Page 67 of Dragon Charmed

She nodded. “You’re one of the few who have been able to keep up with me. Let’s go talk to Evelyn. Maybe she’ll know something to help us.”

At the end of the day, he didn’t know what his past would reveal, but he was beginning to want his future to include the determined firebrand standing in front of him.

Chapter 26

Time for a pick-me-up. Tessa walked into the clan kitchen and over to the cupboard where Marilyn kept the desserts she made. After working late, Tessa had come to check on everyone, but since she’d missed dinner, she needed a sugary treat.

It had been a few days since Ben started wearing the necklace, and none of his memories had come back yet. Each day that passed seemed to ratchet up Ben’s anxiety.

It didn’t help that Jonas hadn’t found anything yet regarding Mia. Even after talking to Evelyn and getting some names of Mia’s past friends and college roommates, they had all been a dead end so far. Megan had been reaching out to some of Mia’s colleagues in the art world to see if they had heard anything. So far nothing.

“You won’t find the sweets in there.”

Tessa turned as her best friend walked into the room with Bella on her hip. “Where are they?”

“She made cheesecake bars today. They’re in the fridge.”

Tessa walked over and opened the commercial-grade refrigerator and smiled. A whole tray of bars sat on the middle shelf. Some had cherries on top. Others chocolate. Decisions, decisions…

Megan chuckled behind her. “Just take one of each. You know you’re going to anyway.”

Tessa smiled and grabbed one in each hand. “You know me so well, Megs.”

Megan set a small plate on the counter for her. “I do. Which is why when I saw your car pull up, I knew that you would be here or…”

Tessa set the chocolate bar down and held the cherry bar up for further inspection. Marilyn was a food artist. “Or?”

“Or looking for Ben.”

Tessa shook her head. “No. I…I mean…yeah. I was planning on checking on him…and Lily. And of course…you and Bella.”

Megan’s eyebrows rose. “That was an insightful response.”

Tessa took a bite of the cheesecake and mumbled, “So good,” around the mouthful.

“I don’t know about you, Bella, but I think your Auntie Tessa is trying to avoid talking to me.”

“Blergh!”

“I agree.”

Tessa finished swallowing. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I feel bad for the way things happened at the motel. We still need to find Mia and have a curse to break, and I want to help with that.”

“You could help me or Jonas with our research.”

“I could,” she said to diffuse the inquisition.

“Or you could go out on the back deck. Eric is working with Ben to help him release his dragon.”

Tessa’s head whipped toward the back window, but she didn’t see anyone out there.

Megan laughed out loud, which got Bella laughing as well. If the cheesecake bar wasn’t so good, Tessa would smash it on her best friend’s smirking face.

“Did I say deck? I meant down on the cliffs.”

Tessa wasn’t sure what her face was conveying right now, but Megan stopped laughing. “It’s okay to care for Ben.”

“Of course I care for Ben. He’s part of your family. Sienna and Eric and the clan were heartbroken when they thought he died.”