“Are you okay?”
She whimpered slightly, before pulling herself together. “Yes. I shot the bear. The herd’s okay. I’m just worried about Maverick. He saved me.” She couldn’t stop the sob that escaped her, nor the tears that rolled down her face. “I need to get there.” She disconnected without saying more and steeled herself for the ride back. She wanted to wail, but she didn’t have the luxury. She had to save the dog, the warrior who had saved her.
She hit the gas on the Gator, and it shot forward. She heard Maverick whine in pain. “Sorry, boy.” She eased off and concentrated on keeping a steady speed and avoiding dips and bumps.
After what seemed like forever, they reached the barn. Rob already had his truck waiting. He’d brought a blanket and carefully wrapped Maverick in it. He lifted the dog onto the seat, and she slid in next to him, holding his head on her lap.
She barely noticed Jethro standing there until he spoke. “I called the vet, and she knows what happened. She’ll be waiting for you.”
“Can you call the sheriff and have them contact the TRWA about the bear?” asked Rob. “He’s in the back pasture near the woods, right?” Rob turned to check with MJ.
“Yeah,” she said, her voice shaking.
“I’ll take care of it,” Jethro said, and tapped the side of the truck to tell them to go.
Rob took off, and MJ leaned her head against the back of the seat, her hand stroking Maverick’s head. Tears rolled down her face. How could she feel so scared and numb all at the same time?
“It’ll be okay,” Rob said, reaching over to grab her hand and squeezed it before putting his hand back onto the steering wheel. The curving country roads demanded two hands on the wheel.
She just shook her head. They didn’t know yet if it would be okay. A tear fell on Maverick’s nose. She couldn’t handle it if he didn’t recover. She stopped herself. She couldn’t think about it, and she wouldn’t voice the possibility out loud.
“Please,” she prayed silently and repeatedly, as they traveled toward the vet’s office.
***
Dr. Waring met them at the door and directed them to an exam room. Rob lifted the dog and blanket and placed him on a raised table.
Maverick let out a small whimper when Dr. Waring lifted the blanket and gently touched the area near his hip marred by claw marks. She and her assistant worked quickly to clean the area, as Rob held the Malinois’ head, speaking to him softly in both English and Southern-accented Italian.
The vet looked at both MJ and Rob, her face solemn but sympathetic. “The wound is deep. I have to shave around it, but first I’ll sedate him. He’s probably be in a great deal of pain. We need to clean it out, and then we’ll see what he needs. A course of antibiotics, for sure. You can have a seat in the waiting room, and I’ll be out to talk with you as soon as I can.”
MJ wept, and Rob put his arm around her and led her into the lobby. She collapsed into his arms, sobbing. “Shh, sweetheart. I know you’re scared. I am too.”
“If anything happens to him…”
“Tell me what happened.”
She sniffed, and he handed her a tissue from a box on the receptionist’s counter. After blowing her nose, she filled him in on how the bear had surprised them.
“He saved me, Rob. When the bear couldn’t get the heifer, he came after me. I was stupid. I thought I could scare him away, but I made him mad.”
“You should have left and called me. Never put yourself in danger for any of the livestock, honey.”
“I had the shotgun, so I thought I’d be safe. Plus, I had Maverick.” She began to cry again, and he calmed her as best he could.
“I’m glad he was there for you, MJ. He’s a warrior dog, tough as any Marine.”
She nodded and rested her head against his shoulder as he stroked her back. He barely noticed when the door opened and Dr. Waring joined them.
“He’s resting. I gave him a sedative, about forty-five stitches, and a shot of antibiotics. He’s lucky. If the bear had clawed his belly or closer to his neck, he might not have made it. He’ll be sore walking and running until it heals, and we may want to do physical therapy when he’s feeling better. I’m pleased, though. Getting him here quickly helped. I want to keep him for several days and watch the wound for infection.”
They nodded, and when they got to the truck, Rob helped her in and kissed her as he buckled her seat belt. “It feels weird to go home without him,” he said, shaking his head.
“I know.”
He glanced over. She seemed withdrawn, as if the day had caught up to her. Adrenaline dumps were like that. “We’ll head back to the ranch and see what we need to do about the bear.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her shudder. “Don’t worry, MJ. You won’t have to see the bear again. You’ll probably have to talk to the TWRA folks, though.”
“I know. I hate the thought of having to relive it.”
The TWRA representative, Hank Dunston, and Sheriff Bo Daniels met with them in Jethro’s living room. They’d been out to collect the carcass, and Jethro had accompanied them. The cows were agitated, and he’d called Tyler to help move the herd out of that field and to one closer.
After recording MJ’s account of the attack, Hank told her how lucky she’d been. “The bear looked to
