“What?”
“Do you think I should buy a new car to accommodate Maverick? I just realized he takes up the whole backseat.”
“Don’t worry about it, MJ. We’ll figure that out.” He looked like he was deep in thought. “Do you have people who sit back there?”
“Not often. If Maverick needs more room, though, I’ll buy a different car.”
“We’ll see. We can drive him around in this car and see how he does.”
She looked at the mirror again. The dog had turned around and was looking out the back window. “Does he move around a lot?”
“Yeah, just like anybody. He shifts positions to get more comfortable. Why?”
“He’s sitting backward now.”
Rob twisted around to see Maverick better. “Yeah, he likes to watch the road to see what’s coming up onto us. It’s a military dog thing—always on patrol, always watching, always protecting.”
“Is that what happened tonight?”
“Yes. He jumped on the bed, which he never does, to wake me up. He was alerting like he did when we were on patrol.”
“Didn’t he bark?”
“No, he’s trained to alert silently so as not to let the enemy know our position. I don’t quite understand why he went back into military mode, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s trained to alert to explosives, large amounts of gunpowder, and chemicals used in bombs. Maybe he just extended it to fit with fires. The thing is, when we were in a war zone, he never paid much attention to burning buildings or other fires.” He sounded thoughtful. “There must have been something else that set him off, or maybe it’s just his animal instinct.”
“How do arsonists usually start fires?”
“With flammable liquids like gasoline or kerosene. Usually stuff that’s readily available. They might use fertilizer, like the Oklahoma City bomber did. This wasn’t a bomb, though. There was no explosion. I’d have felt something like that.”
“Would Maverick have smelled gasoline or kerosene?”
“Oh, yeah. You bet. When he isn’t working, he gets edgy when we stop for gas, but he depends on me to tell him it’s all right.” He paused. “If I hadn’t smelled the smoke, I would have thought he was having a flashback or something.”
Maverick stuck his head between the seats, and Rob ruffled his fur. “You did well, buddy. Saved our lives. Ben fatto, canine guerriero.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well done, warrior dog.”
“Ben fatto, canine guerriero,” MJ echoed. “Bravo.” Maverick nudged her neck with his nose.
“Hey, nice pronunciation, MJ.”
“Well, I’ve been researching when there’s not much to do at the library.”
“Of course.” He grinned at her.
She pulled into the driveway and parked near the back door. She slid out and grabbed her purse while Rob unfolded himself from the front seat and let Maverick out of confinement in the back.
Now that they were here, she had butterflies in her stomach. She led them in through the kitchen and showed Rob the guest room. Since there was only one bathroom in the vintage Craftsman, she pulled several towels out of the storage closet nearby, and handed them to him. She found an extra toothbrush in the bathroom drawer.
“I’ll be awhile,” he said. “I’d better give Maverick a bath, too. Don’t worry, I’ll clean up any mess we make.”
She smiled, impressed that he’d think to make the offer. “I’ll make a bed for Maverick out of beach towels. Do you want anything to eat? Or coffee?”
“No, I’ll hit the hay again. I don’t even know what time it is.”
“It’s nearly three-thirty. I’m going to text my mom and brother to let them know I’m planning to skip church.”
“Don’t do it on our account, MJ. Maverick and I are used to taking care of ourselves. Pretend we’re not even here.”
Like she’d be able to do that. She stood as he herded Maverick into the bathroom, closing the door behind them. Somehow, a picture of water running down his naked body stuck in her head. She huffed and turned to build a makeshift dog bed.
Chapter Twelve
Once she made a bed for Maverick next to the queen-sized guest room bed, she went into the kitchen to make coffee and call her brother. She checked the clock. Four-fifteen. She should wait, but the idea of Rob sitting around her house in a towel or blanket was more than she could handle. Nick had called her only a few hours ago to let her know about the fire, so he probably wouldn’t be sleeping that soundly. Besides, he usually got up before six. What was an hour or two?
A groggy voice answered. “Hello?”
“Hey, Nick, it’s me.”
She heard a woman’s soft voice and heard her brother murmur a reply. Oops. Tess must be staying over.
“How’s Rob?” her brother asked once he turned his attention back to her.
“He got out. Luckily, Maverick woke him. They had to jump from the roof of the front porch. The stairs were engulfed. They were lucky and avoided serious injuries. Derrick got out fine also, but the fire chief thinks it’s arson.”
“Seriously? Hmm.” Nick sounded like he was trying to figure out the question everybody was asking—why would someone want to burn down that apartment?
“I’m calling to ask if you have any spare clothes Rob could wear. He lost everything. They’re going to stay at my place. Otherwise he’d have to go back to the Ridgeview Motel, and you know what a dump that place is.”
“Do you think having him stay is a good idea? You’re a single woman and the Ridgeview librarian. I’d hate to see you hurt your reputation. Plus, how do you know he wasn’t the target of the arson?”
“Nick, I know you like to be my protective big brother, but I’m old enough to make my own decisions. Having Rob and Maverick here will give me time to learn to handle Maverick. It’s one thing to have Rob working with me, but I need to do more of it myself. This will let me find out what it’s like to live with a dog.” Not to mention how nice it would be to have Rob around.
She stopped that train of thought. She wasn’t in the market for a relationship, she chided herself mentally. But if she were, he might be someone she’d consider.
“I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t like it. Have you talked it over with mom yet?”
“No. I’ll tell her, but I’m not asking permission from either of you. Geez, I’m thirty years old. The same age as Tess, in case I need to remind you. She’s capable of making her own decisions, even if one of them was agreeing to marry you.”
“Watch it, little sister.”
She giggled. She loved the few times she bested her brother.
“I’ll be over in a bit to bring Rob some clothes. In the meantime, where is he and what is he wearing?”
“He’s in the shower washing the soot off himself and giving Maverick a bath. I’m not watching him, so I’m not sure what he’s wearing. I plan to wash the clothes he has as soon as I get off the phone.”
“I don’t like it,” Nick grumbled.
“You don’t have to. Just bring me some of your old clothes so he doesn’t have to sit around here wrapped in a blanket. Oh, speaking of which, I forgot to tell him where the towels are. I’d better go.”
“See you soon, sis.”
“Thanks, Nick.”
She hung up the phone and headed back to the linen closet, taking an armful of towels off the shelf. She found a blanket he could wrap up in until Nick got here.
The shower turned off, and she heard a thump as a body hit the floor. “Are you okay, Rob? I’ve got more towels for you two, and a blanket you can wrap up in until my brother gets here with some clothes.”
“Thanks. We’re fine. Maverick isn’t very graceful about exiting the tub. He’s more used to shower stalls.”
“Let me drop these towels and the blanket off. Then I’ll take your clothes and start a load of laundry.”
“Okay, hang on, and let
me get decent.” She waited a moment until she heard him say, “Okay. You can come in now.”
She opened the bathroom door, and bit her lip at the sight of Rob with only a towel wrapped around his waist. She tried not to stare at the happy trail that intersected his broad chest, arrowing down below a narrow waist well defined by the knotted towel.
“Sorry it’s so wet in here. I’ll clean it up. Don’t worry.”
“It’s fine. It’s only water.” Maverick approached her, tail wagging, and then when he was within range, he shook himself enthusiastically.
Rob laughed. “I guess he wanted to share.”
The man was too distracting. “Well, here are some extra towels. Seems like he needs more drying. Nick should be here soon, so you can put the blanket around you until you have some clothes to wear.”
Rob looked at her, as if studying her reaction. “Are you sure it’s okay for us to be here?”
She felt herself blush. Maybe he’d caught her checking him out. “It’s fine.” She closed the bathroom door behind her, wondering how on earth she could ignore the attraction she felt toward Trevor’s best friend.
She went into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang.
“Hey, sis,” said Nick when she opened the door. His arms held three stuffed paper bags, and she reached to take one from him.
“Wow. You went all out.” She led him into the living room to see what he’d brought. “Perfect,” she said as she held up a pair of jeans. A sweatshirt and sweatpants followed, along with a blue flannel shirt.
“I just cleared out the back of my closet for things I don’t wear.” He reached into the second bag. “I figured he’d need a jacket, too.” He drew out a navy fleece-lined jacket sporting the logo of his shop.
“What’s in the third bag?” This was a great assortment.
“A bunch of T-shirts, and another pair of jeans.” He pulled them out and put them into the pile on the couch.
“Thanks, Nick, you’re a dear. We’ll probably go to the discount store later to get socks, underwear, and anything else he’ll need.”
Nick growled at her words, and she did her best not to giggle. The thought of Rob going commando apparently didn’t please her brother nearly as much as it pleased her. Spoilsport.
“Want some coffee? I just put some on.” She heard the bathroom door open and hoped Rob would wrap himself in the blanket. Her protective brother wouldn’t like him running around in a towel.
“Sure,” Nick said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Rob had left the bathroom.
“Go help yourself. I’ll put these into the guest room.”
Nick glared at her as she gathered an armful of clothes. She ignored him and scurried toward the hall.
“Hey, Maverick,” she said to the dog. She approached the open door to the guest room and entered, only to run smack into a hard, bare chest. The clothes flew from her arms, and she gasped, as strong arms steadied her. She did her best to stop her eyes from roaming over the towel-clad hunk of masculine muscle. Really, she did.
“Sorry,” Rob said, squatting down to help her pick up the clothes scattered around them on the floor.
Lordy, please, not in that towel. “My fault. I couldn’t see around the pile of clothes. Nick’s here. Why don’t you find something to wear and join us in the kitchen?” She stood up rapidly, unnerved by the way the towel gaped in front as he squatted down. Her face burned, and she lifted a hand to her cheek.
Rob grinned at her as he stood up, arms full of various items of clothing. “Okay, I’ll join you in a minute. Why don’t you take Maverick and feed him?”
Nodding, she backed out of the room. Good grief. What was wrong with her? She was acting like a desperate, sex-crazed woman. Unfortunately, that accurately described her at the moment. She grunted in self-disgust and headed for the kitchen. “C’mon, Maverick. Mangia.”
***
She’s cute when she’s flustered. He liked making her blush. Her emotions were easy to read. Despite everything she’d been through—they’d both been through—she was attracted to him. “I hope this is okay with you, Trevor,” his mind whispered. He waited for the guilt to hit him, but it didn’t this time.
He picked up the remaining clothes, and chose the gray sweatpants and sweatshirt, pulling them on. He folded the towel and took it back into the bathroom to hang up. He’d go through the rest of the clothing later. Coffee sounded good, and he knew he’d better reassure MJ’s brother if he could. He headed for the kitchen, glad to hear MJ and Nick laughing.
“Hey, Nick,” he said as he entered the room. “Thanks for the clothes.”
“No problem. MJ said you lost everything in the fire.”
“Yeah. We didn’t have much time to save anything, except our skins. It’s nice that you and MJ are willing to help us out.” He gestured toward Maverick who was scarfing down a bowl of kibble on the other side of the kitchen table.
“Want some coffee?” MJ asked.
“That sounds terrific. Black’s fine.”
The three of them sank into chairs around the pine table. “Maverick was hungry,” MJ interjected into the uncomfortable silence.
“Yeah, thanks for taking care of him.” Rob caught her eye and winked.
“I hope you staying here won’t lead to trouble,” Nick said. “I understand they think the fire was arson. What sort of enemies do you have?”
“I don’t know enough people in Ridgeview to have pissed off somebody like that. Maybe it’s somebody Derrick knows.”
Nick looked like he was pondering that. “I haven’t been in touch with him much over the years, and frankly, I’m surprised he moved back. He couldn’t leave town fast enough after high school. I expect between the fire chief and Sheriff Daniels, they’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“What about Kent Barnard?” MJ blurted. “He doesn’t like you and Maverick. I know it sounds far-fetched, but he’s crazy enough to do something like that, isn’t he?”
Nick scratched his chin, clearly giving the idea careful consideration.
Rob shook his head. “Seriously? Do you think he’d be crazy enough to kill two people and a dog, just for spite? Other than the park and the parking lot of the IGA, we’ve had no contact with him.”
“I think you ought to mention it to the sheriff, Nick. He can consider it, without Rob having to name him. Kent Barnard’s the only person I can think of who has a grudge against Rob.”
“I agree,” replied Nick. “In fact, I think I’ll join Sheriff Bo for breakfast at The Diner. Keep yourselves safe. Keep your eyes open.” He cleared his throat and gave MJ a look. “When word gets out he and the dog are staying with you, you’ll be at risk, MJ.”
She made a face and flapped a hand at him in dismissal. “We’ll be fine.”
Nick raised his chin at Rob and glared a warning. “Stay low for a while. Let Bo check this out.”
Rob nodded his understanding. “Thanks again for the clothes, Nick. I’ll keep my eyes open, and we’ve got Maverick.”
After Nick left, Rob thought about the danger he might put MJ in by staying here. “He could be right, MJ. I don’t want to do anything that will put you at risk.”
“I’m sorry I brought it up. It probably isn’t Kent, but he’s the only person I could think of. Besides, I feel safer with you and Maverick here than I do alone. Ridgeview is a safe place, but since this happened, it has me nervous. Don’t even think about going back to the Ridgeview Motel.”
“All right. I’ll stay, but only because Maverick being here will protect us both.” Maverick sat watching them, wagging his tail slightly.
“Good. It’s settled then. Now, I’m going to take a shower. Then I’ll make us breakfast.”
He grinned at her. Under all that shyness and her soft voice, she was a determined young woman with a backbone of steel. He liked that a lot. Maybe too much.
Chapter Thirteen
MJ found Rob in the kitchen cooking breakfast.
Maverick sat at his feet, gazing between a frying pan of sizzling bacon and Rob, as if he could will the man to drop something.
“Wow. I didn’t expect this. You can cook?”
“Sure, I can cook a half a dozen things. Breakfast is my specialty. I’m glad you had bacon, because it isn’t breakfast without it. Do you want eggs or pancakes or both?”
“Seriously? I can’t eat that much. I usually have yogurt or toast.”
Rob made a face. “To each their own, but since I’m cooking, I’m making a full meal.” He tossed an egg into the air and turned and caught it behind his back.
“I’ll have eggs—unless you end up breaking them all.”
“No worries. I’ve been juggling eggs since I was a kid. How do you like them? Fried? Scrambled? Or maybe you’d like an omelet.”
“Ooh, an omelet sounds wonderful.” She hurried over to the refrigerator to check on ingredients she could add to it. She felt Rob at her back, peering in, too.
“How about mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and cheese?” he asked as she reached for those same items.
“Great minds think alike, I guess.” It amazed her how in synch they were with each other.
He took the ingredients and carried them to the counter. “Why don’t you sit while I get everything ready?” He ordered Maverick away, and the dog lay down on the rug near the back door.
She watched Rob competently chop the onion and tomato and wash and slice the fresh mushrooms. She pulled the cheese grater out of the drawer and handed it to him.
“How did you learn to cook?”
“My mom taught me. As a rancher’s wife, she did the cooking for our family and the ranch hands. Everybody ate meals together—a big farm breakfast, box lunches in the middle of the day since we couldn’t take a long break, and a great home-cooked meal like stew, meatloaf, pot roast, or fried chicken for supper. I was an only child, so it made sense for me to help her out in the kitchen. Eventually, I stepped in to do all the cooking when she got sick.”
“What happened?”
“Cancer. She fought it for nearly six years. I was in high school when she died. The end was rough. It invaded so many parts of her body, she couldn’t fight any longer.”
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