For two decades, the other four of the Miracle Five had never stopped reaching out to him, even though his refusal to be a part of their group hadn’t changed. He’d been forced together with them in that crushed basement in El Salvador. He hadn’t had a choice then. Ever since, his choice had been to distance himself from them. It hadn’t worked.

Natasha and Genevieve had written to him in prison. Ben had visited him there every few months.

Now that he’d returned to Misty River, they were ramping up their efforts. He’d walked out of the gas station shortly after arriving in town to find Sebastian waiting next to his truck. Genevieve and Natasha had each come by the apartment a couple of times back when he’d been renovating. Ben had showed up at his workplace.

Ben set the dog in her playpen. Right away, she started whining.

“Can you see if she’ll eat something?” Luke asked.

Ben stepped inside the fencing, took a seat, and held a few pieces of dry food on his palm. She trotted in the other direction.

Finley had told him how important it was for puppies to eat and drink. She’d described the steps he should take if the dog wouldn’t eat due to the “trauma” she was currently experiencing. She’d recommended softening her dry food and mixing it with wet food. If that didn’t work, feed her liquid oatmeal with a syringe.

He was not going to make oatmeal and squirt it down the throats of puppies. At the same time, his puppy hadn’t eaten one bite of food since he’d taken over her care, and concern had started to darken his thoughts.

Why wouldn’t she eat like a normal dog? He’d feel better if she’d eat.

Ben kept trying to entice her with food, and she kept ignoring him.

Ben picked her up and walked her back and forth in front of the wall of industrial windows, murmuring endearments and patting her. It was the kind of thing parents did with babies on TV shows.

The puppy calmed, so Ben continued.

Ben was better with the dog than he was. Luke was torn between wanting Ben to leave so he could be alone in his apartment and not wanting Ben to leave because then he’d lose his puppy-sitter. “Feel free to go anytime,” Luke said.

“I’ll eat here, if you don’t mind. Then head out.”

Luke shrugged.

Still holding the puppy, Ben sat at Luke’s table in front of the remaining take-out container.

“Do you want me to hold her?” Luke hadn’t finished his dinner, but it didn’t seem right to make Ben deal with a dog that was Luke’s responsibility.