Sooner or Later by Debbie Macomber

gentle concern in her voice. “Car accident,” he whispered. He thought to tell her there was a metal plate in his head but feared that was carrying the story a bit too far. “If you don’t mind, I’d prefer not to talk about it.”
    “Of course.” Her warm, caring voice was a balm after her earlier rebuff.
    A moment of strained silence passed between them. Everything was going as planned, except that Marcie remained standing on the far side of the room almost as if she feared what would happen if she sat next to him. Keller wished she would. If he had the chance to kiss her once or twice, they might get past this awkwardness. All she really needed was a little gentle persuasion.
    She seemed to be waiting for him to say something, so Keller brought up the first thing that came to mind. “The reason I stopped by, other than to apologize for the other day, was to personally thank you for bailing me out of jail.”
    “It’s all right, Johnny.”
    “I’d like to show you how much I appreciate our friendship, Marcie. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” Several months back he’d been foolish and gotten himself arrested in a bar fight. Charges had later been dismissed, but Keller had been stuck in the clinker and would have spent the night if it hadn’t been for Marcie. Normally he would have done the time, but Murphy had needed him, and he’d had a plane to catch.
    “You don’t owe me any money,” she claimed as he withdrew his wallet. “You must have forgotten with the accident and all.”
    “You’re sure?”
    “Oh, yes. A cashier’s check arrived a week later.”
    “Good.” She’d reassured him of that earlier, but wanting to make sure she’d been reimbursed put him in a good light.
    Again he confronted a short, awkward silence.“You’re looking wonderful.” That was no exaggeration. Marcie did look good. Better than he remembered. “What’s different?”
    “A lot of things.”
    He leaned forward, bracing his elbows against his knees. “I don’t suppose you have something to drink?” As he recalled, Marcie kept a full liquor cabinet.
    “Coffee?”
    At first he thought she was joking, but it was clear she wasn’t. “Sure.”
    “Sugar and cream?”
    “Just black.”
    She walked out of the living room, and he was left to twiddle his thumbs. Keller waited a moment and then followed her into the compact kitchen.
    Marcie was busy assembling a pot and glanced over her shoulder when he entered.
    “Johnny,” she said, and seemed nervous as she continued in a hurried, rushed voice. “There’s something you should know. I’m seeing someone else now.”
    So that was it. Well, it didn’t come as any real surprise.
    “He’s real good to me.”
    “In other words he doesn’t disappear for months at a time.”
    She shrugged, as if his disappearances had never really concerned her.
    “I’m happy for you, sweetheart.” Keller wanted to shove his fist down the other man’s throat, but he didn’t let Marcie know that.
    “You are?” She visibly relaxed.
    Keller nodded. “You deserve the best.”
    The coffeepot made a gurgling sound, and the dark liquid drained into the glass pot. Marcie turned and opened the cupboard doors and reached for two cups.
    Keller moved behind her, pressing his body intimately against her backside. “Let me do that for you,” he whispered. She was soft, warm, and womanly. Her buttocks cushioned him as if she’d been custom-made just for him. Normally he wasn’t a jealous man, but Keller felt a flare of the ugly green monster just thinking about Marcie in bed with another man. The emotion came as an unwelcome surprise.
    Gradually he eased himself away from her and brought down two ceramic mugs. “Tell me about your new boyfriend,” he encouraged. The more he knew, the better he could undermine the other man.
    He noticed that Marcie’s hand shook ever so slightly as she poured the freshly brewed coffee. Keller smiled inwardly. She’d enjoyed the