Ethan would have faced down the bad guys, too. Because it was right. Seth had mulled it over for a while and had decided that’s what a hero was. Somebody who just did what was right.

ETHAN WOULD HAVE BEEN stunned and mortally embarrassed, if he’d been able to read Seth’s thoughts. But the boy was an expert at keeping them to himself. On that level, he and Ethan were as close as twins.

It might have crossed Ethan’s mind that Village Pizza was only a short block from Shiney’s Pub, where Grace would be starting her shift, but he didn’t mention it.

Couldn’t take the boy into a bar anyway, Ethan mused as they headed into the bright lights and noise of the local restaurant. And Seth was bound to complain, loudly, if Ethan asked him to wait in the car for just a couple minutes while he poked his head in. Likely Grace would complain, too, if she caught on that he was checking on her.

It was best to let it go and concentrate on the matters at hand. He tucked his hands into his back pockets and studied the menu posted on the wall behind the counter. ‘‘What do you want on it?’’

‘‘You can forget the mushrooms. They’re gross.’’

‘‘We’re of a mind there,’’ Ethan murmured.

‘‘Pepperoni and hot sausage.’’ Seth sneered, but he spoiled it by bouncing a little in his sneakers. ‘‘If you can handle it.’’

‘‘I can take it if you can. Hey, Justin,’’ he said with a smile of greeting for the boy behind the counter. ‘‘We’ll take a large, pepperoni and hot sausage, and a couple of jumbo Pepsis.’’

‘‘You got it. Here or to go?’’

Ethan scanned the dozen tables and booths offered and noted that he wasn’t the only one who’d thought to celebrate the last day of school with pizza. ‘‘Go nab that last booth back there, Seth. We’ll take it here, Justin.’’

‘‘Have a seat. We’ll bring the drinks out.’’

Seth had dumped his backpack on the bench and was tapping his hands on the table in time to the blast of Hootie and the Blowfish from the juke. ‘‘I’m going to go kick some video ass,’’ he told Ethan. When Ethan reached back for his wallet, Seth shook his head. ‘‘I got money.’’

‘‘Not tonight you don’t,’’ Ethan said mildly and pulled out some bills. ‘‘It’s your party. Get some change.’’

‘‘Cool.’’ Seth snagged the bills and raced off to get quarters.