Saved by a Warrior Dog

by Cassidy Wells

  Meredith gazed at her and then reached over to squeeze her hand. “It’s okay to move on, MJ. Trevor wouldn’t have wanted you grieving for him. He’d want you to have a wonderful life.”

  “I know. I will. It just takes time to realize that what I always dreamed about can’t come true.” She gave her friend a phony smile, but Meredith shook her head. She knew MJ was faking it.

  “You may not have the dream with Trevor, but, honey, you can create new dreams with someone else. If you’re attracted to Rob, go for it.”

  Before she could demur, Blake came over to claim his wife. “Time for the reveal, sweetheart,” he said, helping Meredith up from her chair, and moving her toward the front of the room with his hand on her lower back.

  They called the crowd to attention, and Meredith’s mother carried the box over to them and placed it on the table in front of them.

  “Thank you all for coming today,” Blake said, looking around the room at the crowd of friends gathered there. “We wanted to share our excitement with you by having this party to disclose the gender of our new soon-to-be family member. This is a surprise for us. We had Crandall’s Bakery bake a gender-reveal cake. Blue roses for a boy, pink roses for a girl.” He turned to Meredith and gestured for her to lift the top off the box. As she started to lift it, he leaned in to help her.

  Everybody was silent, watching and straining to see how the large cake was decorated. As the cake cleared the box, MJ could hear the gasp from the new parents, as they turned the cake so that everybody in the room could see the blue decorative frosting.

  The room burst into spontaneous applause, and the rumble of good wishes grew to a small roar. MJ added her congratulations along with others, and smiled a genuine smile, happy for her friends. Their lives would be different in a few months.

  An attendant cut pieces of the cake for everyone, and MJ talked with old friends from high school. Some had kids of their own, and others were married but hadn’t started a family yet. A few, like her, were unattached. She noticed the married women or those who had kids gravitated toward others at the same life stage. It made sense, because they had so much in common. They could share information about parenting or weddings, but it made her wonder what her future would be like.

  She’d always thought she’d end up with Trevor, and they’d marry and have a family together. She’d felt inside that they were “meant to be.” Now those dreams were destroyed. Would she end up the “old maid” of their group? The one who was a career woman? Not that she didn’t love her job as a librarian, but it wasn’t all she wanted. Feeling the melancholy mood overtake her again, she made an excuse to leave and headed home.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Ready for bed, Maverick?”

  The dog looked up at him, and damned if it didn’t look like he’d smiled.

  Rob moved into the bedroom and pulled off his clothes, changing into his sleep pants. He sat on the edge of the bed and ruffled the fur on the dog’s neck. Maverick moved into him, groaning and seeking more.

  “I get it, boy. You need comfort and affection, same as me. I’ll bet MJ could heal us both.” The dog let out a big sigh, and Rob followed suit. “Let’s hit the hay.”

  He lifted the covers and slid in for some needed shut-eye. Maverick settled next to him on the floor.

  Adjusting his pillow, his thoughts turned back to his conversation with Derrick an hour earlier. Could he build something with MJ? Would Trevor have wanted that? He yawned and settled into the pillow.

  He woke to Maverick nudging him, and he turned over to find the dog on the bed. He never did that. At least he never had. He didn’t make any noise, but as Rob’s eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw that Maverick was alerting—giving the sign that he smelled something dangerous.

  What the hell? Was this some new form of PTSD? Then he smelled it. Smoke.

  “Good boy. Let’s go. Andiamo.” They needed to get out of here. He stuffed his feet into his boots, but didn’t bother to lace them. Now that he was upright, he could hear a crackling sound.

  He snatched up Maverick’s leash, not bothering with his harness. He didn’t know how the dog would handle a fire, especially after all that had happened in Iraq.

  They moved into the kitchen, toward the door leading to the stairs. A glance out the window over the sink showed the glow of flames licking the wooden structure. The crackling sound was much louder.

  He checked the back-door window and felt the wooden door for heat. Seemed clear. He shortened Maverick’s leash, so he had good grip. They would have to do this together. Opening the door, he prepared to run down the stairs, only to pull up short. The fire fully engulfed the stairs at the bottom. Could they run through the flames? Whatever they did, they needed to do it now. The building was going up like kindling.

  He heard sirens. Somebody must have called it in. What about Derrick? Was he out?

  The flames roared higher, and the heat drove him back, clenching Maverick’s leash. He slammed the door. They’d have to find another way. The dog whimpered. “Calma, cane guerriero!”

  Rob pulled the dog along into the living room and checked the window. He couldn’t see as much smoke or flames out that one. Maybe they could do this. He could jump, but would Maverick? He’d have to make sure of it. He opened the window and climbed through it, lowering himself onto the porch roof, letting the leash lengthen. He pulled on the leash to pull Maverick through the window and down to join him.

  The dog seemed unsure and whined. “Jump, Maverick!” The dog whimpered. “Calma, Cane guerriero!” Damn. What was the phrase he needed? “Maverick, saltare qui!”

  The dog jumped and landed a foot from him. “Good boy, Maverick. Just a little more to go.” He didn’t know if the dog understood him, and right now he didn’t have the Italian vocabulary to spell everything out.

  Smoked filled the air. The sirens told him professional help was still too far away. They’d have to jump and risk broken bones. He was not going to die in some small Southern town after surviving a war zone and the Taliban. Shit. Here goes.

  He grabbed onto Maverick’s leash and moved with the dog to the edge of the roof. Yep, there was enough room for them to land without smashing into a tree. No bushes to cushion the fall, though. He inhaled a big breath. “Saltiamo giù!” He pulled Maverick with him as he jumped off the roof with the Malinois a foot behind him. Once they were in the air, he let go of the leash and positioned himself as best he could, to absorb the impact, by rolling. He dimly knew that Maverick had lengthened his body and stretched out to meet the ground.

  Then together, they lay on the ground, several feet apart. His body ached, and he rolled over to check on Maverick. The dog seemed stunned, and Rob slowly sat up and crawled over to make sure nothing was broken—on either of them.

  “Are you okay, buddy?” He felt through the dog’s fur and checked his legs. Maverick lifted his head to lick his face. “Yeah, boy, I think we’re both okay. Va bene, right?”

  Derrick found them just as two fire trucks and an ambulance pulled up. “Oh, my God, I’m glad to see you! I thought you hadn’t made it out. When I got out and saw the stairs engulfed, I didn’t know if you’d make it.”

  “Any idea what started it?”

  “It wasn’t the grill, I know that. I poured water on the coals after you went upstairs.”

  “You need to move farther away,” said a fireman as he dragged a hose toward them. “We’ll need a lot of luck to save this place.”

  They nodded, and Derrick helped Rob to his feet. He snapped his fingers at Maverick, and the dog slowly got to his feet.

  “You better get checked out by the EMTs, man,” said Derrick. “They can check him out, too.” He pointed toward the Malinois. Maverick was on his feet, but limped on his rear left leg.

  Together, the three of them approached the ambulance where two EMTs checked out both men. They wiped off Rob’s soot-covered face and gave him a blanket to cover his bare chest. Parts of his body would be bruised tomorrow
, but otherwise, he was fine. They gave both men a shot of oxygen for good measure.

  “Can you check out my service dog?” Rob asked the red-haired EMT who wore a name tag that read “Kenny.”

  “Sure. Let me get the dog-sized oxygen mask. Do you think he’ll be able to handle it?”

  “Can you let me put it on him?”

  Kenny nodded and dug around in an inside drawer and handed Rob an oxygen mask adapted to cover an animal snout and mouth.

  “Calma, canine guerriero. Va bene.” He petted Maverick’s head as he attached the breathing apparatus. He continued to pet and talk to him softly as the EMT checked Maverick’s body, legs, feet, and pads for any injuries. Although the dog’s eyes were wide, he didn’t move or growl.

  “He was limping on his left rear leg,” Rob explained.

  “Yeah, he may have a pulled ligament. Did he jump from the roof, as well?”

  “It was the only way to escape. The flames blocked the stairs.”

  “You’re both lucky, then. No serious injuries. Watch him for the next few days and if the limping continues, you’ll want to take him to his vet on Monday. Try to discourage a lot of physical exercise, especially running and jumping. Walks are probably okay.”

  “Thanks.” Rob shook Kenny’s hand.

  “Y’all sit and rest here for a bit. I suspect the fire chief will want to talk with you.”

  He and Derrick watched as the firefighters pulled hoses to different parts of the building and sprayed water on it. Smoke continued to billow despite their attempts. They heard a crash as the stairs to Rob’s apartment collapsed, along with a section of the roof nearby.

  There went his apartment. The most important thing was that he and Maverick had escaped. He couldn’t have handled it if he’d lost Trevor and Maverick. He watched as a fire-suited middle-aged man approached them.

  He pulled off his fire helmet and extended his hand. “I’m Chief Williams. You guys all right?”

  They each shook his hand and introduced themselves.

  “You’re lucky you both got out.” He looked down at Maverick, who had finished being examined. “Glad your dog made it out, too.”

  “He’s the one who alerted me to the fire. He’s a Marine service dog.”

  “That’s interesting. Does he usually alert to fire?”

  “Not really, unless there’s an accelerant or explosive or a large amount of gunpowder.”

  “From what I can tell so far, it looks like the fire started in several places—what I’d expect if it were arson. Either of you have enemies who might want to kill you?”

  Rob’s mouth dropped open, and he saw a similar reaction from Derrick.

  “No, sir, I don’t think so. Not in the US. Judging from my military history, there are probably plenty in the Middle East, but not outside of a war zone,” he told the fire chief.

  “Nobody that would try to burn me out of my apartment,” Derrick answered. He didn’t look at either the chief or at Rob when he spoke. He shifted a bit and cleared his throat.

  His body language was wrong. There’s something he isn’t saying.

  “We’ll be investigating the fire as a possible arson because of the pattern the fire took. I’ll also be talking to your landlady. I’m afraid you won’t be able to stay here. If you need help to find a place to stay, check with the Red Cross. Their office is in Green Oak. If you remember anything you noticed about the fire, call me. Here’s my card.” He handed business cards to both Rob and Derrick.

  “Guess my trip will get postponed until I can buy a new wardrobe and replace my laptop and cell,” Derrick said to Rob as the chief left.

  He was in the same boat. He’d lost everything, although he didn’t have that much with him. He’d miss his duffel, though. He’d had it since basic. Looks like he and Maverick would need to head back to the Ridgeview Motel.

  He heard someone call his name and looked around to see MJ coming toward him at a dead run. She leaped toward him, and his arms outstretched automatically to catch her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on, hugging him tightly.

  “I heard about the fire,” she gasped breathlessly. “Sheriff Daniels called my brother because he heard it on the scanner, and he knew you were living here. Nick called me. Oh, my gosh, are you okay?” Her worried eyes searched his face.

  “We’re fine. Derrick, Maverick, and I all escaped relatively unscathed. Other than losing a place to live and everything we own.”

  “How did the fire start?”

  “The fire chief thinks it’s arson. Don’t know why someone would target us, though. There were some scary moments getting Maverick to jump out of the window and down from the porch roof with me. Don’t worry, MJ, he’s okay.” Reluctantly, he set her down on the ground, but kept an arm around her waist.

  “I’m glad, but I was worried about you. I mean, besides Maverick.” It was as if she suddenly processed what he’d said. “You jumped out a window? Jumped from the porch roof? Oh, my gosh, it’s a wonder you didn’t break your leg! You didn’t, did you?” She pulled away from him to check out Maverick, who stared lovingly up at her.

  She sank to her knees and threw her arms around the Malinois. “Oh, you poor baby!” He licked her face enthusiastically, and she giggled. “You’re such a lover boy, Maverick.”

  Rob felt a twinge in his chest. He wasn’t jealous of a dog, was he? No, he couldn’t be—but he wasn’t able to ignore the feelings rolling around in his body.

  ***

  She couldn’t believe how scary this situation was. The fire was nearly out, but MJ couldn’t escape thoughts about what might have happened to both men and Maverick. They’d been lucky to get out alive. Arson! Stuff like this didn’t happen in Ridgeview. Why would someone want to burn down Mrs. Boggs’ rental house? Rob couldn’t have any enemies that would do that. Derrick? She didn’t know him well. Maybe her brother would know.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked both men.

  Derrick shrugged. “I guess I’ll stay with my sister in Green Oak. There’s no reason I have to be in Ridgeview. I travel a lot, anyway. I’ll be okay once I replace the stuff I lost.” He pointed at the still-smoldering building with his chin.

  Rob stared at what remained of the upper level of the building before answering. “For the rest of the weekend, I’ll let the Red Cross help me out until I can get to the bank on Monday. Then I’ll start replacing things. I guess Maverick and I will go back to the Ridgeview Motel.”

  She shook her head. “No, you and Maverick can come stay with me. I have a guest room, and that will give Maverick a chance to get used to living there. Plus, it’ll be easier for me to get an idea of what taking care of him is like.” She was careful not to give the reasons she wanted Rob there, because she wasn’t exactly sure what those reasons were. She just knew she wanted him closer.

  “Are you sure you want us as house guests? We’re not just talking about a week or two.”

  Was she sure? Yes, absolutely. This decision felt right, and she always trusted her instincts. “Yes. There’s no reason for you two to stay in that seedy motel when I have a place.” There. That sounded very rational.

  “What about your family? How will they feel about us staying with you?”

  Her brother would probably read her the riot act. Tough. “I’m a grown woman, and I can decide who I’ll live with.” Somehow that hadn’t come out right, and she felt herself blush.

  Rob was eyeing her cautiously. No doubt he’d seen the deep flush of color she always got when she blushed.

  “All right. We appreciate it. Frankly, I’m looking forward to a shower.” He gestured toward his dirty clothes and the soot on his arms and chest.

  A chest she’d been close up and personal with when she’d climbed him like a monkey. “I can wash your clothes while you get cleaned up.”

  He looked at his truck, blocked in by fire equipment and several cars. “Okay. We’ll hitch a ride with you. I’ll come back tomorrow to make sure my truck isn’
t damaged.”

  “Derrick, can I drive you to your sister’s?”

  “Nah, if you loan me your phone, I’ll call her to pick me up. You don’t want to drive all the way to Green Oak this time of night.”

  She handed her phone over and stooped to pet Maverick again. “How’s he doing?” she asked Rob.

  “He’s limping a bit on his left rear leg, but the EMT thought maybe he’d pulled a ligament. Mentally, he seems okay. This is probably the closest he’s been to a working dog in a long time. Luckily, I hadn’t forgotten the Italian word for ‘jump’. As far as I know, he’d never needed to jump out of a window or off a building before. He did it, though. Maybe he was trained to do it. We never had to exit that way when I was with the squad.”

  “Hopefully, you’ll never have to do it again.”

  Derrick approached them and handed her back her phone. “My sister’s on her way. You don’t have to stick around. I’ll tell Chief Williams he can find you at MJ’s if he needs more info.”

  “Right.” Rob shook the man’s hand, and MJ gave him a small wave. “Let’s go, Maverick.” Together the three of them headed across the street to the car.

  “If you put the passenger seat back as far as it’ll go, you’ll probably fit better,” she suggested.

  He shook his head and opened the rear door for Maverick. The dog took up the entire back seat. He carefully moved his seat back. She peeked into the backseat, not surprised to find that the leg room behind him had dwindled to only a few inches.

  “We don’t have that far to go.” She peered into the rearview mirror at Maverick. “You okay there, buddy? Brace yourself and lie down. You can do this.”

  Rob snorted, and she shrugged. Okay, so her car was too small for a big, well-built man and his large dog. Her large dog. Would she need to get a bigger car when Maverick was with her all the time? She hadn’t thought of that. He did well in the crew cab of Rob’s truck, but in her little import, not so much.

  “Do you think l need to buy a new car?” she asked into the silence as they drove.