She stepped up, kissed his cheek. “Maybe you could come by after the fireworks tomorrow.”

“I can do that.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Hey,” he called when she walked away. “You want to go to the movies? Not tonight,” he added at the puzzled look on her face. “Next week, your night off.”

“Ah . . . I can make that work. Sure. I’d like that.”

“Set it up. Let me know.”

“All right.” She smiled, but the puzzled look stayed in her eyes. “Do you buy a ticket for your dog?”

“I would, but they won’t let him in.”

“Do you have a DVD player?”

“Sure.”

“A microwave?”

“How else would I cook?”

“Then why don’t I come over to your place? We can watch a movie there—all three of us.”

It was his turn to be puzzled. “Okay. If that’s what you want.”

“Wednesday night?”

“Fine. You want dinner?”

“Not if you’re cooking it in the microwave.”

“I can toss something on the grill.”

“Then yes. I’ll come by about six, give you a hand. I have to get back. Laurie’s on her own.”

“See you later.”

Ryder stuffed his hands in his pockets, watched her walk away. “Every time I think I get her,” he said to D.A., “I don’t.”

THE NEXT NIGHT, as the sun lowered, Ryder gave the second half of his second steamer to Murphy.

“You’re a bottomless pit.”

“They’re good. And they ran out of ice cream.”

“Ought to be illegal.”

“We can put them in jail.” With a smile and steamer-sticky hands, Murphy climbed into Ryder’s lap. “Mom says we can go by the Creamery if they’re still open when we get there. You wanna come?”

A hot July night. Ice cream. “Maybe.”

“Mom says Hope couldn’t come ’cause she has to work.” Devouring the sandwich, Murphy licked steamer juice off the heels of his hands. “Is Hope your girlfriend?”

“No.” Was she? Jesus.

“How come? She’s really pretty, and she mostly always has cookies.”

Considering, Ryder thought the combination was as much a no-brainer as ice cream on a hot night in July.

“Those are excellent points.”

“My girlfriend’s pretty. Her name’s India.”

God, the kid just killed him. “What kind of a name is India?”

“It’s India’s name. She has blue eyes, and she likes Captain America.” He pulled Ryder’s head down, whispered. “I kissed her, on the mouth. It was good. You kissed Hope on the mouth, so she’s your girlfriend.”

“I’m going to kiss you on the mouth in a minute if it’ll shut it up.”

Murphy’s gut laugh rolled out, dragged a smile out of Ryder.

“They’re gonna start soon, right? Right?”

“As soon as it’s dark.”

“It takes forever to get dark, except when you don’t want it to.”

“You’re wise, young Jedi.”