Leah had been young when the world’s interest had converged on the five American children who’d been trapped underground by an earthquake while in El Salvador. So when a fellow teacher informed her that Ben was one of the Miracle Five shortly after her arrival in Misty River, she’d done what she always did after pinpointing a gap in her knowledge: she’d studied up. The next time she’d seen Ben, she’d been prepared to talk intelligently on the subject of the earthquake and their subsequent miraculous rescue.

Over time, she’d learned that the entire town harbored a great deal of respect for their five most famous sons and daughters. Ben, Sebastian, Natasha, Genevieve, and Luke had been in middle school when they’d been buried alive for eight days beneath rubble. It didn’t matter to Misty River residents that the event had occurred nineteen years ago. They still regarded the kids, now adults, with a healthy dose of awe.

“So your first impression of Sebastian wasn’t a positive one,” she said.

“Not at all. He was blunt and argumentative. Mean.” Fondness softened his expression. “But he grew on me.”

“And you grew on him.”

“It took time. After we came home, he said no the first ten or twenty times I asked him to do stuff with my family and me. But then my mom got involved. . . . You’ve met my mom.”

“Yes.”

“So you know that it’s impossible to say no to her. Sebastian had met his match. She forced him to hang out with us. He started spending more and more time at our house, taking trips with us, coming to church with us.”

“The way you talk, I was under the impression that your family had practically adopted him.”

“Practically, yes. Technically, no. My parents didn’t formally adopt him, but we did pull him into our circle.”

“The famous Coleman charm softened fearsome Sebastian Grant.”

Ben’s good-natured grin caused his brown eyes to sparkle. “It overcomes everyone’s defenses in time.”

“Given that, how is it possible that you’ve made it to the age of thirty-two without marrying anyone, sir?”

His brows rose. “This topic again?”

“You know how I am when things don’t make sense to me! And your unmarried state makes no sense to me.”

“You’re unmarried.”

“I’m unmarriageable—”

“No you’re not.”

“But I am. You, however, are astonishingly marriageable.”

He chuckled. “You’re almost as bad as my mom.”

“As stated, your charm can overcome anyone’s defenses. Which means that the reason for your singleness must stem from womankind’s inability to overcome your defenses.”

He spread his hands. “That is not the reason. I’m open to a relationship!”

“Then allow me to set you up with Hallie.” Leah could name several women who’d love to date him.

“No.” He took his baby carrots and hightailed it toward the door.

“Malia?”