He gave Lilian’s head a pat just as they reached the blanket. “Well, we can’t all be as logical and systematic as you, dear sister.”

Her teasing glare told him he’d succeeded on at least one count so far tonight—cheering her up. Lot of good that did, though, considering the man currently striding down the shore.

Maggie must’ve caught sight of Wilder at the same time as he did. “Oh good, he came.”

Lilian looked from Wilder, still in the distance, to Maggie. “You invited him?”

Apparently Neil wasn’t the only one to find his sister’s annoyance toward Wilder amusing. Sydney dipped her head, but not so quickly he missed her flash of a smile.

Maggie knelt and opened the picnic basket. “The man’s a bachelor. His father’s gone, no siblings. It’s the least we can do. He told me once he eats Pop-Tarts and frozen pizza regularly.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad to me.” Lilian dropped to the blanket, none of her usual refined manner in the movement. “Anyway, he told you that because he knew you’d take pity on him and it’d lead to this—regular invites and mooching off us.”

Maggie waved one hand, pulling a plastic container from the basket with her other. “Oh, come off it, Lil. He’s Neil’s best and only friend.”

Neil crossed his arms. “Hey—”

“Besides, he’s handsome. And you know how much Indi cares about aesthetics.” Maggie laughed at her own words.

“He’s not my only friend,” Neil grumbled.

“Not that handsome, either.” Lilian leaned over to help Maggie unload her basket. The smell of fried chicken wafted in the air.

Maggie tsked. “That dark hair, the dimple in his chin? I might have a few decades on you all, but my eyesight’s just fine. You agree with me, don’t you, Syd? Wilder—he’s not exactly unattractive, correct?”

Now why in the world would Maggie put Sydney on the spot like that? What an awkward, inappropriate question to—

“Oh, it’s one of the first things I noticed about him.” Sydney laughed, dropping down beside Maggie. “That is, after outrunning him, kicking him, and eventually deciding I wouldn’t need to mace him.”

Still standing, still with folded arms, Neil grunted. “How did we get on this subject?”

“What subject?” Wilder stole Captain’s attention the moment he reached them, the collie dashing to him. He knelt with a chuckle. “Hey, boy. Happier to see me than Miss Lilian, are you?”

Lilian glared; Maggie and Sydney laughed. No one answered his question.

And Neil, for some inexplicable reason, had to clamp his lips to keep from pointing out that Wilder wasn’t the only one with a dimple. Neil had two of them. Not that a person could probably tell at this point. Maybe he’d finally shave tomorrow.

“Where’s Indi?” Wilder plopped onto the blanket between Lilian and Neil.