Page 21 of Chasing Justice
“She’s not psycho.”
“I helped with the K-9s in Chicago. They’re not sweet little pets either. Let me know if you need anything. I’m happy to help.”
“Okay. Oh, and I still have your windbreaker. I need to get that back to you.”
“Sure. Maybe we can meet up for coffee when you’re in town. I can get it from you then,” Josh said.
“Yeah, or I can just drop it by the office.”
Maya pushed back from the vehicle and waved good-night. She hated to admit it, but Josh was easy to talk to, and she could see why her grandfather liked him. She realized she wouldn’t mind seeing him again and having him help her with Juniper, especially if he had K-9 experience. Or having coffee with him.
That bothered Maya even more. She’d worked with men in the military and now law enforcement. They were friends. Brothers. They weren’t someone who you had coffee with. And yet, there was a part of her that wanted to.
She hadn’t felt this conflicted about anyone in a long time, but Maya had learned the hard way with the one serious relationship she’d had in the military that it was better to not mix business and pleasure. She would definitely drop the windbreaker off at the sheriff’s office.
“Stop these thoughts, Thompson,” Maya muttered. “You’re as bad as the other women in town.”
Now she really wanted to stop by the liquor store, but instead she headed home. She had to make her house as dog-proof as possible because Josh had a point. She wasn’t bringing home a sweet little pet. She was bringing home a dog capable of tearing up everything in her house.
Chapter Thirteen
The next morning Maya was up early drinking coffee and watching the sunrise. There was a sweet time where the sun kissed the mountain peaks and for a moment, they appeared to be a combo of orange and pink. All seemed right with the world.
Then the sun moved, and the day started. Maya had to go pick up Juniper and face her fear—working another dog. Seventy pounds of pure energy would be living with her. Maya remembered the head officer and K-9 trainer in the Marines saying, “When God made the Malinois, he took a bunch of rubber bands, strung them together as tight as possible and then released it.” That pretty much summed it up.
Maya took her mug to the kitchen sink and picked the smooth leather leash off the counter. She had a huge job ahead of her if she took on working Juniper. You didn’t just become a dog’s handler overnight. There would be good and bad days. Maya didn’t want the bad days to mean that she was risking her dog’s life or someone else’s life. With handling a dog there was responsibility.
Her clock chimed the top of the hour and Maya headed out the door. About thirty minutes later she pulled into the empty parking lot. The vet clinic wasn’t open yet. Dr. Asher had mentioned that she thought it best Maya pick up Juniper when no one else was around.
She approached the doorway and stood outside, hand poised to knock but not letting herself follow through with the motion. The glass readPinecone Junction Veterinary Clinic. Hours M-F 8-5 and Sat 9-12. Maya read the hours over and over. If she went in, she would take Juniper. Care for her. Fall in love with her. Feel that special vibration through the leash. That dance. That partnership. Did she want all that again when there was so much to lose?
Her chest tightened and her breath came in shallow gulps. She closed her eyes and made a fist, fingernails digging into her palm. Her body shook. She had loved Zinger. He had been her partner, but because of her mistakes, he was dead. Could she risk loving another dog again?
Maya opened her eyes and rapped her knuckles lightly on the glass.
The door creaked open and Dr. Asher said, “Good morning. Sorry it took me a minute to get here. I was checking on some of the other animals who were left overnight. Come on in. I’m so glad you’re taking Juniper today. She’s ready to get out of here.”
“Thanks,” Maya said, stepping into the vet clinic. The familiar smell of disinfectant mixed with dog and cat odors stung her nose. When she was in middle school, she had thought about becoming a vet. She had come and helped Dr. Asher for a summer, and that had convinced her that she didn’t want the job. Maya had always loved animals and she’d found it difficult to see animals in pain with injuries. “How’s Juniper doing?”
“Really well. The wounds are superficial. Give her a few days and she can probably go back to work again. She’s lucky considering the trauma that happened. Follow me. Juniper’s in the back. I want someone who knows her to get her out. To be honest, she’s been full of herself, not resting the way I would like.”
Maya started to answer, but words wouldn’t form. She didn’t know what to say. Juniper was Doug’s dog. He should have been the one to take her home. Should have. That was the problem.
With a heavy sigh, Maya followed the vet back to the kennel area. The spotless kennels smelled of disinfectant. The tile floors were hard and cold. A few of the crates housed other animals. A cat lay in one with an IV attached. Another dog whined, the cone of shame on his head.
“Over here,” Dr. Asher said to her, waiting patiently. “I had to put her in a separate room because she was not fond of the other dogs.”
Maya hesitated. She remembered Zinger at the vet, tubes coming out of him and the blanket laid over him. The vet saying there was nothing more he could do and shutting Zinger’s eyelids. Zinger was then covered with an American flag and Maya petted his fur, wishing she were the one who had died, not her dog.
Maya shivered and rubbed her hands over her bare arms. She stopped at Juniper’s kennel and stared in. There was a bandage around the leg, but otherwise Juniper appeared to be feeling fine. She had a muzzle on, and when she saw the humans outside her crate, she began to growl.
“She’s been feisty without her handler. Understandable,” said Dr. Asher. “I muzzled her this morning to make it easier to change her bandages. You can take the muzzle off if you want.”
Maya didn’t move. She and Juniper locked gazes. Juniper’s golden eyes reminded her of Zinger. Then Maya averted her gaze. Not a good idea to stare down a dog like this.
Could she explain to Juniper that Doug was gone? That they now had to try to make a team? Would Juniper connect with her and switch to a new handler or have PTSD like Maya and never make it back? Maya had to give her a chance.
“Do you have some treats?” she asked.
