“Any other issues bothering you about Maverick?”
“Not really,” replied Rob.
“How about you, MJ?” Dr. Waring turned an alert eye in her direction, studying her.
“I don’t really know what to look for, Doctor. As Rob told you, I don’t know much about dogs. But I’m willing to do anything to help Maverick. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
“We both will,” Rob added.
“Good. It will take a lot of patience, confidence, and determination to get Maverick through this and to trust again. It’s all about trust and safety. He’s experienced something life-altering that he doesn’t completely understand. You’ll need to be consistent and very matter-of-fact with him. He’ll depend upon you to ground him and help him if he has flashbacks. You’ll need to reassure him that he’s all right and convince him he’s going to continue to be all right. You’ll have to get him to trust you and believe that you can keep him from getting hurt again. That you can keep him safe. He’ll want to protect you both. He’s a warrior dog and has been both trained and bred to protect and serve. Eventually, he’ll need to go back to work in some form or another, but he has a way to go before he’ll be ready for that.”
They spent the next twenty minutes discussing how to handle what Dr.Waring called Maverick’s “night terrors,” through intense petting and soothing talk. In addition, she recommended massage and manipulation of his legs to increase his mobility, increasing his PT in small increments, and giving him plenty of time to adjust to his new owner.
“How long do you think it will take for him to get used to me, and for me to be ready to take care of him full-time?” MJ asked.
“It’s difficult to say. It depends how quickly he learns to cope with his new life here in Ridgeview. He’s used to being in a war zone. There isn’t the excitement, danger, and adrenaline rush he’s used to, but there also isn’t the routine, consistency, and sounds, smells, and people he’s used to. Let Rob be the bridge between that life and his new life here. I think you’ll all three know when it’s time.”
They met each other’s glance and nodded. MJ only hoped there would come a time when they’d know Maverick was ready, that she was ready.
“I’d like to meet with him regularly to assess his progress. Monthly if possible. I think you two can handle a lot of the physical therapy he’ll need, and he seems calm around you both, so that’s good. If anything changes, I’m only a phone call away. Call me if you need me. Otherwise, I’ll plan to meet with you mid-July. We’ll keep monitoring him and that will help guide the plan.”
They nodded in agreement. Rob gave a signal and a nudge, and Maverick raised his paw to shake.
“Way to go, Maverick! Good boy.” Dr. Waring’s face broke into a wide smile as she reached over to take his paw. She looked over her shoulder at both of them. “That’s some special dog you have there. Good luck.”
They stopped at the front desk to settle their bill and to schedule a followup appointment. “I’ll get this,” Rob told her.
She shook her head. “That’s not right. Maverick will be my dog, so I need to be responsible for him.” She watched his face fall before he got his emotions under control.
“Let me do this for him, MJ. I wasn’t around for him when I should have been.” He seemed to struggle to hold back emotion.
“Rob. You can’t blame yourself for not being with him during his recovery.” She shook her head and drew herself up to her full height before putting her hands on her hips. “That wasn’t your choice. I don’t know a lot about the military, but I know that nobody in the service owns their own life while they’re in. I understand that you wanted to be with him. That you would have been with him if you could have. But don’t for a minute blame yourself for not being there to support him.” She huffed a breath, exasperated. Who could ever understand how men thought?
He gave her a sheepish grin. “I guess I need to remember never to make you mad. Given the way you’re able to tell me off, you should be fine taking charge of Maverick.”
His words shouldn’t make her feel so good, but they did. She hadn’t really been telling Rob off, but she liked that he recognized her ability to be assertive and speak her opinions. Because of her petite size and shyness, people underestimated her. Well, big changes were coming, thanks to Maverick—and Rob.
Chapter Eight
“What did you think?” MJ asked as they headed back to her place.
“I liked her. She seemed thorough, and I think she understands military service dogs and PTSD. We’ll have our work cut out for us.” Rob glanced over at MJ, who stared into the backseat at Maverick. He glanced into the rearview mirror and positioned it so he could see.
“He looks so sad. Like he knows we’re talking about him.”
He could see what she meant. Maverick’s head was lowered onto his paws, and his brown eyes jerked from side to side as the truck moved. Usually when he was in the truck, he sat upright, staring through the front windshield or turning his head from side to side so as not to miss anything.
“It’ll be okay, Maverick,” MJ’s soft voiced crooned. “We’ll make sure of it.” She turned to face Rob, and he caught the worried expression on her face.
He reached over and patted her leg. “We’ll make this work. Maverick deserves it, Trevor deserves it, and we both deserve it, too.”
MJ gave him a sad smile. “I know. I’m nervous about whether I’ll be good enough, but I’ll do everything I can to give him the life he deserves.”
“I know you will. Probably one of the biggest challenges will be how to make his life consistent. I’m not sure how to transition from him staying with me to being with you. I’ll take care of him during the day while you’re working, and then I can bring him over in the evening and show you how to work with him. I’m not sure you’re ready yet to take care of him overnight.”
“I don’t feel ready to do that. Especially if he has flashbacks when he’s sleeping.”
“We’ll figure it out. Let’s focus on getting you and Maverick comfortable together. We’ll know when it’s time for you to take him for overnights.” He swallowed a lump of sorrow in the back of his throat at the thought of losing his last tangible connection to Trevor. He needed to get used to the idea. As long as Maverick and MJ were good, he’d live with the inevitable loss.
Silence filled the air as they drove toward MJ’s house. “I need to do my grocery shopping, so you and Maverick can stay here while I do that,” MJ finally said.
“Why don’t we go to the store now? It’s not that hot today, and Maverick should be fine in the truck with the windows down.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to put you out.”
“It’s okay. I’ll pick up a couple things, too. Where do you go?”
“The IGA. Remember, my mom works there during the week as a cashier. I figure I’ll give them business and keep her employed.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You must buy a lot of groceries if you keep them in business.”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. I don’t single-handedly keep them in business, but every bit helps. They compete with the big food chains, including Walmart.”
He smirked and gave her a wink. Yanking MJ’s chain was fun. She was so reactive.
“Point the way,” he said, not sure exactly where the store was located.
MJ gave him directions and ten minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot. He parked under a tree and away from the other cars in the lot, not wanting to stress Maverick. He made sure the windows were down and gave the dog instructions to stay.
He ended up pushing the cart up and down each aisle. He occasionally grabbed an item off the shelf, but mostly enjoyed the view of MJ stretching up to reach a box of pasta off a high shelf, or bending over to pick something down low. An unfamiliar warmth coursed through him, and he struggled to figure out what he was feeling. Comfortable. Being with MJ like this, doing ordinary chores, was c
omfortable. He wasn’t sure what to make of that.
They were in line, checking out, when he heard it—an agitated bark, and a canine snarl. “Wait here,” he said as he took off out of the front door and into the parking lot. As he ran toward the truck, he could see a man hovering by its window, and heard the frantic, angry barks coming from Maverick.
“Hey! What’re you doing? Leave my dog alone!” A glance took in the foam-flecked snout and bared teeth. Maverick’s menacing growl alternated with agitated barking. He came up beside the man and pushed him out of the way with his body. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
The man turned, and Rob immediately recognized him from the park. “What the hell are you doing to my dog?”
The man palmed something and stuck it into his pocket. “You’ve got a vicious dog there, buddy. Better be careful. If he threatens somebody, they’ll put him down.” He smirked. “And wouldn’t that be a shame?”
Rob searched his memory banks for the guy’s name. Kent something. Barnard. Kent Barnard. “Listen, Kent. Leave my dog alone.”
They both looked up as a Ridgeview County squad car roared into the parking lot with its lights on. A crowd gathered at the door, watching the drama unfold. Somebody must have called the cops.
“Kent Barnard,” said the stern voice of a man, dressed in uniform, who jumped out of the car. “What the hell are you into now?”
“Hello, Sheriff. This dog threatened me. I was minding my business, and he started snarling at me. I thought he was going to attack me.”
“That true?” The sheriff turned his attention toward Rob.
“Doubtful, Sheriff. Maverick is a military service dog. Highly trained. We were in the store, and I heard him barking. This man was standing next to the open window and seemed to harass him. He had something in his hand, but I didn’t see what it was. He slid it into his pocket.”
Sheriff Daniels turned back toward Kent. “Barnard, can’t we let you out of jail without you getting into trouble every time you turn around?”
The man’s face turned red with anger, and he looked as if he might say something, but MJ arrived.
“Hi, Sheriff. What’s the problem?”
“Hey, MJ. No need for you to get involved in this. Just a problem with this dog.”
“Except that’s my dog, Sheriff. Trevor was his handler in the Marines and arranged for me to have him. Rob is teaching me how to handle him. If there’s a problem, I suspect somebody else caused it. Maverick is protective and very well trained. Kent has had a run-in with him before.”
“That’s right, Sheriff. Maverick and I witnessed Mr. Barnard harassing his ex-wife and daughter in Dogwood Park a week ago. I called the police because he violated an order of protection.”
Kent scowled at Rob. “You didn’t have any call to butt in. You and your vicious dog better watch out and mind your own business.”
“Watch it, Kent. It sounds like you’re threatening this man. What did you say your name was?”
“Rob Michelini. I served with both Maverick and Trevor Baird in the Sandbox.”
“Thanks for your service. Kent, I think you better move along. I don’t want to hear about you harassing Mr. Michelini or this dog, or you’ll have additional charges against you, and you’ll wait in jail for your court hearing.”
Barnard grumbled under his breath and shot a glare at Rob before heading off toward the street.
Rob turned to Maverick and reached inside the window to pet him. “Va bene.” Maverick exhaled loudly, tension rolling off him in waves.
“Is he okay?” MJ asked, her face tight with worry.
“I think so. He needs to calm down. I don’t know what that guy was doing, but it upset Maverick. He sure didn’t need this right now.”
Sheriff Daniels studied each of them. “Something going on with your dog, MJ?”
She caught Rob’s gaze before answering. “I guess you could say that. Maverick was with Trevor when he died. He was injured, too. He’s had a lot of change and trauma to adjust to. Plus, he’s having to get used to me. I have a lot to learn about handling him.”
Rob noticed she’d said nothing about Maverick’s PTSD. Probably a good idea. They didn’t want to do anything to make the sheriff think Maverick could be out of control or dangerous.
“Well, take good care of him. Avoid Kent Barnard if you can. He’s a loose cannon, I’m afraid. Sounds like Rob and Maverick are already on his bad side.” He nodded at them both and went back to his squad car.
MJ let out a deep breath.
“You okay?” Rob asked her.
“Yeah. I’m pissed off that Kent messed with Maverick.”
“Don’t worry.” He looked through the window at the Belgian Malinois. “He seems calmer already. Let’s get the groceries and leave.”
“I’ll take care of them. I’ve already paid. I just have to collect our buggy.”
“Buggy?”
“Yeah, that’s what we call shopping carts here. I left ours right inside the door. You stay here with Maverick, okay?”
He watched as MJ hurried across the parking lot into the store. He felt a wet nose reach through the window and search for his neck. “It’s okay, Maverick. We’ll keep you safe. I promise.” He felt a twinge of guilt at not being there when Kent started harassing the dog. “I’ll do better next time, buddy.” He leaned into the window and threw his arms around the dog’s furry neck in a hug. “I’ve got your back, Maverick.”
***
On the way back to her apartment, MJ kept turning around to check on Maverick. “I don’t get it. Why would Kent Barnard want to mess with him? He’s a creep, but I don’t see why he’d want to make trouble for an innocent animal.”
“The only thing I can figure out is that he recognized Maverick and wanted to get back at me for causing him trouble with the cops.”
“Yeah, but wouldn’t that be risky? Sheriff Daniels could probably have arrested him. Or Maverick could have attacked him and done some real damage, right?”
“I suppose, but Maverick doesn’t attack unless the command is given. I don’t think he’d attack on his own.” Rob glanced over at her, and she saw some uncertainty on his face.
“Really? What’s his attack word?”
Rob glanced in the rearview mirror. “I’ll tell you another time as part of your training. If I use the word now, it’ll confuse him because he’ll think he’s supposed to attack somebody.”
“Oh. That makes sense. Is the word in Italian?”
“Yep. With a bit of a Southern twang.”
“Well, at least that part won’t be too difficult for me. I’ve lived here my whole life.” She looked back at Maverick again. “I hate that he got upset. Especially considering our conversation with Dr. Waring this morning.”
“When we get back to your place, why don’t we have some lunch, and then take Maverick to the park? It’ll probably help to wear off some of his tension with PT.”
“PT? I know that’s a military term, but I’m not sure what it means.”
“Physical training. You do plenty of that in the military. Both Maverick and I get at least an hour or more in every day. It’s helping both of us recover from our injuries.”
“Oh, okay. Maybe I should do it, too. I need to know what to do with Maverick.”
They rode in silence for several minutes before she spoke. “I’m not sure what I would have done if I’d been on my own with him and this happened. I’m glad you were there.” She paused and looked over at Rob. “Do you really think I’ll be able to get this stuff down? You know, handle him on my own?”
“Don’t doubt yourself. We’ll keep working until you feel comfortable.”
“Yes, but how can you put your whole life on hold to teach me this stuff? What if it takes months?”
“MJ, don’t worry. I’m out of the service. I don’t have any place I have to be. I’ve got enough money to live on for quite a while. I didn’t use much money while I was in. There wasn’t much to spend money on in
the Sandbox. Trevor entrusted me with making sure both you and Maverick will be okay, and that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
How could he give up moving forward in his life for her? She looked at her lap, trying not to feel guilty.
“Hey,” he said as he reached over and took her hand in his. “This is important to me.” He maneuvered around a corner with his left hand on the wheel. He squeezed her hand in his. “You’re important to me, MJ.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked repeatedly to keep them at bay. What kind of man put his own life on hold to help the woman his best friend loved? Damn it. Why hadn’t Trevor admitted his feelings while they could have had time together? She’d loved him forever, but never told him. He’d known, hadn’t he?
She glanced over at Rob again. She wanted to ask him, but it didn’t seem right to ask if his best buddy had known she loved him. She sighed and rested her head back against the seat. Why did it feel so complicated?
He must have known she’d gone somewhere in her head because he squeezed her hand again and let it go.
She missed the warmth of his touch immediately. Why did that suddenly make her feel so alone?
Chapter Nine
They unpacked the groceries and Rob took Maverick out into the backyard. His four-legged buddy seemed to have bounced back from the visit to the vet and the messed-up episode in the IGA parking lot. Why the hell would that jerk want to hassle Maverick? Some people were sick, and apparently, Kent Barnard was one of them. Well, they’d keep their distance from him. The last thing they needed was a guy like that.
He and Maverick went back into MJ’s house to find she’d made roast beef sandwiches. She scooped out potato salad from a plastic container from the deli department and raised a brow to invite him to help himself to chips. He filled his plate and reached for mustard to slather onto his sandwich. Once he finished, he refilled Maverick’s bowl with kibble.
“I didn’t think to ask you—do you have any plans for today or this evening?” He’d assumed that they’d work together with Maverick, but what if she had a date?
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