Chapter 30

 

Since Enrico wasn't staying with them these days, Mitch found he missed him more than he could have imagined. There was an emptiness where Enrico was supposed to be that made the nights endless. At least on the morning after the party, he was coming over to help Mitch clean up what didn't get done the night before.

He got a text from Enrico early. "Will be over soon. Taking a shower now." Then another text. "Feel free to picture it."

Mitch was going to do his best not to. He went to the kitchen, started coffee and pushed back every thought of Enrico stepping out of his clothes, stepping into the shower, getting wet and rubbing soap all over himself.

Sammy stomping into the kitchen broke his train of thought. "Morning, Daddy!"

"Morning, honey! Enrico will be here soon. Let's see what we're heaving for breakfast," Mitch told her.

"We can have Rico's grandma cake," she said.

"Grandma cake? Sorry, no. We can have cereal," Mitch told her with a chuckle.

Sammy made a disappointed noise then went to tend to the kittens.

Mitch focused on breakfast and not on what Enrico was doing right now under a stream of water as he was lathering up that beautiful body of his. Pouring out some cereal just couldn't hold his attention. Maybe he needed to make something for breakfast.

"Instead of cereal, let's have something else," he told Sammy.

She got a hopeful gleam in her eyes and said, "Cake?"

"No," Mitch told her and gave her a kiss. "I'll make some eggs."

She wasn't thrilled about that and went to sit with the kittens while they munched on their food. "Daddy, Natalie and Veronica don't have their mommy and daddy. And DJ and Ry don't have their mommy and daddy. That makes me sad," Sammy said. She was petting the kittens, and Mitch stopped what he was doing and got down on one knee to be closer to her.

"That is a sad thing," he told her. He was thinking about Ellie and wondering if Sammy missed the mom she never knew.

Sammy turned her clear, blue eyes up to him and Mitch felt his heart break like it did a million times since the day she was born. "But Natalie and Veronica have us. And DJ and Ry have Wyatt and Sam and their house is happy."

"It is?"

"Yes. Dj and Ry told me about that. Ry asked me, 'Is the house happy when Rico is here?' And I told him yes. And DJ went like this." She put on a serious face and nodded doing an impression of DJ. "And he said, 'That means Rico is supposed to come over all the time.'"

Mitch couldn't actually disagree with that, but he wasn't sure what he could promise her and not be proved a liar.

For now Sammy had more to tell him. "Then I talked to Gloria about it. And after that I told everyone Rico was your boyfriend, but he didn't know."

Stunned, Mitch just stared at her for a minute. How did she know about him and Enrico. "Ah OK. I'll... Yeah OK. Thanks for letting me know," Mitch told her. As she went off to chase one of the kittens, he realized that this must have happened last night, but Enrico didn't say a word about it to him.

Maybe that was just as well. He needed time to consider this. From what Sammy said, she made their relationship public when he didn't know she even knew about it. Now everyone knew.

Not only that, she said Enrico was his boyfriend. Mitch didn't know what to think. Sammy was sure that it was all settled, but Mitch just didn't know where things stood.

But maybe it didn't matter what Mitch thought. Enrico didn't mention anything about this. Did that mean he didn't want to be his boyfriend, that he wasn't ready and felt pressured?

 

It wasn't long before Enrico was there, coming in with a loud "Good morning." Whatever misgivings Mitch had, there was no denying that his heart skipped a beat as soon as he saw him.

"I smell coffee," Enrico called out as he came into the kitchen.

Sammy greeted him with bad news. "Rico, we didn't have cake for breakfast."

"There are other good things to eat, like eggs," Enrico said as he saw that Mitch was dumping eggshells in the trash.

Sammy still wasn't thrilled about eggs instead of cake. After she ran outside with the kittens, Mitch turned to Enrico. He had poured himself some coffee. Now he was leaning against the counter, the biggest coffee cup they had in one hand, his phone in the other as he checked some texts.

"That look fits you," Mitch told him.

Misunderstanding him, Enrico looked down at what he was wearing then back at him.

"I mean the phone and cup of coffee look," Mitch explained.

"I was born with one of each clutched in my hands, and also naked," Enrico said and gave Mitch a seductive look over the rim of his coffee cup.

Mitch groaned, but now he couldn't help picturing Enrico naked with only his phone and a cup of coffee. Why did everything always lead to Mitch picturing him naked?

That didn't mean he could forget what Sammy told him. "Is there a reason you didn't say a word to me about Sammy announcing to everyone that you're my boyfriend?" Mitch asked.

"Oh," Enrico said and his whole demeanor changed. He exhaled through clenched teeth. It seemed like this was a conversation he really didn't want to have. Mitch couldn't help wondering if it was because Enrico didn't want this?

Then Enrico told him his reason. "I didn't want too hear you say that Sammy got it wrong."

Now there was no question in his mind any more. If Enrico wanted to be his boyfriend, it was impossible for Mitch to say anything but yes. "Sammy isn't wrong," Mitch said leaving him stunned.

While Enrico stared at him wordlessly, Sammy came bouncing back into the kitchen and snapped him out of it.

"Natalie found a red cup," she reported. "We have to clean it up."

"That's why I'm here," Enrico said, setting aside what they were talking about, but Mitch wasn't ready to do that.

"Apparently you being here is a very good thing that makes the house happy," Mitch said to him.

Now Enrico was back to staring at him in astonishment.

"But it was better when you were sleeping here," Sammy she said then she turned to Mitch. "Daddy, we should make Rico stay here with us then we can keep him."

"Keep me?" Enrico said like he was afraid they might lock him in the basement.

"Yes," she confirmed with a decisive nod. "I was worried when you didn't come over like before, and I told DJ and Ry about it, and they told me how they got to keep Sam."

"Aha," Enrico said and he looked from her to Mitch.

Sammy told them more. "Now Sam always stays with them, and he's going to be their dad. I'm gonna do that too. But, Daddy, you have to help."

"This involves me?" Mitch said with a grin.

"Yes, Daddy. You have to make Rico like you," Sammy instructed him.

"Oh. That's a tall order," Mitch said and looked doubtful.

"Yes. It is. You have a lot of work to do, man," Enrico said and stared at him evenly.

"You have to do it, Daddy. DJ and Ry told me that's how they got to keep Sam. And with dates."

"Dates?" Enrico said and looked a little panicked.

She nodded. "You need to have dates together."

Enrico looked unsure, but Mitch didn't let that stop him. He turned to Enrico and asked him, "Would you like to go out on a date with me?"

Surprised, Enrico only stared speechlessly at him for a minute, so Sammy answered for him. "Yes."

"Oh, I say yes too," Enrico jumped in to say. Then he leaned over to ask Mitch, "Does skinny dipping and chicken sandwiches count as a date?"

Mitch shook his head then told Sammy. "It looks like me and Enrico will be going on our first date."

"Yay!" Sammy celebrated then she asked, "Do you know how?"

"We'll figure it out, honey," Mitch told her. He wasn't willing to take any more dating instructions from his kid. "Why don't you go and see if the kittens found any more cups for us to pick up."

Turning to Enrico, Mitch saw that he still looked pretty stunned. His hazel eyes were wide, reflecting the morning light coming through the open kitchen door. He blinked at Mitch a few times and gave him a shaky smile. As Mitch took hold of his hands, he had to ask him, "Is this all really such a shock to you?"

"Yeah," Enrico admitted. "But it's a good kind of shock. Like winning the lottery."

"I'm not the lottery," Mitch told him.

"Oh, you are," Enrico insisted and slid his arms around Mitch's waist and pressed himself against him. "Especially when you tell me we're boyfriends."

"I just wish I got to say it first," Mitch said and rubbed his hands over Enrico's arms.

"Around here you drag your feet for even a minute, and little kids will end up running your life," Enrico said.

"I didn't believe Wyatt when he said that's what happened to him and Sam, but I'm starting to believe it. Now we better finish cleaning up. We have work to do for the festival after." He kissed Enrico then lingered in his embrace. Sighing, needing him, hating to let him go, Mitch dragged himself away from Enrico.

 

Stepping out the back door, they found Sammy lying in the grass while the kittens climbed all over her.

"What's going on here?" Enrico asked her.

"They are walking on me," Sammy said and she giggled.

"Ooh, I want some of that." Enrico got down next to her in the grass.

"I guess you guys are working hard," Mitch said seeing them stretched out on the lawn with Veronica pawing at Enrico's shirt pocket.

Instead of getting up, Enrico called out to Mitch, "You get down here too. Put down some more road for these kittens."

"Yes, Daddy. It's nice," Sammy urged him.

"Fine. But then we have to get to work," Mitch said. He got down next to Sammy and tried to get Natalie to come over to him but she saw a bee fly by and she ran off.

"Don't get stung by a bee, Natalie!" Sammy warned her as she sat up.

"I better scoop her up before she gets in trouble," Enrico said. As he stood up, he handed Veronica to Mitch. "You cuddle with this one since Natalie ditched you for a bee."

As Enrico leaned down to hand the kitten to him, Mitch grabbed him and pulled him down for a kiss. The kiss was quick, but it made Sammy giggle and Enrico looked stunned once again.

Mitch was a little overcome by it too. For the first time, he was kissing Enrico in front of his kid and it felt like he was sealing his fate. They weren't a secret any more. They were together.