She answered the door. He’d showered—his long hair still wet.
“Why don’t we take my truck,” he offered. “You can give me directions, and Maverick can sit in the back.” The dog panted his hello, and she reached out to let him sniff her hand.
“Okay.” She watched as Rob opened the rear crew-cab door, and Maverick leaped up effortlessly. “He’s really a beautiful dog.”
“Smart, too. He had some basic training before they partnered him with Trevor, but man, that guy knew how to bring out exceptional skills.”
“What do you mean?”
Rob ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. “Hard to explain. Sometimes it was like he didn’t have to give Maverick a hand gesture or say a word. They communicated as if they could read each other’s mind. This poor guy’s had a tough time. Not just the physical injuries. He’s been grieving.” Rob cleared his throat, as if to banish the emotion.
Mary Jane’s throat thickened with her own grief. It had been eight months. Would she ever get used to the idea that Trevor wasn’t coming back? “Yeah, I get that.”
Maverick nudged her shoulder with his nose, and she half turned to look into sad canine eyes. “I’m sorry, boy. I miss him too.” She wiped away a tear.
Rob studied her for a moment. “We all miss him.”
She turned to see a tormented look on his face. “Does it ever get easier?”
He met her glance. “There are moments when I forget, and then it comes roaring back as if it were yesterday.” He cleared his throat again to change the subject and started the engine. “I need directions to your mom’s.”
She quickly told him which way to go and took a deep breath to calm her emotions. Being wrapped up in her own grief hadn’t allowed her to think about what it must be like for Rob, watching his friend die. Or for Maverick, who’d depended on Trevor.
The Trevor she’d known was a popular guy at their high school, and later a more serious man who’d come back to Ridgeview between deployments. They’d talked and gone out every time he came home, but there were things about him she’d never know. She couldn’t even imagine what he’d gone through in Afghanistan. Sure, they’d talked by SKYPE, she’d written emails, and he’d written back, but he never could talk about what he went through every day over there. She’d thought they would have plenty of time. She stared out the side window, lost in thought.
“So, your mother lives outside of town in the mountains?” The deep male voice broke through her memories, and she peered out the windshield, getting her bearings.
Crap. While she’d been daydreaming, they’d gone way past the turnoff to her mother’s house. “No, not really. She lives on the edge of town. Turn left here.” She directed him through a complicated set of twists and turns, wondering if he’d realize how much backtracking they were doing. They came up on Mom’s from a different direction than she’d planned. “It’s the yellow ranch with the green shutters. You can park in the driveway. My brother Nick is already here.” She pointed toward the white pickup parked next to a neat, detached garage.
***
Before he could come around to help her out, Mary Jane opened the door and slid down to the ground. He gave her a stern look, and she made a face at him. Obviously, she was an independent sort.
He opened the rear door and gestured for Maverick to jump out. “You’re sure it’s okay for us to bring him in the house?”
“Sure. My mom and brother already know Trevor arranged for me to have him.”
Well, not exactly. Trevor had indicated his wishes, but Rob was the one who’d hip-waded through the red tape to make it happen. He rubbed the dog’s ears, wondering how he’d manage without this tangible reminder of his best buddy.
“C’mon.” Mary Jane pulled on his arm, and he and Maverick fell in behind her.
He tried not to pay attention to her cute little heart-shaped ass and the shorts that set it off so perfectly, it made it hard to think. Yeah, hard. He gave Maverick the signal to walk next to him, and their odd little group shuffled to the back door.
A moment later, he was greeted by the warm hug of a slender woman who, although taller, looked like an older version of Mary Jane. “Welcome! You must be Rob. I’m so happy to meet you.” She kneeled down in front of Maverick until they were eye to eye. “And is this Maverick? He’s a very handsome guy, aren’t you?” She glanced up at Rob for permission, and he nodded.
“Va bene,” he told the warrior canine, reassuring him that the woman was safe. Maverick visibly relaxed and sniffed her hand that tentatively reached out to pet his head.
“Oh, he’s a sweetheart!”
That wasn’t exactly what Rob wanted to hear. “He’s a professional soldier, ma’am. Or at least he was.”
Silence reigned, and he felt like he’d walked into an emotional minefield. Trevor and Maverick had been a team. They’d both been wounded, Trevor mortally. Every time he talked about Maverick, it was as if there was a ghost in the room, filled with sorrow and loss of a special man. Not just his friend, but someone cherished by this family.
“Where are my manners?” said Mary Jane into the awkward silence. “Mom, Rob served with Trevor in Afghanistan. Rob, this is my mother, Carolrae Van Buren.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Mary Jane turned to the right and pointed to a man he hadn’t seen. “And this is my brother, Nick. He owns Ridgeview Auto Repair.”
Rob reached out a hand to shake, trying to ignore the scowl on Nick’s face. What the hell?
He followed them into the
