Page 68 of Dragon Charmed

“You know what I mean, Tessa.”

Tessa shook her head, and Megan held up her hand to stop whatever she was going to say next. Which was fine with her since she didn’t know what she had planned to say next.

Megan bounced Bella on her hip. “Ben is a wonderful man. From the stories I’ve heard, he’s practically a saint.”

Something she was definitely not. “Exactly. I don’t know how I would fit into that picture.”

“Just fine, I would think.”

Tessa set down the rest of the cheesecake. “Even if I could be attracted to him…”

Megan opened her mouth, and Tessa rushed on. “Could! I said could. He is trying to figure out who he is right now. He doesn’t need me to complicate things.”

“Okay. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be there to help him. Eric told me that he’s getting more and more frustrated, which isn’t going to help him remember who he is.”

Tessa sighed. “I know.”

“So be there as his friend if that’s what you want to call it. He hasn’t said anything, but I think it helps him to have you around since you didn’t know him before. You don’t have any expectations for him to remember you.”

“True.” He did seem to be calmer when she was around, or at least she thought he was.

“Plus when you’re not here, he not so subtly asks when you’ll be stopping by again.”

Tessa’s chest warmed at the words. “Really? I mean…it’s good to offer him support.”

Megan chuckled. “Right. Support. I call blergh, my friend.”

Bella giggled.

Traitors, the both of them. Before she could respond, the back door opened, and Eric and Ben trudged inside. Eric walked over to Megan and kissed her before taking Bella from her arms.

“No luck?” Megan said.

Eric shook his head. “No. But we’ll figure it out. It’s only been a couple days.”

Ben frowned but didn’t say anything. Bella reached for him, and his eyes widened in response. Eric handed her to Ben, and she clapped her hands on Ben’s beard.

Megan smiled. “She hasn’t been around someone with a beard before.”

Ben’s face relaxed. “That’s okay. She’s a cutie. Aren’t you?”

Bella threw her arms up and cheered. No one could stay in a bad mood with Bella near.

Evelyn walked into the kitchen while they were laughing. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but can we call Dr. Murphy?”

“Is something wrong?” Tessa asked.

“It’s Lily. She’s not feeling well. I was wondering if he could come check on her.”

“Let me give him a call,” Eric said.

“Thank you,” Evelyn said. “Tessa, she wants to see you and Ben.”

“Of course.”

Ben handed Bella back to Megan, and they followed Evelyn down the hall and up the stairs.

“What’s wrong with her?” Tessa asked.