“I’m going to play with my light saber.” He wriggled down, grabbed up the toy light-up sword Beckett had bought him, swished it through the air.

His brothers immediately launched an attack.

“That used to be you,” Justine told him.

“Which one?”

“All three of them. Why don’t you go on up to the inn? You can see the fireworks from there.”

Ryder stretched out in his sling chair. “Montgomery family tradition.”

“I’m giving you dispensation.”

He laid a hand over hers. “It’s okay. She’s busy.”

“Liam! If you don’t stop I’ll take that thing away from you.”

Justine glanced over at Clare, sighed. “And that used to be me. It goes by, Ryder.” She turned her hand under his, laid the other over Willy B’s, who sat at her other side with Tyrone on his lap. “It pays to grab what’s good and right when you can.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve bought something else.”

“You know what I’m talking about. It’s starting,” she murmured as a trail of light streaked skyward. “There’s nothing like the start of something big.”

FROM THE PORCH of the inn, Hope watched the sky explode. Around her the guests applauded, oohed, ahhed. She’d made margaritas on request, enjoyed one herself while she watched the color and light.

And thought of Ryder, down in the park with his family.

Flowers, she mused. Such a surprise. She liked surprises, but she also liked to know what they meant. An apology in this case, she concluded. Though it hadn’t been necessary.

Then there was the movie business. Where had that come from? Straight out of the blue, as far as she could tell.

Silly, she told herself. A movie was just a movie.

But it was the first time he suggested going anywhere—a date?—since they’d started sleeping together.

Were they dating now? Dating was different from sleeping together. Dating had a kind of structure and a set of rules—loose ones, depending, but rules and structure.

Should she start thinking about that—about rules, and structure?

And why was she complicating what was absolutely simple? They enjoyed each other in bed, and bonus, liked and enjoyed each other out of it.

And, both of them were sensible, straightforward people with busy lives.

Enjoy the moment, she ordered herself. Enjoy the fireworks.

A hand closed over hers, so she turned. No one touched her; everyone’s eyes were trained on the sky.

“All right, Lizzy,” she murmured. “We’ll enjoy them together.”

When the last boom echoed, she went down to make a fresh batch of drinks. It pleased her, a great deal, to know her guests had a good holiday experience, and were even now talking about the show, the feel, the local color.

It pleased her, too, to realize Lizzy wanted her companionship.