“Thanks.”
He stopped their procession and looked over his shoulder, needing to assess her readiness to take over. “Now, it’s your turn. First, put yourself into a state of confidence and leadership. That’s right. Stand a little straighter. Now drop your shoulders.” He nudged her right shoulder. “Relax it a little more. Good. Now pay attention to your breathing. You’re holding your breath. Take a couple of deep breaths. That’s good. Now shake out your arms so they’re more relaxed.”
She followed his directions, although she needed more confidence.
“Okay, now think about a time, a specific time, when you felt thoroughly in charge. You didn’t have to work at it, it just came naturally. Can you think of a time like that?”
She nodded. “Yes, when I have to handle the children’s group at the library. I know that I have to be in charge, and they’re looking to me to tell them what’s acceptable behavior and what isn’t.”
“Perfect! That’s exactly the type of situation. Now think back to how you hold yourself when you’re thoroughly in charge. You know exactly what to do and how to do it, do you not?”
She nodded.
“Okay, now. Let’s do it with Maverick. He can be the five-year-old wild child in your story group. Take charge.” He grasped her hand and guided it to the handle on Maverick’s harness. “Give him the command.”
She took a breath and pulled it from her memory. “Andiamo, Maverick.” The dog hesitated momentarily until she began to move and then synched his step with hers.
“Look straight ahead at where you’re going,” Rob coached. “Guide him where you want him to go. How about we go around the block?”
She nodded. “Si.”
He snorted. “Oh, so you’re secretly Italian, huh?”
“Must be the spaghetti and meatballs I had for dinner.”
“Keep going, you’re doing fine.” He watched carefully as Maverick matched her stride step by step. Both woman and canine seemed more relaxed than he’d expected. Maybe it helped that Maverick was used to Rob following behind him. Not going there.
When they’d travelled around the block, Mary Jane and Maverick both sported a casual stride. Any nervousness he’d seen in her was gone. “Let’s get him some water,” he said, pointing out Maverick’s panting.
They got him a bowl of water, and Rob gave him a small treat.
“How did it go?” Mrs. Van Buren asked.
Mary Jane looked at him as if waiting for his evaluation.
“She did great. They both did.” He turned and smiled. “I’m really impressed with how you went from uncertainty to confidence. I think you’ll be able to do this. Your success will be determined by your mindset. The more confident you feel, the more he’ll trust you, and vice versa. Sure, it’ll take practice, but I’m pleased with what you’ve shown me tonight, Mary Jane.”
She wiggled at his compliment and seemed to glow. “I wasn’t sure I could do it, but you’re a great teacher. You knew exactly how to get me to uncover my confidence and strength. I’m so grateful for your willingness to help me.”
It’s what Trevor wanted. “No problem. I told you I’ll help as long as you need me. We need to get Maverick back to the motel and fed.”
“Oh, my gosh! I didn’t even think about the fact that he lay there throughout supper, and we didn’t give him any.” Mary Jane looked guilty.
“You don’t want to feed him table scraps. I’ll help you pick out the dog food he’ll need. I’m sure there’s a store around here that sells it, or if we need to, we can order it online.”
“There’s a new store that the Ridgeview K-9 officer and his wife just opened. It’s south of downtown. I’ll check to see what their hours are. If it’s too late to go tomorrow night after work, we can go on Saturday.”
“If you have time this weekend, we need to work on training him more.”
“Don’t worry, it’s a priority. We can even do some more after work tomorrow if you’re willing.”
“That should be all right. I need to spend some time during the day looking for an apartment or some temporary housing. The Ridgeview Motel isn’t the best place for us. It’d be nice if I could find someplace with a yard.”
Mary Jane nodded and looked at her mother who was rinsing dishes in the sink. “Mom, do you know anything that’s for rent? Rob needs to find a place for him and Maverick to stay.”
Mrs. Van Buren thought for a moment. “Actually, Thelina Boggs may have one of her duplex units for rent. She has that house over on Wells Avenue, and Shelby Marsden moved out of the upper flat last week to get married. She married that Smithson boy. What was his name? Jim?”
“Oh, yeah. I think he went to school with Nick. Doesn’t Shelby work at the Farm Bureau?”
Rob smiled to himself. The small-town knowledge base was something else. Everybody knew everybody else.
“Rob, if you’d like, I’ll call Thelina and let her know you’ll contact her about the apartment. It sometimes helps to have an introduction from somebody who can vouch for you. Be sure to tell her you’re a veteran and a friend of Trevor Baird’s. That should convince her to let you keep Maverick there.”
“That’d be great, Mrs. Van Buren. After you’ve talked with her, if she’s receptive, can you call me and give me her number? My cell is 970-555-1213. I’ll call her tomorrow morning after Maverick and I have done PT.”
“I’ll do that. I’ll also call if I hear about anything else for rent. Now you two get some dinner for that good dog. Nick already left while you were out working with Maverick.”
“Don’t you want help with the dishes, Mom?”
“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll talk with you tomorrow.”
