He watched as Barnard walked back across the park and headed down the side street. What was it with this guy? He had a screw loose.
“C’mon, Maverick. Let’s go home.” Funny how he already thought of MJ’s as “home.” He tried to shake off his uneasiness about the confrontation with Barnard. The threats against Maverick concerned him. He’d call and report it to the sheriff as he’d promised. Maybe the man was just spouting off.
He headed back to MJ’s, redirecting Maverick’s attention from the distant figure. “We’ve got to steer clear of that jerk, Maverick.” If only he could figure out how to make sure their paths never crossed in the small town. Yeah, good luck with that.
He took a shower and started making meatloaf and roasted potatoes for supper. MJ should be home soon. Hell, he’d forgotten to call Sheriff Daniels. He put the meatloaf into the oven and potatoes on to boil and fished his cell out of his jacket pocket. After scrolling through a few names, he found the right number.
“Sheriff Daniels.”
“Hey, Sheriff. This is Rob Michelini. You know, MJ’s friend. I wanted to let you know I ran into Kent Barnard in Dogwood Park this afternoon. He approached me and told me to stay out of his business. Apparently, he wasn’t happy about you interviewing him. He tried to get a rise out of Maverick and then threatened him.”
“What did he say exactly?”
“Something about it being a shame if something happened to him. I warned him about getting too close to him, because Maverick was intense around him. Barnard said if he reacted, he’d be put down as a vicious dog. I wanted to let you know that Maverick is well trained, but it’s almost like Barnard wants him to attack. He got in my dog’s space when he was already growling. The guy seems to have a screw loose. I hope he’ll leave us alone, but I wanted to let you know about it.”
“Don’t let him get to you and be sure to keep Maverick on a short leash around him. His lawyer would be the sort that would push a lawsuit. Also, they’d love anything that would make Kent seem like more of a victim, you know, something that might build him sympathy with a jury.”
“I understand. Thanks, Sheriff.” He hung up as MJ came through the door.
“Hi, Rob. Is everything okay? I thought I heard you say something about the sheriff.”
“Yeah, I was just talking to Sheriff Daniels to let him know that Maverick and I ran into Kent Barnard this afternoon in the park.”
“Did something happen?”
“Not really. He just tried to harass Maverick and told me to leave town. I promised the sheriff I’d call if I had any contact with him.”
“He creeps me out. There’s an odd vibe about him. Maybe it’s what he’s accused of doing to his daughter. I can’t understand how a parent could molest their own child. Angela is such a sweet little girl, and I can’t stand the thought of something like that happening to her.” She shuddered, and he pulled her in for a hug.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll steer clear of him as much as I can. He threatened Maverick, though, and I figured the sheriff needed to know that.”
She pushed away and dropped to her knees and encircled the dog’s neck with a big hug. “Don’t worry, Maverick. We won’t let anybody hurt you, especially not Kent Barnard!” The dog looked like he was in heaven in MJ’s arms as she petted him and fussed over him.
“Dinner should be ready soon,” he told her. “Why don’t you go relax a bit, and I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
She stood and turned back to him, snaking her arms around his waist, and leaning back to look him in the eyes. “I think I need more hugs and kisses.”
He met her teasing glance. “I can handle that.”
***
“Do you still feel good about your appointment this morning?” MJ asked later as they worked together to do the dishes.
“I think so. There are a lot of unknowns. I don’t know if talking about it will help. Every time I think about the stuff that happened over there, the PTSD seems to get worse. More nightmares. More flashbacks. More pain.” He paused and looked off at something she couldn’t see. “Frankly, I’d rather forget it all. That’s what I’ve been trying to do, but it hasn’t been working.”
“I wonder if talking about it with people who understand will let you desensitize yourself? I mean, those nightmares, thoughts, and flashbacks have a lot of power over you. Talking may help you regain control over what has happened to you.”
“Maybe.”
He didn’t look convinced, so she dropped it.
“Maybe I should learn more about PTSD and how to manage it. If I know enough about it, I might master it quicker.”
“Won’t that stir things up? You just said that when you think about what happened, the PTSD gets worse. Wouldn’t it be better to let your counselor expose you to the things you need to know when you need to know them?” Having Rob muck around in clinical books sounded like a terrible idea to her.
“I can’t stand when somebody else determines what I know and when. I want to take charge of this thing.” He crossed his arms across his chest as if challenging her.
She put her hands up and shrugged. “Okay, I can understand that. Wouldn’t it be good to discuss it with your counselor first, though?”
She could see the frustration behind his thunderous look.
He blew out a breath between clenched teeth. “You don’t get it, do you? Fine. I won’t ask your help finding books
