Rob ran through the streets of Ridgeview with a steady stride as Maverick stayed with him, both running loose-limbed, block after block. The rhythm of his pace allowed him to lose himself in thought, as each foot hit the pavement.
He’d been worried about that first “morning after” with MJ being weird, but he shouldn’t have. They’d slid into an easy relationship, where touches and kisses became part of the norm.
He couldn’t get enough of her. Their sex was off the charts, but it wasn’t just that. Sleeping in bed with her and holding her in his arms every night gave him a settled feeling he’d never had before. There was no doubt being in love with the person you slept with made all the difference. The years he’d spent playing the field and arguing he didn’t want to be “tied down” were a flimsy excuse. It was for the best, though, because it left him available to fall in love with Mary Jane Van Buren.
He had to believe that Trevor would approve, even though he wouldn’t have had a chance with MJ if his buddy had lived. Would she and Trevor have stayed together? Would she have been happy with him?
He shut off his head and concentrated on the run. His leg became stronger the more he worked it, and Maverick showed no signs of his injuries anymore. Would he completely recover, as well? Hell, he’d make sure of it.
He picked up the pace for their last half-mile to the park. “C’mon, Maverick, let’s pour it on.” The two of them ran full-out and arrived breathless and panting. “Good job, boy. We’re a great team, aren’t we?”
Maverick gave him a doggy grin, as his tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth. They walked around the outer perimeter of the park to cool down, and then Rob stretched against a large oak tree as the Malinois sprawled on the ground nearby.
This was the life. He’d created just enough routine—cooking breakfast for MJ each morning, working out with Maverick, going home to shower and change, and then either going to therapy or reading through the materials he’d checked out last week. He rounded out the day by cooking something for dinner, making love to MJ, and falling asleep with her in his arms.
Tonight would be his first group meeting. His nightmares hadn’t bothered him since he’d started sleeping with MJ a few days ago. That wasn’t long enough to know if the terrifying dreams had completely disappeared, but he sure wanted them to be. Maverick seemed better, too.
He couldn’t complain. Even their mystery visitor hadn’t shown up again. He checked the security footage every morning, and whenever he’d been away, but there had been no signs of anyone.
He checked job postings in the paper and online every day, but he hadn’t seen anything promising. Frank would let him know if he heard of something. He’d said he would check with his contacts.
It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t let anything pull him out of his optimism. The right job would come along.
He got down for a hundred push-ups, followed by a hundred sit-ups. He was somewhere around sixty when he heard Maverick scramble to his feet and let out a low-throated growl. The dog stood, his body quivering with tension, as he stared across the park at a male figure.
“Maverick! Restare!”
The dog shot him a look, sat down, but resumed his alert, watchful pose.
What the hell had Maverick upset? As the man moved toward them, Rob recognized him and held back a groan. Kent Barnard.
“Well, well, look who’s here. I’d have thought you’d have left town by now. I’m surprised to see your mangy dog still hanging around. I expected somebody would poison him.” He let out a mirthless laugh.
Rob felt his blood run cold. Barnard was trying to provoke him into a fight. Maverick would jump in to help, thus giving the man the perfect excuse to have the dog euthanized. Not happening, although he’d like nothing better than to punch Barnard in his paunchy gut and smack the smarmy grin off his face. He took a deep breath, reaching for control.
“Maybe you’re the one who tried to poison this dog. Well, you failed. He’s alive and well enough to take you down, too.” Rob looked at Maverick, hoping he’d live up to his training and stay. Could he contain the canine warrior if he went after Barnard? “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from us. He’s a professional, but he’ll take a piece of you if you continue to provoke him.”
“Hey, this is my town. You’re both strangers here, so don’t think you can make trouble for me. Stay out of my life. Stay out of my wife’s life. Keep your fucking dog away from me. You don’t belong here.”
Rob shrugged and tried to look unconcerned. “I’m happy to stay as far away from you as possible. If you do the same, we’ll both be happy.”
“Sure. I’ll bet you’re plenty happy. I heard you’re fucking that cute little librarian. I’ll bet she gives great head. Maybe once you move on, I’ll take a piece of that.”
Almost as if he understood the words, Maverick began bristling with tension. Rob reached out and grabbed his collar.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave her alone.” He shot the man a look that communicated how much Rob wanted to tear him limb from limb.
Barnard let out a laugh, as if pleased he’d gotten to them both. “We’ll see,” he taunted as he turned and walked back across the park, disappearing behind the building that held the public restrooms.
“C’mon, Maverick. Let’s get out of here.” He clipped the leash onto his halter again, and they headed off at a fast walk. He couldn’t wait to get away. He needed to figure out how to keep MJ safe.
As soon as they arrived home, he refilled Maverick’s water dish. As he gulped a glass of water himself, he dialed the number Sheriff Daniels had given him. It only rang twice before he heard, “Bo Daniels here.”
“Sheriff, it’s Rob Michelini. You asked me to let you know if I had contact with Kent Barnard. He approached Maverick and me in Dogwood Park.” He filled Bo in on what the man had said.
“Did he threaten you, Maverick, or MJ?”
“Not directly. More like implied threats. Like ‘someone’ would have poisoned the dog, that I’d ‘better leave,’ and how after I leave, he’ll make a move on MJ.”
“It’s not enough to let me pick him up. Keep your eyes open.”
“I will. We put in a security system at MJ’s house, including cameras that cover the yard. If he shows up, we’ll get him on camera.”
“That’ll help. Keep me informed. Don’t let him get to you.”
“I won’t.”
He ended the call, still feeling vaguely uncomfortable. He wouldn’t let Kent Barnard get to him, but he also wouldn’t stand by and let MJ and Maverick get hurt. Letting out a deep sigh, he headed off to take a shower. Much as he looked forward to the PTSD Support Group, he hated to leave MJ alone tonight.
***
The day at the library had been busier than usual. Besides the Children’s Story Hour MJ did every Tuesday morning for preschoolers, school children of all ages came in as soon as school let out. The younger kids looked for books to read for their book reports, and teens came in to do the step-by-step research papers teachers assigned every year. Even though the schools provided tablets for the students, not everybody had internet service, which meant they still used the library to gather information and connect online.
She scrambled to help the teens learn how to use the computerized card catalogue in order to find books about their topic, and she questioned the younger children to help them find books they’d enjoy.
As exhausting as it was, this was exactly why she’d become a librarian. She yearned to share her love for books with others, especially kids. Plus, she loved to teach them about all the resources that libraries could provide, both online and off. When she’d been a kid growing up in Ridgeview, the head librarian, Miss Tower, had introduced her to a world that had changed her life forever. Libraries were different now and contained a mixture of technology and books. To her, though, the Ridgeview Public Library was still a magical place.
She hated to throw kids out at five o’clock,
but she had to close up and get home before Rob left to go to his support group. “C’mon. You have five minutes to get finished and check out any books you want before we close.”
A few groans met her announcement, and in a flurry of activity, kids selected the books they wanted. She hurried back to the front desk and worked her way through their choices to check them out.
“These are due back in two weeks,” she said repeatedly as she shoved each pile of books across the counter.
“I didn’t have time to find everything,” one teenaged girl complained as she checked out two books.
“Then come back tomorrow after school, and I’ll help you find the rest.”
“Thanks, ma’am.”
Kids calling her “ma’am” was hard to get used to, but she was grateful that Ridgeview kids were polite and treated her with respect.
She finally ushered out the stragglers a few minutes after five and locked the door with a sigh. She needed to clean the tables where discarded books sat scattered. She hurried around and gathered the books and periodicals, stashing them onto rolling book carts. She’d put them back on the shelves first thing tomorrow.
Grabbing her purse, she locked the front doors behind her and headed to her car, which she’d parked in the back row of the library’s lot. As she walked toward it, something about her car struck her as strange. It listed to one side as if parked on a hill. She peered at it in the growing dusk. Damn, her back driver’s side tire was flat. She looked closer. No, both left side tires were flat. One might have been an accident, but two flat tires definitely weren’t. She rounded the right side, relieved to see both tires looked all right. She pulled out her phone to call her brother.
“Hey, Nick. I need your help. I’m at the library, and I came out to find both left-side tires flat. Can you come over with your portable air tank and fill them up again?”
“Sure. Did somebody tamper with them?”
“I can’t tell. It’s too dark.”
“Go inside. I’ll close up and be over shortly.”
“Thanks.” She disconnected and stuffed her phone into her purse. Walking up the library steps, she shivered as the wind cut through her light jacket.
When she got inside, she turned on a few lights, and then sat down at her desk behind the front counter. She’d better call Rob and let him know she’d be late.
“Hey, Rob, it’s me. I’m still at the library. I’ve got two flat tires, so I called Nick to come and fix them.”
“I could have come, sweetheart.”
“I know, but you have group tonight, and Nick’s got an air tank.”
“Okay. I’ll see you when I get home tonight. Are you inside?”
“Yes, I’m in the library.”
“Lock the door. I don’t want to worry you, but I saw Kent Barnard today at the park, and he made some comments about you.”
“Ew. Now I have to boil my brain. The thought of him trying anything with me makes my skin crawl.”
“You and me both. I’ll set the alarm when I leave. Be sure you set it once you’re inside.”
“I will. Good luck tonight.”
“Thanks. I should be home by ten at the latest.”
“Be safe. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She saw a figure approach the front door, and her heart beat faster until she recognized her brother’s face pressed up against the glass.
She hurried over to open the door. “You scared me!”
“Sorry. I’ve looked at the tires, and someone sliced them. Any idea who might have done something like that?”
“There were a lot of kids here today, but I can’t imagine any of them doing something so spiteful.” She paused. “Nick, Rob said he ran into Kent Barnard at the park today. It sounded like he made some comments about me. You don’t think he would do something like this, do you?”
“I have no idea what that guy would do. He’s certifiable. Anyway, I’ll give you a lift home, and then I’ll arrange for a rollback to pick it up and bring it to the shop. I can work on it first thing tomorrow to see if I can patch the tires.”
“Thanks. I’d have Rob pick me up, but he has his support group meeting tonight.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right. He talked to me a while back about picking you up and bringing you over to our place when he’s gone.”
“That isn’t necessary. I’m beat. Just take me home. We have a security system now, so it should be fine. Plus, I have Maverick to protect me.”
Nick looked hesitant and then agreed. “Okay, as long as you’re sure you’ll be comfortable there.”
“I just want to take a hot bath and relax. This is research paper time, so the next three weeks will be exhausting.”
“I remember that. I hated having to do those research papers.” He shuddered and made a face.
MJ laughed at her brother’s antics. “Well, they were my favorite thing. I loved researching different topics, especially for history and social studies. I always felt like a detective, uncovering the details that led up to some historical event and learning about famous people.”
“I’ll bet you’re in your element this time of year.” He grinned at her.
“I admit it. I love turning kids on to research. Teaching them how to find answers in the library.”
“Well, grab your jacket and let’s get you home.”
After the short drive, Nick waited in his truck for her to unlock the door, and turn off the alarm. Maverick greeted her, and sat patiently while she waved at Nick, and then she closed the door and locked it behind her, turning on the alarm once again. It really was easy.
“How was your day, Maverick?” He panted and gave her his doggy grin.
“Did you get some supper yet?” She headed into the kitchen, followed closely by the dog. His food bowl was nearly full, as was his water. “Looks like Rob took care of you, didn’t he?”
Remembering how she used to come home to an empty house, she had to admit Maverick was good company, even if he couldn’t talk.
She peered inside the refrigerator. Leftovers didn’t appeal to her. She’d make scrambled eggs with some veggies and toast. Comfort food first, and then a good soak in a bubble bath.
She followed her plan and ran water for her bath as she changed out of her work clothes and into her fluffy pink bathrobe. Maverick followed her into the bathroom and lay on the bath mat next to the tub.
She closed her eyes, submerged most of her body, and allowed the hot water to soak into her muscles. Ah, this was so good. After refilling the cooling water several times, she reached for her razor and shaved her legs.
She’d just finished when her cell phone went off in the next room, blaring an alarm that told her the security system recorded a breach. Maverick sat up immediately and left the room. She sloshed to her feet and grabbed a towel, feeling vulnerable. She quickly slipped into her robe and went to check the phone.
The backyard. Somebody had activated the motion detector near the fence. Her shaking fingers pushed the buttons to access the camera, and she saw a figure in a dark ski mask exit from the bush where she’d found the poisoned food. She couldn’t tell what he was doing, but she didn’t like him being so close.
She quickly dialed 9-1-1.
“9-1-1. What’s your emergency?”
“There’s an intruder in my backyard in dark clothes and a ski mask. My alarm has him on camera, but he’s heading for the house. Please, send the police!”
“I’ll get a car right out there. Please stay on the line with me until they get there, all right?”
MJ agreed and walked with the phone to see where Maverick had gone. He stood growling by the back door, his fur standing up. “My dog is growling by the back door. He must smell him.”
“The car is about three minutes away. Hang in there. Is there a place you can hide in case he breaks in?”
“I’ll lock myself in the bathroom. Should I take the dog with me? He’s a Marine service dog.”
“Yes, that would be a
good idea.”
She quietly ordered Maverick away from the door, grabbed his collar, and led him into the bathroom where she locked the door behind them. Her heart beat wildly as she slid to the floor next to the tub. Would the man try to break in? What would they do?
“Are you still with me?” the operator asked.
“Yes,” MJ whispered. “We’re locked in the bathroom. My dog is watching the door and growling.” This was the longest three minutes in her life.
The alarm yelped loudly in stereo, from the alert on her phone and the alarm blaring in the house. “He’s inside. Oh, God. He must have broken in. Where are the police?”
“They should be there in a minute. They’re coming in quiet, so you won’t hear the siren.”
“Oh God, oh God, oh God,” MJ muttered. She tried to listen to see if she could figure out where he was, but all she could hear was the blaring of the alarm.
“The police are there. Can you hear them?”
“No, all I can hear is the alarm.” MJ’s eyes filled with tears. Would the police find him?
“I’ve told them he’s inside. Stay where you are. Don’t come out until they come to the bathroom door and identify themselves as police officers. I know you’re scared.”
Maverick snarled, staring hard at the door. His fur stood up as he bristled with anger.
She watched as the doorknob began to turn. “He’s trying to get into the bathroom,” she whispered.
Maverick stepped closer to the door, guarding it with his body, and making it clear to MJ that he’d stand and fight to protect her.
“Hold it right there!” she heard a male voice yell. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her heart hammered hard in her chest, and it was difficult to catch her breath.
“Put your hands on your head.”
She heard a thump, as a body hit the wall right outside the door. God, she hoped it was the intruder being captured.
“Ma’am, are you all right?”
“Y-y-yes.”
“You can hang up now,” said the 911 operator.
Tears rolled down her face, as she clicked off the phone. The alarm still blared.
Saved by a Warrior Dog Page 20
