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  Saved by a Warrior Dog:

  A Military Romance

  By

  Cassidy Wells

  Ridgeview, Tennessee Series, Book 4

  Saved by a Warrior Dog: A Military Romance

  (Ridgeview, Tennessee Series, Book 4)

  Copyright © 2020 Cassidy Wells

  All Rights Reserved

  ISBN-13: 978-1-7344720-0-4

  Published by Tree of Serenity Press

  Maryville, Tennessee

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author and publisher,

  except in the case of brief quotations used in a book review

  For information and permission, contact:

  Cassidy Wells

  [email protected]

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations,

  or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Important Note:

  This book is intended for mature readers. It contains explicit language and adult situations that may not be appropriate for those under the age of 18.

  Description

  When the man you always loved is killed in war, how do you go on?

  Shy librarian Mary Jane Van Buren always thought she and her best friend, Trevor Baird would end up together. She has waited for years, but when Trevor is killed by an IED in Afghanistan, discovering that he loved her brings no consolation. How can she ever move on or find love, especially in a town as small as Ridgeview, Tennessee?

  When you’ve lost your best friend and your military career is over, what can the future hold?

  Wounded Marine veteran Rob Michelini needs to figure out what to do with his life. First, though, he’s got to fulfill this last obligation to his buddy. He’ll deliver a letter and Trevor’s military service dog, Maverick, to the woman Trevor loved. Although Rob has doubts about MJ’s ability to manage a canine warrior, he’ll do his best to teach her everything she needs to know. Too bad the Belgian Malinois is used to commands in Italian, spoken with an East Tennessee accent. That may take a bit longer.

  Saved by a Warrior Dog is a military romance and the fourth book in the Ridgeview, Tennessee Series, based on a small town in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. As with many small southern towns, Ridgeview’s residents depend on each other, the values of the region, and small-town traditions to help them create a life where love can flourish.

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to Wounded Warriors

  And servicemen and women

  From any war or conflict:

  Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

  And to those who help them heal,

  Whether four-footed or two-footed:

  Thank you for your skills and healing energy.

  And to those who remain behind but also sacrifice on a daily basis,

  We recognize the price you pay, and

  We are grateful for everything you do.

  Acknowledgments

  Every book I write makes me aware of how many people make it possible. Some serve as my story inspiration. I am especially grateful to all those warriors who give up so much to protect and serve our country. They and those who love them sacrifice so much: time with their families; their emotional health to PTSD; and too often, their lives. Whether their injuries are physical or mental, they often pay a steep price for all they have seen and done for us.

  I am very grateful to my critique partner, Jill Haymaker, and the Beta and Advanced Copy Readers who give me helpful feedback. Input from others sometimes saves me from making embarrassing mistakes. If I’ve missed anything, it isn’t their fault; it is mine. Mistakes help us learn and improve, and that has certainly been the case for me as a writer.

  Special thanks go to my editor, Kathy Bosman of Indie Editing Chick. She’s my “go-to” resource for finding errors and plot points that don’t quite make sense. Her attention to detail is humbling and very welcome. As I’ve said before, though, mistakes, oversights, and omissions are slippery little devils, and I’m sorry if I’ve missed any of them.

  I especially want to thank Adam Houge for his encouragement and coaching on the nuts and bolts of launching this book. He’s provided me with great resources and the knowledge and experience to help me better navigate the self-publishing process. I am especially grateful that he introduced me to My Awesome Book Cover Design who created my cover. I love it when the pictures in my head are translated into Ridgeview, Tennessee and its characters so well.

  I’m also very grateful to my mother, Maxine Marinaccio, who is always an inspiring cheerleader. She urges me to continue writing when I’m ready to give up. She has always been my role model and has taught me that anything is possible. She challenges me to be my best.

  Finally, I want to thank my husband, Bernie, for his unwavering support of my writing. While I’m sure he would rather have me keep the house clean, he knows I’m much happier staring off into space and then pounding on my computer keyboard to put my latest story into words. I couldn’t do this without him.

  Table of Contents

  Description

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Table of Contents

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  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

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  Other Books by Cassidy Wells

  Coming Soon

  About the Author

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  A single night can change everything—

  That Night in Cancún

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  A winter vacation someplace exotic and warm? You bet!

  Jenna Carlson, a young woman recovering from the wounds of her divorce, jumps at the chance to leave behind the cold Wisconsin winter and her job as a dental assistant to spend a vacation in Cancún. In fact, she may even have a fling to prove that her ex was wrong—she can have fun.

  What can Jenna be thinking?

  When her boss, Dentist Marcus Craig learns that Jenna plans to have a fling, he’s concerned. When he learns she plans to go to a private beach with a couple of local men, he’s downright worried. He follows her to Cancún to save her from taking foolish chances.

  That Night in Cancún is the story of what can happen when
you’re far from home under a tropical moon, with something to prove…

  For your FREE copy, go to https://BookHip.com/FGRAHA

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  Prologue

  “Whacha doing?” Rob Michelini came up silently behind his buddy, Trevor Baird, who sat in front of the computer they all used to communicate with loved ones at home. He nudged Trevor’s shoulder.

  “Just reading an email from MJ.”

  “She must write you nearly every day. Are you sure she’s not more than a friend?”

  Trevor shook his head. “No. We’ve been friends since junior high, but never more than that.”

  Rob made a face. “Why not? You act like you’ve got a thing for her.”

  “She was shy in school. Very sweet, but didn’t date much. To tell you the truth, she had a crush on me, but I wanted to play the field. You know, she was the kind of girl you got serious with. I wasn’t looking for that, but we used to hang out. She tutored me in English.”

  “So what’s the deal now?”

  “She emails me all the time. She has ever since I enlisted, right after high school. Tells me all the news from Ridgeview. Ever since my Papaw died last spring, I don’t have ties there except for people I knew from high school. She’s the person I’m closest to, I guess.”

  Rob nodded. Your hometown left a mark on you. Even if you never wanted to go back, you still wanted to hear the news of people who’d been important to you when you were young.

  “You going to stay here and get all the gossip from her or are you ready for chow?” As soon as he’d said the word, he heard scrambling from below Trevor’s feet. Maverick, his Belgian Malinois service dog, perked up at the suggestion of an impending meal.

  As Maverick’s handler, Trevor had to react. “Wait,” he told his canine partner.

  The dog immediately responded and froze in place.

  “Okay, boy. Mangia.”

  Maverick’s ears perked up at attention, as he waited for his slower human to connect the leash he used to walk them to the mess hall. Some people might not like a dog’s presence around them 24/7, but Rob understood the importance of the bond between the dog and human. He marveled at how in tune Trevor and Maverick were with each other at all times.

  The dog trotted at his friend’s side as they moved toward the building that served the three-thousand military men and women stationed at the Forward Operating Base which functioned as a staging area for troops in this part of Afghanistan. The numbers changed daily as regular and special ops teams from different countries and branches of their military flew in and out on missions.

  Their unit did its part, working with Afghan Security Forces to push the Taliban back and to clear the dirt-packed roads of IEDs and insurgents who seemed determined to send as many US and coalition forces as possible back home in body bags. Would this damn war ever end?

  This was their third deployment in Afghanistan, and Rob couldn’t wait to rotate out. This was dangerous work, and too many friends had been killed or injured during their time here. He counted himself lucky. Having Maverick with them on patrols made a huge difference. He’d alerted them to buried explosives at least once a week since he and Trevor had joined their unit. As his handler, Trevor usually walked point, letting the canine’s sensitive nose hunt for danger. They’d learned to trust him implicitly, even if they didn’t see any signs of trouble. That was really the point: to let Maverick identify the location of explosives.

  Once they arrived at the Mess Hall, Trevor gave Maverick a signal with his hand, and the dog promptly sat next to the bench at an empty table, motionless as Rob and Trevor filled their trays. Trevor set down a bowl of dog food for his partner and gave him the signal that it was okay to eat.

  “I can’t believe how Maverick responds to you,” Rob commented.

  “Yeah, we’ve spent a lot of hours building our relationship.”

  “What’re you going to do when you leave the service?”

  “With Maverick? I hope to take him home with me. They’ve changed the rules to let that happen. I guess it depends on the circumstances. I’m planning to stay in as long as I can stand it. Then I thought I might join a police force as a K-9 officer.”

  “I could see that. You’ve definitely got the gift for training dogs to serve. Would you go back to Ridgeview?”

  “I dunno. The only thing that might pull me there would be MJ.”

  Rob shot his buddy a big grin. “Ah, just as I thought. You want to explore a relationship with that BFF of yours.”

  “Well, yeah. You’ve seen her picture. She’s all grown up now.”

  “Don’t you worry about her meeting somebody and settling down before you get back?”

  Trevor’s fist shot out and nailed him in the shoulder.

  “Ow! What did you do that for?”

  Trevor gave him a sober look. “I don’t need thoughts like that rolling around in my head. Especially while I’m over here.”

  “Sorry. I get it. You need your head in the game. I have to admit, I’ll be glad to move on from this war. I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like to have a normal life. Seems like we’ve been here for ten years, instead of eight months and six days.”

  “Are you planning to go back to Colorado when you leave the Marines?”

  “Maybe. Or someplace out west where I can have room to breathe. Probably not west Texas or anyplace dry. Definitely someplace rural. I might want to try my hand at cattle ranching like my dad. I used to help him around the ranch. It was hard work, but I enjoyed riding horses and chasing cattle. The older I got, though, the less I liked working so hard.” He snorted out a laugh. “Back then I didn’t know what hard work was. I learned fast enough when I joined up.”

  Like Trevor, he’d enlisted the month after high school graduation. Since he was two years older than his friend, he had a few more years in. He’d planned to be a Lifer, but he was rethinking it. God willing, he’d finish out this commitment and do one more before calling it quits. Civilian life sometimes sounded good, although he wasn’t sure where he’d go or what he’d do. Making his own decisions sounded good, especially after all he’d seen here. He did what he was ordered to do and gave his best to each mission, but sometimes he thought the decision-makers at the top of the chain of command didn’t have much of a strategy for success over here. He pressed his lips together. No use sharing his frustration with anybody else.

  “Want to play a game of pool?” he asked Trevor.

  “Nah. I’m gonna go back and finish my email to MJ. She worries if she doesn’t hear back from me, even though she knows I can’t always answer right away.” He gave Maverick a command in Italian, and the dog climbed to his feet, instantly at Trevor’s side.

  “Why Italian? I thought most K-9s were trained with German.”

  “That’s why. I don’t want him confused when we serve with other coalition forces.”

  “Wait a minute. We serve with the Italians sometimes.”

  Trevor raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, but even they can’t understand my Italian spoken with an East Tennessee accent.”

  Rob burst out laughing. “Now it all makes sense. Most of what I hear from you doesn’t sound at all like the Italian my grandparents speak. I can make out a few of the words you use, but I thought the commands you gave were all military lingo, and that’s why I’d never heard my grandparents use them.” He shook his head, still smiling as he waved at Trevor and strode off toward the recreation hall.

  Their unit was out on patrol early the next morning in a part of the city that intel suggested had been penetrated again by Taliban forces. It was hard to know who the enemy was and what they were up to, but these patrols tried to limit the free-run the enemy for
ces had. It seemed like a game of whack-a-mole to him.

  Trevor and Maverick led the group, with Rob and Howie McClintock fanned out behind them. Their eyes scanned from side to side, watching for movement as Maverick and his handler led them slowly forward.

  Rob felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise a moment before he heard the scatter of pebbles coming from a ruined building. He gave the signal to stop, bringing his weapon up, as he scanned the area. He glanced at Maverick and saw him freeze and signal explosives, seconds before something detonated a couple meters away.

  Rob was knocked sideways, and his helmet skittered off. He heard the roar of the blast. Rocks and other pieces of debris pummeled him. Once the dust began to lift, he was on the move, searching for Trevor and Maverick.

  The dog had been hit, but had crawled over to his handler, and lay with his head on Trevor’s shoulder.

  “Trevor!” He scurried to his buddy as fast as he could, pulling off his pack for supplies to stop the blood that oozed from Trevor’s ruined legs and from a piece of shrapnel stuck in his side.

  Maverick whined but let him move closer. Trevor was still conscious. “Hang on, buddy. We’ll get you help.”

  “Cold.” His friend shuddered. “Promise…”

  “What? Anything. Just hang on.”

  “Tell Mary Jane. She needs to know…what happened. Letter for her…in my duffel. Get it to her.” His voice faded, but he still struggled to talk.

  “Just rest now, damn it. Save your strength.”

  “Mav’rick?” Trevor’s speech was slurred.

  “He’s hurt, but we’ll take care of him.”

  “If he makes it, I want him…with MJ.”

  “I’ll make sure he’s taken care of, Trevor. We’ve got to get you out of here and on a flight to Landstuhl.”