Saved by a Warrior Dog Read online

  He watched as Trevor shook his head slightly and winced.

  His friend closed his eyes and spoke in a whisper Rob could barely hear. “Take care of…love. Wish…told her…”

  Medics ran in from a truck that brought up the rear of their patrol, and one of them elbowed him out of the way.

  Rob watched as they checked Trevor’s wounds and packed them with bandages. He saw them exchange a look.

  “I’m sorry, man.” Bart Meadows put his hand on Rob’s shoulder. The other medic, Chet Foster, turned his attention to Maverick. The dog’s eyes were glazed with pain, and he watched carefully as the medic approached him with a syringe.

  “Calma, cane guerriero!” Rob murmured the words to Maverick he’d heard Trevor use many times, trying his best to mimic his buddy’s Southern accent. “Be calm, Warrior Dog.” The animal shot a glance in his direction and let out an audible sigh.

  Chet delivered the pain medication into the Maverick’s muscular shoulder and waited a few minutes to put a muzzle on the nearly unconscious dog. He covered him with a blanket.

  They must have radioed for a medical copter as soon as the device exploded, because Rob heard the telltale sounds of its approach. He looked around to find where his helmet and rifle had landed, then joined the rest of his unit to provide cover.

  His head hurt and he felt dizzy, but he wasn’t about to opt out of doing everything he could to help Trevor and Maverick get out of here quickly. He searched around for Howie and saw him sitting a short distance away, being tended by one of the other guys. At least Howie wasn’t covered in blood. He shuddered, unable to process the explosion and its aftermath.

  Trevor had to make it. If he didn’t, how could he tell Mary Jane?

  Two days after the explosion that killed his friend, Rob was released from the base hospital, although not yet cleared for duty. In addition to a concussion, they were concerned about traumatic brain injury. He shuddered. He’d known others who had been within a blast zone and scrambled their brains so badly they never fully recovered. Initially he’d been foggy and confused, but he hadn’t lost his ability to think, and his capabilities reemerged with a few days’ rest.

  His commander had come by for a debriefing, and he’d been able to recall every excruciating detail of seeing his friend dying and listening to his last wishes. Colonel Marsh gave the okay for Rob to tell Mary Jane an abbreviated version of what had happened. Since she wasn’t family, the military wouldn’t officially notify her. The commander offered the chaplain if Rob didn’t want to make the call. Maverick was still recovering from his injuries, and the veterinarian hadn’t yet determined whether he’d be fit for duty again.

  He looked at his watch. Time to quit stalling. He took in a deep breath and headed to Trevor’s locker. A duffel filled the bottom of the space, and Rob pulled it out and put it on his friend’s cot. In a side compartment, he found what he was looking for—a white envelope with the name “Mary Jane Van Buren” scrawled in blue ink in Trevor’s writing.

  What surprised him was another envelope beneath it, marked with his own name. What the hell?

  He put aside the message to Mary Jane and tore open the one addressed to him.

  Rob—

  If you’re reading this, it’s because I didn’t make it. While we try hard to survive each mission, there are never any guarantees. Whatever you do, don’t blame yourself in any way. I know you, so I know you’ll think there was something you should have done.

  What I need from you now is something only you can do. You know me, and you’re my best friend. Since I don’t have family left anywhere, I’m asking you to do the biggest favor a guy can ask.

  You’ve always wondered about my relationship with Mary Jane. While it’s true we’ve been friends since we were teens, I love her. I haven’t had the nerve to tell her yet. I’ve been thinking about getting out after this enlistment period is over.

  Not only do I need you to take the letter I wrote her to Ridgeview, I need you to watch out for her. Make sure she gets through my death and gets on with her life. I want her to be happy. I want her to find someone to love her the way I wanted to.

  I know I’m asking a lot. I’m asking you to protect her, since I no longer can. Make sure she knows how much I loved her, and how important she’ll always be to me.

  Thanks, buddy,

  Trevor

  P.S. If you can, help her get custody of Maverick. He’ll help keep her safe, and I know she’ll love him as much as I did.

  He wiped away his tears, glad nobody was around to see his outpouring of emotion. Fuck it all. His buddy had asked for something he wasn’t sure he could manage. He didn’t have any magic words to help MJ overcome whatever she felt for Trevor and move on with her life. He sure didn’t know how to help her take Trevor’s place with Maverick.

  I’ll do what I can, Trevor. I promise.

  Around zero five hundred—eight-thirty the previous night in Ridgeview—he made the phone call he’d been dreading.

  “Hello?”

  “Mary Jane? This is Rob Michelini. I’m Trevor’s best friend.”

  “Oh, of course, he’s talked about you a lot. I thought you were in Af…er, overseas with him.”

  “Yeah.” He took a breath. “He wanted me to call you. Something happened. There was an incident. An explosion. He got hurt bad—”

  “No! Tell me he’s okay!” He heard her sob.

  “I’m sorry. He didn’t make it.” His voice cracked with emotion.

  “Oh, God, no! Not Trevor! No! He can’t be gone!” He heard an anguished wail right before the phone went dead.

  Chapter One

  June, 2018—Eight Months Later

  Rob raised his hand and hesitated before knocking. He’d spent eight months dreaming about the day he’d deliver Trevor’s letter and Maverick to MJ. Now he felt sick to his stomach. He leaned against the cane he carried to help support his weak leg, the one injured the month following his buddy’s death. Everything had changed the day Trevor died, and he couldn’t seem to pull himself together. He’d promised, though, and he was a man of his word. Semper Fi.

  He knocked loudly against the oak door and waited. A light shone from a room at the end of the hallway leading from the door. He hoped that meant she was home. He turned and looked at his truck parked at the curb, and the dark head that stared out the passenger’s side window at him. He heard the lock click and turned back to the door, taking a deep breath to steel himself.

  A petite woman, much thinner than the pictures he’d seen of her, stood before him, her mouth open in shock.

  “Mary Jane? MJ? I’m Rob Michelini.”

  “I know who you are.” Her tone was bitter. “They sent me his things. I saw the picture he had of the two of you.” She looked him up and down, pausing momentarily at his cane before shrugging. “Why are you here?”

  “I promised Trevor I’d bring you the letter he wrote. I promised him I’d make sure you were okay.”

  A tear rolled down her cheek, and although he wanted to, he was afraid to reach out and wipe it away. She shook her head. He wasn’t sure if it was in answer to his unspoken question of whether she was okay, or scoffing at the idea. Her expression suggested her mind was filled with thoughts and feelings about Trevor.

  She stepped to the side and opened the door. “Come in,” she said. There was nothing inviting about her words.

  He pulled open the door, taking a quick look back at the truck. He gave a hand gesture to remind Maverick to stay. He wouldn’t be here long. Only long enough to deliver the letter and find out if MJ was ready to take custody of Trevor’s very special dog.

  ***

  Mary Jane led Rob down the hall, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her T-shirt. It seemed as if she’d been crying for months. She’d lost interest in almost everything and developed dark smudges under each eye. She wasn’t sure she had the energy to deal with Rob. How could she cope with reading a letter Trevor had written just for her? Especially one he’d writt
en in case he’d been killed?

  She gestured for Rob to sit at the kitchen table. “Can I get you something to drink? Beer? Coffee? Iced tea?”

  “Water’d be good,” he replied gruffly. He hung the cane on the back of the wooden chair and slid down into it.

  She took a glass from the cupboard, filled it with ice and water from the tap, and set it down in front of him. He looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

  He took a deep breath and reached into the back pocket of his jeans, pulling out a folded envelope. He spread it in front of her. “Trevor wanted me to give this to you if something happened to him.”

  “Thank you.” She stared down at the familiar writing, wondering if she had the courage to open it. She looked up to see Rob studying her.

  “It looks like you’ve had a hard time of it.”

  She snorted. “Nice way to tell me I look like shit.”

  “I didn’t mean that. Only, it looks like you’ve lost weight. Trevor had a picture of you he kept with him. He got it right before…um…that is…”

  “I know. I sent it about a month before. Yeah, I haven’t had much appetite.” She paused. Would he understand? “Nothing’s been the same.”

  “Yeah. For me either.” He gestured toward his right leg. “I lost my ability to pay attention and concentrate. Got shot by an insurgent. I’d have been here sooner, but I spent three months in rehab. Got out on a medical discharge.”

  “I’m sorry. Trevor said you were a Lifer.”

  “At one time I planned to be, but you never know what will happen. Things change.”

  Another tear rolled down her face, and she reached for the box of tissues on the kitchen counter behind her and wiped it away. “Yeah.”

  He nodded toward the letter. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure I can handle it.”

  “Tell you what. You can read it while I go out and check on Maverick.”

  For a moment, she felt a surge of energy. “Maverick’s here? Can you bring him in? I want to meet him. Trevor loved him so much.”

  “Sure.” He got up and headed for the door, as Mary Jane reached for the letter. Sliding her finger under the flap, she pulled it out of the envelope, taking a deep breath to muster her courage.

  My dear MJ,

  If you’re reading this, it means something happened, and I didn’t make it. I’m sorry. You were my very best friend from junior high school on, and I wanted us to become much more. I didn’t plan to stay in the Marines after this deployment. I wanted to come home to you and build a life together. Although I never told you this, I’ve loved you for years. Somehow, we never seemed to be available at the same time—I was always in relationships in high school, and you were involved with guys in college. I was so relieved when I came home for Papaw’s funeral and discovered that you were unattached, too. You were there for me during those difficult times, and I knew then that I loved you. I wanted to make a life with you. I hope you never have to read this and that we can live a happy life together in Ridgeview, making a family of our own and loving each other till the end of our days. If that is not to be, I hope you’ll move on with your life and be happy. Please, always know, you owned my heart.

  Love,

  Trevor

  She couldn’t breathe. She whimpered as she clutched the letter to her chest. Her vision tunneled and darkened around the edges, and she felt herself slide to the floor.

  ***

  Rob approached the truck and gave Maverick the signal to wait as he opened the door and grabbed onto his harness. “Here we go, buddy. I wish you could stay with me, but this is what Trevor wanted. I hope MJ can handle a badass dog like you. I don’t know if she knows anything about dogs, especially a warrior dog. We’ve just got to trust that Trevor knew what he was doing, huh? C’mon, Maverick. Andiamo, Amico.”

  He guided the dog down from the truck and walked with him to the porch. Maverick sat while Rob opened the door and gestured to enter. He’d just closed the front door when Maverick gave an uncharacteristic whine and began pulling him toward the kitchen. He hurried to keep up and almost lost his grip when the canine lurched through the doorway toward the figure on the floor.

  “MJ!” He let go of the handle, and fell to his knees, elbowing Maverick out of the way. He patted her cheeks, relieved when he saw her eyes flutter open. “Hey there, what happened?”

  She looked confused for a moment before bursting into loud sobs, her body shaking with the force of her emotion.

  He leaned in and took her into his arms, holding her close as she released a deep well of grief he totally understood. “MJ. Let it out. It’s okay. I know.” He ran one hand in circles on her back, and she continued to shake and sob. Damn. She smelled good. He looked up and saw Maverick studying them both, his ears perked, and a skeptical look on his canine face. He nudged forward and licked Rob’s hand before moving in to nuzzle MJ’s neck.

  She stiffened and pulled back to look at Rob.

  “Maverick,” he said in explanation.

  “Oh.” She sniffled and then reached over to pet the dog’s snout. “Thank you, boy. I’m sorry. You must think I’m a basket case.”

  Was she talking to the dog or to him? He stroked her hair and leaned back to give her a bit of space. “Are you okay?”

  She let out a sigh. “Yeah…no… I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay again.” She searched his face as if looking for a sign he understood, and he nodded.

  “I know. Things can’t be the same.”

  “I don’t understand why he didn’t say something earlier. We missed out on so much time. I don’t know what to do. It doesn’t feel like life can go on without him.”

  “I understand. I do. But you have to go on. That’s what he wanted. That’s why he wanted you to have his dog. Knowing Trevor, he wanted you to help each other.”

  “I don’t know if I can. I’m not sure I can be strong enough to take care of his dog. I don’t know how to take care of a dog like Maverick.”

  What the hell? How could she turn down Trevor’s final wish for her and for his warrior dog? “Look, whether you feel comfortable taking on the responsibility of caring for this brave service dog or not, Trevor wanted you to have each other. If you aren’t up to it, say the word, and I’ll apply to take over his care. The Corps put him into your custody, but if you’re too scared to take it on, I’ll step up. I know what Trevor would have wanted for his teammate, and it isn’t somebody who doesn’t want the honor!”

  She pushed him away and stood, arms akimbo and a scowl on her face. “How dare you talk to me that way? I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. I just need to figure out how to handle him. I think you’d better go.” She began to push him out of the kitchen and down the hallway, followed by a confused dog. Maverick let out several barks. Poor dog probably didn’t know what was going on. He’d been confused since Trevor’s death and his own injuries from the IED. He’d spent six weeks in the veterinary clinic in Germany. They were lucky to have saved Maverick’s life.

  Rob suspected the dog suffered from some form of PTSD besides his injuries. Sometimes he looked around as if searching for Trevor. Sort of like Rob did.

  “Calma, cane guerriero, é bene.” Maverick stopped barking, and lay down, his eyes continuing to watch MJ push Rob toward the front door.

  Rob planted his feet and used his weight to make his body immovable. “Hold on, MJ!”

  “Don’t call me that! Only Trevor and my family call me that. My name is Mary Jane!”

  “Sorry. I didn’t know no one else called you that. Look, quit pushing me out the door. Taking on the responsibility of a traumatized canine warrior requires you to know how to handle him. Do you speak Italian?”

  “No! Why would I?”

  “Didn’t Trevor tell you? He trained Maverick to respond to Italian commands spoken with a Southern accent.”

  “What?! That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Yeah, well, Trevor thought it w
ould make it tougher for Maverick to get confused by coalition troops that spoke German or Italian. Maverick obeys Italian commands that are spoken with an East Tennessee accent.”

  Suddenly, Mary Jane cracked a smile. “That sounds exactly like something Trevor would do.”

  They exchanged a look of mutual understanding. “Yeah. Anyway, how about I stop in tomorrow and bring Maverick’s things and the supplies he’ll need? We can talk about what you can expect with him and how to handle him. I’ll even teach you a bit of Italian.”

  She gave him a searching look. “You’ll come back? Even though you don’t think I’m the best person to take care of Trevor’s dog?”

  “I’m sorry, M…er, Mary Jane. I’m having trouble dealing with Trevor being gone, and it will to be difficult for me to hand Maverick over. He’s been part of our unit for a couple of years. Being with him makes me feel like Trevor is watching over us. This is what he wanted, so I’ll do my best to help you prepare for having him become part of your life.”

  “Thanks,” she whispered. “This is so hard that I didn’t think about how difficult it must be for you.” She turned and looked at the dog that rested his head on his paws and looked back at her with sad eyes. “And for Maverick.” The Belgian Malinois raised his ear when he heard her speak his name before he turned to look at Rob for direction.

  “We’ll stop back tomorrow. What time do you get off work?”

  “Five. I’m usually home by five-thirty.”

  “Okay. We’ll see you then. Andiamo, Maverick.” The dog got to his feet and followed Rob out the door, jumping up into the front seat of the truck as soon as Rob opened it. He looked back at the house and saw Mary Jane’s petite body framed in the doorway. Shit. What had Trevor gotten him into? How could he help Mary Jane, when he could barely deal with his own grief? This might be the most difficult thing he’d ever done.

  Chapter Two

  When her alarm went off the next morning, Mary Jane groaned and rolled over to silence it. She knocked it off the nightstand, and it continued to beep, the sound getting louder as the volume intensified. It was designed that way in case you slept through the alarm, but jeez, this wasn’t what she needed right now. She fumbled to find where it had landed on the wood floor and finally silenced it. She sighed. After tossing and turning, thinking about Trevor’s death all over again, she’d cried herself to sleep after three.