"OK, honey." Mitch looked after her with a grin. But once she was gone, he frowned. "I'm not even a close second. Maybe third after the kittens. Or is that fourth?"
"You're number one in her heart and always will be," Enrico assured him.
"I'm still going to learn to make cupcakes even if it kills me," Mitch vowed while looking at the box Sammy had let him carry in if he promised to be careful with it.
"I don't think you need to sacrifice your life. Just follow a recipe," Enrico told him. "What's next work-wise?"
Mitch forced his mind back to business and went down the long list of things that needed to be done. "Removing wallpaper from the hall upstairs," Mitch decided. "I think that's something we can finish before you have to go."
They had already done all the bedrooms so Enrico knew the procedure. He had also said many times that he now hated wallpaper with a burning passion.
"Do we have to get it wet?" Enrico asked as he eyed the wallpaper with loathing.
As he admired even that expression on his handsome face, Mitch was glad he had something to keep him busy. "This kind has a layer that we should be able to peel off just like this." Mitch showed him by pulling off a decent sized piece of the vinyl paper. "The layer underneath gets the usual soaking and scraping, and then the glue gets scrubbed off."
"Ugh," Enrico said then he got to work.
They started peeling and Sammy came to sit on the top step and watch them. With her up there, the kittens were determined to come up too, so Enrico went and helped them out.
"Keep the kittens away from the stairs, OK," he told Sammy so she moved further in while the kittens got busy exploring all the pieces of wallpaper that had been peeled off and now littered the hall.
"I want to peel too," Sammy said.
"Sure, go crazy," Enrico told her. She peeled tiny pieces and showed them to him proudly.
"Wow, you're a good worker. Do you think you can get the kittens to peels some?" Enrico asked her.
She tried to persuade them, but it was a no go. "They don't want to," she reported to Enrico.
Mitch found himself smiling at both of them. He couldn't believe what a good rapport they had. It filled his heart with warmth.
In the end they only managed to peel off that one layer before it was time for Mitch to start on dinner. "You're staying for dinner, right?" he asked Enrico, but he shook his head.
"I better go. I was supposed to get a text if they needed me at the café. They didn't send one, but sometimes it gets busy unexpectedly," he said, and it seemed to Mitch he was looking for an excuse to leave.
In fact he had been kind of subdued with Mitch since the basement. That wasn't like Enrico, so he wondered what was on his mind. Whatever it was, it seemed wrong to let him go after what they did. But Mitch wasn't sure how to make him stay. Then Sammy chimed in.
"But I have a cupcake for you, Rico. I made it," she gave him a pout and Mitch could tell he was wavering.
"Don't leave me alone with cupcakes," Mitch told him. "If it helps you make up your mind, I'm making a frittata for dinner."
"With the smiley peppers?" Sammy asked.
"Yes. So what do you say," Mitch asked Enrico.
"I guess I can't pass that up," Enrico said, and Sammy celebrated by spinning around.
"Good. I'll go and start on dinner," Mitch said and picked up the kittens to carry them downstairs.
"I'll sweep up this wallpaper," Enrico said. "Then if you need me, I'm all yours." He shot Mitch a significant look when he said it and made his heart beat faster. That was more like Enrico, but then he looked hesitant and he bit his lower lip.
Seeing Enrico bite his lower lip made Mitch want to bite it as well, feel it between his teeth then lick it. Enrico did that to him, and still Mitch was desperate to make him stay. Why the hell couldn't he resist him?
A little later, Mitch heard him coming downstairs then he called Sammy to come over.
"I got you more pretty junk from the basement," he said to Sammy.
Mitch poked his head out of the kitchen to confirm that he was giving her the silver nest egg. He was, and he showed her what was written on it then read it for her.
