“You mean you’re going to see if there’s any chance comfort could lead to grateful sex.”

Ryan gave a half smile. “Brittany asked me to look out for a friend in trouble. That’s what I’m doing.”

Part of him recognized that he might be the one in trouble, but he decided to ignore that along with the speculative look from Alec.

He strolled across the sand, checking everyone had what they needed and that there were no problems simmering. South Beach was one of the best beaches for swimming on the island, a curve of sand where the sea shelved gently and lacked the strong undertows characteristic of other parts of the island. One end of the beach was rocky, but those large gray slabs of granite provided a perfect platform for jumping into the water. Some of the braver individuals were swimming, their shrieks cutting through the air as they dipped into the cold waters of the Atlantic. Ryan might have joined them if it hadn’t been for the woman hovering on the edge of the party. He’d put two of the guys who worked behind the bar on lifeguard duty. Kirsti was handing out drinks and welcoming people with her own individual brand of warmth that involved a significant amount of matchmaking.

As Ryan walked past her, she handed him a couple of extra beers from a bucket brimming with ice and winked.

He took the beers, ignored the wink and joined Skylar and Emily.

“This is a surprise.” He handed over the beers and then dropped to his haunches to greet Lizzy, noticing the bows in her hair. “Pretty necklace.”

Lizzy fingered it. “I made it with Skylar.”

“Emily!” Lisa arrived with the twins, holding on to each hand. “Can Lizzy join us? We’re hunting for shells on the far side of the beach with Rachel.”

The request seemed to stir Emily from her trance. “Rachel?”

“My sister,” Ryan murmured in response to her blank expression. “Even on her day off she doesn’t miss the opportunity to grab a group of young children and stimulate their minds.”

Emily held tight to Lizzy’s hand. “That sounds like fun.” The tone she used told a different story. “I’ll come, too.”

Ryan understood that for Emily, being here was an enormous step. It was too much to expect for her to leave the child in someone else’s care. Blocking out Alec’s comment that in order to get the girl he had to deal with the child, he swung a giggling Lizzy onto his shoulders.

“Now you have a seagull’s view.”

He ignored Kirsti’s approving glance and strolled across the sand, wincing as Lizzy’s small hands tugged at his hair.

“Hey, that’s attached to me.”

“I’m too high up. I don’t want to fall.” But she was giggling, and he saw Emily glance at the child and smile, too.