***
Before he could come around to help her out, Mary Jane opened the door and slid down to the ground. He gave her a stern look, and she made a face at him. Obviously, she was an independent sort.
He opened the rear door and gestured for Maverick to jump out. “You’re sure it’s okay for us to bring him in the house?”
“Sure. My mom and brother already know Trevor arranged for me to have him.”
Well, not exactly. Trevor had indicated his wishes, but Rob was the one who’d hip-waded through the red tape to make it happen. He rubbed the dog’s ears, wondering how he’d manage without this tangible reminder of his best buddy.
“C’mon.” Mary Jane pulled on his arm, and he and Maverick fell in behind her.
He tried not to pay attention to her cute little heart-shaped ass and the shorts that set it off so perfectly, it made it hard to think. Yeah, hard. He gave Maverick the signal to walk next to him, and their odd little group shuffled to the back door.
A moment later, he was greeted by the warm hug of a slender woman who, although taller, looked like an older version of Mary Jane. “Welcome! You must be Rob. I’m so happy to meet you.” She kneeled down in front of Maverick until they were eye to eye. “And is this Maverick? He’s a very handsome guy, aren’t you?” She glanced up at Rob for permission, and he nodded.
“Va bene,” he told the warrior canine, reassuring him that the woman was safe. Maverick visibly relaxed and sniffed her hand that tentatively reached out to pet his head.
“Oh, he’s a sweetheart!”
That wasn’t exactly what Rob wanted to hear. “He’s a professional soldier, ma’am. Or at least he was.”
Silence reigned, and he felt like he’d walked into an emotional minefield. Trevor and Maverick had been a team. They’d both been wounded, Trevor mortally. Every time he talked about Maverick, it was as if there was a ghost in the room, filled with sorrow and loss of a special man. Not just his friend, but someone cherished by this family.
“Where are my manners?” said Mary Jane into the awkward silence. “Mom, Rob served with Trevor in Afghanistan. Rob, this is my mother, Carolrae Van Buren.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Mary Jane turned to the right and pointed to a man he hadn’t seen. “And this is my brother, Nick. He owns Ridgeview Auto Repair.”
Rob reached out a hand to shake, trying to ignore the scowl on Nick’s face. What the hell?
He followed them into the house, keeping a close eye on Maverick. Mary Jane led them into the living room, and he sat next to her on the couch with the dog at his feet.
“You were in the Marines with Trevor, I understand.” Nick got right to the point, whatever the point was. “How long did you serve together?”
“I was in four years longer than he was. But we served the last two deployments together in Afghanistan.”
“How long did he work with Maverick?” Nick asked as if interviewing him.
“He got assigned to work with Maverick a few months in. They worked together about four years, mostly searching out IEDs and bombs.” Why did he always end up here, at the end? At that catastrophic day?
“Well, thank you for your service.” Mrs. Van Buren jumped in, maybe trying to smooth things between him and Nick. She shot a warning look at her son before going on. “Where are you from, Rob?”
“Colorado. I grew up on a ranch near Durango.”
Mary Jane spoke up. “Are you planning to go back there? You’re out of the service now, right?”
“Yes, I got a medical discharge. But I’m not sure I’ll to go back to Colorado. It’s just me. My folks are gone, and the ranch sold, so there’s nothing special to go back to.”
“What will you do then?” Mary Jane looked genuinely interested.
“I don’t know. I enjoy ranching, but I have to find the right spread. I’ve thought about Texas or Wyoming. I don’t know what makes the most sense. I’m giving myself time to figure it out.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” said Mrs. Van Buren.
“I heard the other day that Tyler Mathews is back from the Marines and putting together a horse ranch or something,” said Nick.
“Really? He was in the class ahead of me in high school. How long was he in?” Mary Jane asked.
He listened as the conversation moved around him, talking about people he didn’t know and wasn’t likely ever to meet.
“MJ, will you help me serve the pasta?” asked her mother.
With the two women out of the room, Rob turned back to Nick, wondering if the man would finally tell him what the problem was.
“She’s not doing very well, you know.” Nick stared at him as if it was his fault.
“Who? Mary Jane?”
“Yeah. She loved him. Thought he was her soulmate. If he were here, I’d kick his ass for waiting until he was dead to tell her how he felt.”
“I know. I didn’t understand it. I realized he had feelings for her, but he didn’t want her to put her life on hold for him.”
“It was almost worse that he confessed it at all, especially when he was dead and gone. It would have been better for her never to know. Now she carries it around with her—this burden of his love that she can never experience. She’s lost a bunch of weight. Cries a lot. Doesn’t want to do much of anything. She’s depressed, and it isn’t getting any better.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You being here isn’t helping. It’s just a reminder of what she’s lost. Do you seriously expect her to take his dog? She knows nothing about dogs. We never had one as kids. Plus, she’s not strong enough to manage a service dog. She’s not strong enough physically, and she isn’t strong enough emotionally.”
“Look, I don’t know what you expect me to do. Trevor made his wishes very clear to me and the military. The paperwork’s in. I came here to honor my buddy’s last request: to bring his letter and to deliver Maverick. He thought Maverick would help her. It’s not my decision, and if it were, I wouldn’t be here. I promised Trevor, so I’ll do my best to help her learn to manage Maverick. I’ll teach her to speak his commands in Italian and learn all the hand signals she needs to know. When I’m finished doing that, I’ll find a life of my own somewhere. If you think this is easy for me, you’re wrong. Trevor was my best friend, and life without him sucks big time. I was prepared to take Maverick myself, but despite the fact that I share your concerns about Mary Jane’s ability to handle him, I’m willing to honor Trevor’s wishes.”
He’d been so focused on the conversation with Nick that he didn’t see Mary Jane in the kitchen doorway.
“You don’t think I can handle Maverick? You want him for yourself? Well, tough beans, buster. Trevor wanted me to have him. I may know nothing now, but by God, I’ll learn.” Tears ran down her face, and she wiped them vigorously with her hand. She turned away.
“Mary Jane.” He jumped to his feet and grabbed her by the shoulder before she could disappear. “I wasn’t putting you down! Maverick’s a canine warrior, and there’s a lot to know about handling a dog like that. I want you to have him. That’s what Trevor wanted, so I want that too.”
She let out a sob, and he didn’t think. He just pulled her into his arms and held her against him, letting her cry on his chest. He heard an exasperated sigh and figured it was Nick.
“C’mon, Mary Jane. Let’s go out onto the porch. I need to explain.” He turned to Nick. “Start eating. We’ll be back in a minute.”
Chapter Four
Mary Jane brushed tears from her cheeks and prepared to take on Rob Michelini and his lack of faith in her abilities. How dare he think she wouldn’t be able to handle Maverick! As if he knew more about Maverick and about her than Trevor did. She preceded him onto the porch and braced herself for a fight.
“Mary Jane,” he said, closing the door behind them and turning to face her. “I didn’t mean that you don’t deserve to have Maverick. Trevor knew you, and he knew this dog, so if he thought you could mana
ge him, who am I to doubt him? I miss him, that’s all. The thought of having to walk away from the dog he loved so much hurts. Being around Maverick makes me feel connected to Trevor, but I’ll do everything I can to make sure you can handle him properly. I won’t leave Ridgeview until you’re comfortable with him.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Really? You’ll stay here as long as it takes for me to learn how to handle him? Why would you do that? You don’t know me. You told Nick you share his concerns.”
“It’s difficult for me to admit that somebody else might be better for him than me. Trevor decided Maverick should be with you, and I’ll honor his decision. He was a brother to me. So, I’ll stay as long as I need to.”
She didn’t know what to say. She felt gut-punched with the loyalty he obviously felt toward Trevor. Funny. They’d both loved Trevor. They both experienced the profound loss. She looked into his eyes, searching them. “Does it ever get any easier?” Her voice was low, and it was all she could do not to let it crack.
He threw his arm around her and pulled her to his side before shrugging. “Not that I can tell. At least not yet.” He touched the side of her face with his calloused thumb. “We’d better go inside or they’ll worry.”
She nodded and turned to open the door, surprised to see the dog lying just inside, intently watching them.
***
Maverick scrambled to his feet as Rob followed Mary Jane through the door. “Va bene,” he told the dog, and Maverick immediately dropped his head. It almost seemed like he’d been anxious about their absence. He probably sensed the tension between him and Mary Jane. Rob had learned that he needed to keep his own emotions calm around the dog. Much as he wanted to grieve, whenever he’d cried or showed how much he missed Trevor, the dog had whined, panted, and seemed completely swept away by his own doggy emotions. He suspected Maverick had post-traumatic stress disorder, and he didn’t want to do anything to make it worse. That meant that most of the time, his own emotions took a backseat to providing stability for his canine companion.
He didn’t know how he would explain Maverick’s PTSD to Mary Jane. Just what Maverick needed—a new grief-stricken owner. Well, both he and the dog would figure it out somehow. The two of them followed Mary Jane into the kitchen. She slid into a seat at her mother’s right, and he took the seat next to her, across from the still-scowling brother, Nick. Rob gestured for Maverick to lie at his feet.
Mrs. Van Buren smiled at him. “Here, Rob, have some pasta.”
He helped himself from the large bowl, ladling the spaghetti sauce and two large meatballs onto his plate, before passing it to Mary Jane. “Want me to hold it while you serve yourself?” he asked. “It’s heavy.”
“Thanks.” She shot him a grateful look, before noticing the expression on her brother’s face. “Nick, what’s your problem?”
“Nothing.” He glared at her.
“Then stop being so rude to our guest. If you continue to look at Rob that way, Maverick is likely to take off your leg.”
Nick looked under the table at the dog. “He’d better not.”
“Actually, he’s very protective. He showed it this morning.” Rob told the story of their experience in the park.
“I know who you’re talking about,” Mrs. Van Buren broke in after he’d described the mother and child. “Rosalind and Angela Barnard, and that horrible man she married, Kent.” She shuddered. “It’s hard to believe that a man would sexually abuse a baby like that!”
“I hadn’t heard about that, Mom.” Nick grimaced. “That’s disgusting. Why isn’t he in prison?”
“I don’t think he’s been to court yet. I’d heard he was out on bail.”
“My mom works at the IGA as a cashier and hears all the gossip in Ridgeview,” Mary Jane turned to Rob and explained.
“Yes, I’m afraid that’s true. We’re a gossipy little town.” Mrs. Van Buren shrugged. “I guess many small towns are.”
“I’m glad you and Maverick were there,” Mary Jane spoke up. “I can’t imagine what he might have done.”
“Maverick spotted Kent before I did.” The dog raised his head when he heard his name. “Good boy.” He reached down and patted the furry head.
“I love that he’s so protective.” Mary Jane peered under the table. “He looks sad, though.”
Rob had no idea what to say to that.
Mary Jane shot him a raised eyebrow. “Is he?”
“Probably.”
“Oh. I guess that makes sense.” She looked stricken.
“Yeah. They get depressed, feel abandoned, and feel loss the same way humans do. They get attached to each other and to humans. A lot of times they don’t understand what happened.”
“Does Maverick understand what happened to Trevor?”
“I think so. He was there. Maverick was hurt, but he crawled over and put his head on Trevor’s shoulder, as if Maverick wanted to comfort him.”
He heard a whine from under the table. “We’d better drop the subject. He seems to know when we’re talking about it. It makes him anxious.”
Nick had been watching both his sister and Rob and finally spoke up. “Is Maverick going to be safe? I mean MJ isn’t experienced, and he’s a big dog. He looks strong, too.”
“He is strong. He weighs about eighty pounds, and it’s mostly muscle. She’s got to be consistent and a leader with him. Plus, he’ll need daily exercise because this breed is high energy. But they’re loyal, smart, observant, and very protective.” He paused for a moment, unsure whether to make his next point. “He’s a working dog. He’s been trained to screen for explosives. He can’t work for the military anymore because of the injuries he sustained, and the intense requirements for fitness in rough terrain. He’ll need a job, though. Otherwise…well, he’ll likely have problems. One challenge we’ll have in getting him used to living with Mary Jane is to find him the right job, a job that’ll work for both of them.”
He looked over at Mary Jane and saw her expression of dismay. She shook her head. “I’m a librarian. I have a master’s degree in Library Science. It isn’t like Maverick can shelve books for me or read to the kiddie group. The only bombs in the library are in books, thank heavens. Could I loan him out to the police department or something?”
“It doesn’t work that way. Maverick and his handler need to be together. They live together and work together.”
“What was Trevor thinking? How could he ever have imagined me taking his dog? Sure, maybe after he was done with the service. When he came back to Ridgeview, and we got together. It was supposed to be the three of us. That makes sense. But this doesn’t!” She slipped out of her chair and ran. Shortly after that, he heard a door slam.
“I’m sorry, Rob. She’s having a difficult time. I think I’ll go talk with her.” Mrs. Van Buren got up and followed her daughter out of the room.
“Welcome to the house of tears,” cracked Nick. “Jeez, I would have thought she’d have moved on by now. Maybe it’s this dog thing. It’s too big a reminder. I’ll try to talk her into letting you keep him.”
“I’m willing to take him. Maybe I can turn him into a cattle dog. Have him protect the herd. I doubt if I’ll be able to pass the requirements to be a cop, but maybe he could be a bomb-sniffing dog at an airport. If I kept him, I’d need to get permission from the Marines. They’ve approved him to go to Mary Jane.”
Mary Jane came back into the room, followed by her mother. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to get a handle on myself. I’m overwhelmed, I guess.”
Rob felt like a jerk. This was his fault. Was he secretly trying to sabotage Mary Jane as Maverick’s new owner? He needed to make this right.
“I’m sorry that I overwhelmed you with too much to think about right now. We’ll take one step at a time. There’s a lot to learn. It took me a while, and I’d been around Maverick 24/7. You’ve got a lot to get used to and so does he. I’ll teach you what I know, and we’ll figure it out as we go along.”
She nodded, but didn’t say a word. Her face was pale, her complexion splotchy from her most recent bout of tears.
“Tell you what. Let’s start right now. I’ll teach you how to walk Maverick around the block. Okay?”
Her voice was soft and sounded insecure. “I guess so.”
“No, Mary Jane. You have to be in charge. You’ve got to be confident and sure of yourself. Now, let’s try it again. Do you want to take Maverick for a walk around the block?”
She took in a deep breath. “Yes,” she said more strongly, more steadily. “Let’s take Maverick around the block. Right, Maverick?”
She jerked back when Maverick responded by letting out a single bark.
“That’s right, boy. Mary Jane and I are going to take you out.” The dog climbed to his feet and looked back and forth between them.
“I hope you’ll excuse us,” Rob said to Mrs. Van Buren. “This was a great dinner. It reminded me of the Sunday dinners my mother used to make. With a last name like Michelini, she had to learn to cook Italian food.”
He turned and helped Mary Jane up, then reached down to slip his hands around the handle of Maverick’s harness. “C’mon. I’ll show you how to hold him when we get outside.”
Once he’d guided Maverick off the front porch, he gestured for Mary Jane to join them.
“Does it matter which side I stand on?” She looked uncertain again.
“Not with him. Most dogs walk on the left when they heel, but he’s been taught to walk on whichever side you’re using to hold the harness. I want to have you walk behind me initially so you can see what I’m doing. Then I’ll have you do it.”
She moved behind them, and he picked up the bridge handle and gave the command, “Andiamo, Maverick.” The dog had waited until his command, and then they started off at exactly the same instant. He held the handle firmly as he explained his approach to Mary Jane. “Hold the handle in a relaxed way because tension or nervousness is relayed through it to the dog. He’ll sense your uncertainty, and that will make him uneasy. Remember, he expects you to be the leader. You’re in charge, so before you even pick up the handle for the harness, or any other leash, you need to get yourself into a confident state of mind. You’ll hold it firmly enough that you’re in control, but not tense or tight. Does that make sense?”
Saved by a Warrior Dog Page 4
