Chapter 4 - THERE WAS ANOTHER DOG
Ben ran into the rain.
“Wait!” Mercer shouted.
The water in the alley had risen nearly to Ben’s knees.
A brown-and-white dog thrashed beneath the pallet.
Its back leg was trapped.
“Easy!”
The dog snapped wildly.
“Ben, stop!”
“He’s hurt.”
“He’ll bite you!”
“Probably!”
Ben grabbed the pallet.
It was heavier than it looked.
He pulled.
Nothing.
The dog screamed again.
“Walter!”
Mercer stared at him.
“What?”
“Help me!”
For half a second, Ben expected him to refuse.
Then Mercer dropped his umbrella.
“On three.”
They grabbed opposite sides.
“One, two, three!”
They lifted.
The dog dragged himself free.
He limped two steps before collapsing.
Ben crouched beside him.
“No collar.”
Mercer breathed hard.
“You know this dog?”
“No.”
Ruby stood in the restaurant doorway, barking.
The injured dog looked toward her.
Then toward the puppies.
Something changed.
He tried to stand.
Ben narrowed his eyes.
“You know her, don’t you?”
The dog crawled toward Ruby.
Ruby stopped barking.
Her tail moved once.
Mercer stared.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Ben smiled despite himself.
“Maybe Dad finally showed up.”
Inside, Ben cleaned the dog’s injured leg.
There was a deep cut, but nothing appeared broken.
The dog was younger than Ruby.
Lean.
Strong.
Terrified.
Ben gave him water.
“He needs a vet.”
“So do the puppies,” Mercer said.
“I know.”
“What are you going to do?”
Ben looked around his dark restaurant.
The floor was wet.
The basement was flooded.
The refrigerator had no power.
Five dogs were now sleeping beside his prep station.
And he had exactly nine hundred and forty dollars in his business account.
“I’ll figure it out.”
Mercer laughed once.
Not because anything was funny.
“You always say that.”
“Usually works.”
“Until it doesn’t.”
Ben looked at him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Mercer hesitated.
“I wasn’t going to tell you tonight.”
“Tell me what?”
Mercer rubbed rainwater from his forehead.
“The building is being sold.”
Ben stared.
“What?”
“I received an offer.”
“This building?”
“Yes.”
“My restaurant?”
“The property.”
Ben stood slowly.
“I have six years left on my lease.”
“I know.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“The buyer wants the whole block renovated.”
Ben’s stomach dropped.
“For what?”
“Luxury apartments. Retail downstairs.”
Ben laughed.
It sounded empty.
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
“And you were going to tell me when?”
“Next week.”
“Next week?”
“Ben—”
“You stood here lecturing me about dogs while you’re planning to sell the building out from under me?”
“I said there’s an offer. I didn’t say I accepted it.”
“Yet.”
Mercer looked away.
That told Ben everything.
Ruby suddenly growled.
Not at Mercer.
At the back door.
Both men turned.
A beam of light moved across the alley.
Then another.
A man’s voice shouted through the rain.
“Animal Control! We received a report of stray dogs inside a food establishment!”
Ben slowly looked at Mercer.
Mercer raised both hands.
“I didn’t call them.”
May you like
The pounding on the door started.
“Open up!”
