Page 80 of Beyond the Hedge Maze

Oliver took Jesse’s hand before he lifted it to his lips. “Thought you might need a little release. You were all nervous.”

Over the past eighteen months since Jesse had moved to the estate, there had been a gradual shift in responsibilities between the pair. Jesse now shouldered most of the weight in terms of caring and running the estate, and he had never been happier. Michelle had, in the end, been right: when he cared, he excelled, and there was nothing he cared about more than Oliver. His love for his partner naturally extended to Chapman House, and he had finally felt like he had found his calling.

“You’re a menace,” Jesse replied.

“Sorry, not sorry.”

With Jesse in charge of the day-to-day business of running the estate, that gave Oliver time to pursue his calling. The conservatory still served as his studio, but he also rented a small gallery in the village that sold his work alongside other artists. The gallery kept minimal hours, and gave Oliver plenty of flexibility to spend most of his time painting.

They walked hand in hand through the house to the front door, passing a wall of photos lovingly filled with pictures of their friends and family. Amidst all the frames also sat a small shelf that held the original maze signs, the picture of Jesse Oliver had drawn when they were fifteen, and a small wooden cuckoo clock.

No longer was there an ever growing concern of water coming in from the ceiling and down the walls, the carpets had all been replaced, and so had the wall paper. The day they tore it all down was another near breaking point for them both. With the first tear, they found mold beginning to grow underneath and along the walls behind. To remove it all meant hiring another expensive professional, and also meant that Oliver and Jesse spent nearly three weeks living with Rose and Cillian.

With the major improvements out of the way, they were finally able to give tours and bring people into the house. That had kept the lights on until now, when they were ready to expand even further to hosting events.

“Should we get married in the ballroom?” Oliver asked as they were nearly to the front door.

“Depends, are you eager to get rid of our witnesses? The ladies will be disappointed if they miss out on the festivities.”

Oliver had finally been convinced to leave the muses where they were in the center of the maze, but it took a significant amount of convincing. Jesse promised that as soon as they had the money, they would build a glass enclosure to house them. Jesse could picture them on a rainy day, sitting on a bench inside a glass gazebo. Oliver would sketch, and Jesse would obviously do his best to distract him.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Yes, but I’m your idiot.”

They had arrived at the entryway of their home, the harlequin floors polished and shining beneath their feet. The majority of the paintings that had been originally hung in the space had been moved throughout the house and replaced with Oliver’s art.

But the rendering of the willows and the lake would always be Jesse’s favorite. He could stare at that painting all day, allowing himself to be transported back in time when two teenage boys fell in love over a picnic near the water.

The doorbell rang, and they both took a deep breath as Atlas skidded across the floor, paws too large for his body, and came to a clumsy stop at their feet. How this dog was supposed to live up to his namesake was anyone’s guess.

Oliver pointed a stern finger at the dog. “Okay, Atlas, be a good boy. No jumping on our guests.”

The dog looked up at his dad, tongue lolling out of his mouth, but obediently sat, eagerly waiting for them to open the door. Jesse looked over to his fiancé. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

Jesse pulled open the large walnut doors to reveal a man and woman admiring the Greek-style columns that lined the front porch. The cracks had been repaired, the cobwebs cleared, the doors refinished, and Jesse could feel the pride radiating off Oliver in waves as he greeted their guests.

“Welcome to Chapman House.”