and still wildly in love."

"I think I'll probably feel this way forever," Will confided.

"Seems likely. But hey, good news, he gets that same look on his face whenever he walks in and sees you again."

"Yeah? God, I hope so."

"Were you worried?" Kate wondered.

"No. No, of course not." He never worried about Enzo. Enzo was a sure thing, his love always right there on the surface, written across his whole face, brimming in his beautiful eyes, always right about to spill over. Will would have to be blind to miss it, and he still wouldn't, even then. Because it was plain, too, every time Enzo touched him.

"You shouldn't be. Gonna have to make an honest man of him someday," Kate suggested, a smile on her face.

"Someday."

Will had bought the ring two months ago, a simple, classy platinum band, engraved on the inside with their initials and the date they'd met, and he knew he'd give it to him sometime soon. Maybe in the kitchen of their new house together.

But he wasn't in any huge hurry. They'd get there. And they'd enjoy every single moment and every single step.

Will heard the bell over the door tinkle, and Kate perked up, hearing it too. "I've got it," she said. "Have a nice night, boss."

Finishing packing up his laptop, Will slung the bag over his shoulder and headed out through the front, flashing Kate one last smile before he disappeared out the front door.

It was a nice short walk to the house.

Will knew he'd left earlier than he needed to, far earlier than he could hope Enzo would be there, but he'd been too eager.

He typed in the front door code to the house, the keypad he'd just installed on Monday, and when he swung the door open—he gave a surprised yelp, because there was Enzo, sitting on the kitchen island, grinning at him like he'd just given him the gift of his life.

And maybe he had.

He dropped his bag and practically ran over to him, hugging him as Enzo's legs wrapped around him, pulling him right into his embrace.

"You're home early," he said, breathing out unsteadily into Enzo's T-shirt-clad shoulder.

"Couldn't wait to get home to you so I took an earlier flight. Surprise," Enzo said, his voice filled with happiness. Will recognized it because he felt it too. Then he kissed him, because he couldn't stop himself any longer.

The kiss dragged on and on and Will was just about to suggest that they christen the kitchen now , when Enzo pulled back, resting his head on Will's shoulder.

"What do you think?" Enzo murmured. "Think we could be happy here?"

"I think . . ." The truth was staring at him in the face. "I think I could be happy with you anywhere, Honey Bunny."

"Yeah? You gonna be my Stud Muffin forever?"

Will thought about the ring, buried in his sock drawer. Thought about dropping to one knee—but there'd be so much time for that later. Right now was perfect, just as it was.

"Yeah," Will said. "If you'll be mine."