“What she needs,” he said slowly, “is to have some fun and lead a normal life with you in the background to guide her. Let her do the things other kids her age are doing.”

A dimple appeared in the corner of her mouth. “You’re saying that because you want to recruit people for your lobster bake.”

He suddenly realized how much harder the evening would be if she turned up to the lobster bake. “You’re right. Forget it. I know a party on a beach would be your idea of a nightmare. You should stay away.”

* * *

“We are going to the lobster bake.”

Skylar glanced up from the beads she was threading with Lizzy. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” Determined to do this before she could change her mind, Emily grabbed a large beach bag and started stuffing things inside. She had no idea what was needed for a trip to the beach, so she improvised, ignoring the part of her brain that told her she should be packing resuscitation equipment. “Get changed. Pack a sweater.”

“We’re going to the beach?” Lizzy erupted with excitement. “Can I take my bucket?”

Emily felt her stomach roll, but she reached for the bucket and stuffed it into the bag before she could think of all the reasons not to. “It’s in. Anything else? Don’t forget Andrew.”

Skylar’s eyebrows rose as Lizzy went running from the room. “Who is Andrew? Please, tell me he’s some hot guy you have chained in your wardrobe for your nighttime pleasure.”

“Andrew is the bear. He has to come everywhere.” Some things she was learning.

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or disappointed.” Her friend sat back in the chair. “You are a different person.”

“I learn from my mistakes. I only forget a bear once.”

“I was talking about the beach.”

“Oh.”

“What changed your mind?”

“I realized that I have a responsibility to teach her to be safe around water, and avoiding it isn’t going to achieve that.” Emily added a pretty beach towel to the bag. “If I’m not careful, I’ll make her scared and I don’t want that.”

“You’re going to teach her to swim?”

“No. I can’t swim myself.” She thought about Ryan’s offer and dismissed it. There was no way she was putting as much as a toe in the water, but she was prepared to go to a lobster bake on the beach. That would be a start.

It had been Ryan’s parting remark that had been responsible for her change of heart.

A party on a beach would be your idea of a nightmare.

But not Lizzy’s. And why should Lizzy be made to suffer because she was freaked out by water? The last thing she wanted to do was pass her phobia on to the child.