"I'm not. It's nerve wracking. So what can I do now? Put the ladder back?"
"No. I'll need it again when I do the curtains. Don't you need to go to work at the café?" Mitch asked.
"In a little bit," Rico said and found that he wasn't looking forward to leaving.
He and Mitch walked around to the other side of the house. Sammy was there with the kittens, but then she announced she was going to the bathroom and ran inside and told them, "Don't let the kitties get in trouble."
Rico went over to the kittens and looked down at them as they rolled in the grass. "Natalie and Veronica, can you believe it?"
"You're dying to rename them," Mitch said and he was right.
"Of course I am. I wasn't sure before, but I think they're girls. Maybe Sammy will sell me the naming rights," Rico said and got down to pet them.
"And what would you name them?" Mitch asked.
Rico made a quick decision. "Fifi and Puddin'."
Mitch made a quick decision of his own. "No. Their names are fine the way they are. But we can't keep them here without asking your grandmother."
"They were already living here. She'll be fine with it," Rico predicted. "I'll let her know about them when I report for my shift at the café."
"Are you sure you don't mind working here on top of your work at the café," Mitch asked him.
"What work? I spent all day playing with Sammy. So yeah, I put in a hard day's work all right," Rico said, but then he saw Mitch turn to him with a grateful expression.
"I appreciate you looking after her. That was a big help."
"We just hung out together since you didn't let me do any real work," Rico said with a shrug. Mitch's gratitude made him feel embarrassed.
"I'll probably have more for you to do tomorrow," Mitch told him and walked him to Grandma's car.
"I'll look forward to getting my hands dirty and callused." Rico waved to Sammy as she came out and then he was gone. He just wished he didn't hate leaving so much. What the hell was so addictive about that guy? Sure he was hot, but he was also straight. There couldn't be anything between them.
Chapter 6
From the start, Enrico seemed like a typical college boy and not someone who liked to get his hands dirty. But Mitch didn't care how much work he got out of him. He should have, but he cared more that he got along with Sammy and took good care of her.
Enrico was a light, bright presence. That's why Sammy responded to him, and maybe Mitch did too. He found that he was sorry that Enrico had to go and also surprised that he felt that way.
He could still see him striding through the yard, surrounded by wild greenery, gesturing for Sammy to follow him on some mission. Lanky, with movements that seemed loose and unselfconscious, not like someone was used to being watched, he was so natural and unrestrained.
Of course Mitch shouldn't have been watching him like that, but he excused it by telling himself he was just keeping an eye on things.
Evening was coming on, and Mitch should have been thinking about dinner not why Enrico seemed so different to him from any guy he ever met. Mitch was about to stop working and start putting away his tools when he saw Mrs. Del Rio's car pull into the driveway for the second time that day. Enrico got out and flashed him a smile.
"You're back," Mitch said.
"Grandma sent me here with your dinner," Enrico said as he got a takeout bag from the car. "It's not her cooking. It's takeout from the café. I also got the name of the vet in Ashbury that Sam and Wyatt use for their dogs."
"You didn't need to bring us dinner. You bought plenty of food when you went shopping," Mitch pointed out, but whatever was in that takeout bag smelled really good.
"Tell that to Grandma. I'm just following orders," Enrico claimed.
"That looks like a lot for just the two of us," Mitch noticed. "Are you staying for dinner?"
Enrico looked uncertain, like he didn't know if that was an invitation or just a question. Mitch decided to make himself clearer. "You're welcome to stay and help us eat this."
When Sammy ran over, she implored Enrico to stay for dinner too. "The kitties missed you. You have to stay," she told him and practically dragged him inside.
