Page 48 of Dragon Tempted

And with the silence, the spell broke.

Lily hugged his legs. “Thank you!”

He patted her back awkwardly. “You’re welcome.” John found Sienna across the room, eyes lit from within, holding Bella in her arms. Something pinched in his chest again. This was a mistake. But before he could retreat, Lily took his hand.

“It’s time for dinner.” She pulled him as she headed through the foyer to the dining room across the way. He glanced back at a smirking Sienna, who brought Bella with her. A woman was setting pizzas on the sideboard when they walked into the room.

“Marilyn, we’re going to need another place set—”

Sienna stopped talking, and he followed her gaze to the table with four plates.

“The girls insisted we needed an additional setting. I see we do have a guest.”

From the look of surprise on Sienna’s face, she hadn’t told the girls he might be joining them. “Marilyn, this is John.”

“Nice to meet you, John. If you want anything special made while you’re staying here, please let me know.” Marilyn bustled out of the room after getting Lily situated in her chair with a couple small slices of pizza. Sienna put a piece of cheese pizza on a plate and began to cut it into smaller pieces.

“Help yourself, John.”

He walked to the sideboard and grabbed some sausage and pepperoni pizza. “What would you like?”

“I’ll take the veggie pizza. Thanks.”

He brought both plates back to the table, and Sienna finished cutting Bella’s food, then placed it in front of her.

They ate for a couple minutes in silence.

“Good job, girls. The pizza is yummy.” Sienna smiled. “The girls helped Marilyn make the pizzas.”

He had already finished one piece and had started the second. “It’s really good. Sausage and pepperoni pizza is my favorite.”

Sienna wore another surprised look at his comment before she shook her head as if to clear it and asked the girls about their day. She was such a natural with them. Lily told them about her classes with her teacher.

A few minutes later Marilyn came through the door from the kitchen with another pizza. “I hope you saved room for dessert. This is a s’more pizza. Chocolate and marshmallow with a graham cracker crust.” She cut the pizza and quickly handed out small pieces to the girls and more generous pieces to John and Sienna.

“Thank you, Marilyn,” Sienna said.

They dug into the dessert, and John watched as the girls and their aunt enjoyed their treats.

Bella pointed toward the opening that led out to the foyer and clapped her sticky hands. “Mommy!”

Sienna rested her hand on Bella’s shoulder. “Sweetheart, Mommy and Daddy are out with Uncle Adam and Aunt Tessa. They’ll be home later.”

They finished their desserts. Chocolate had found its way onto Lily’s chin and cheek. Before Bella could swipe her chocolate and marshmallow hands through her hair, Sienna grabbed her little arm. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” She pulled a wipe from seemingly nowhere. “We have a pack of baby wipes strategically placed under the booster seat.” She handed one to John and then started working on Bella’s hands.

Lily tilted her head up with a grin, and John wiped her hands and then began to wipe her chin when voices came from the foyer. Megan and Tessa stopped in the cased opening. Chills ran up John’s spine. Bella had known they were coming home early.

Bella held up her hands and squealed, while the shocked grown-ups gaped at each other. He went back to wiping Lily’s face.

“What are you all doing home?” Sienna asked.

“We were tired and decided to come home early,” Tessa said.

John looked over at Sienna, who frowned at Tessa’s announcement. Before she could ask any questions, Tessa continued. “What do we have here?”

“We’re having a pizza party,” Lily announced.

“I see that,” Tessa said, giving John the once-over. “Nice you could come party with the girls, Unka Gumpy.”