An Officer And Her Gentleman. Amy Woods

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      * * *

      Avery accepted the mug Macy handed her and took a long sip of the rich, strong coffee it contained, closing her eyes as the taste of good beans, a little sugar and a splash of fresh cream washed over her taste buds.

      Macy was grinning from across the table when she opened her eyes.

      “Good?”

      “The best. I’ve always loved your coffee. Not like the coffee-flavored water Tommy always made before you came along,” Avery said, laughing.

      Macy beamed with pride. “Well, I’m glad you like it, and it’s here every morning, but it’s not enough to put meat on your bones, girl. You can’t keep going on caffeine and the occasional bowl of cereal. You need to eat. You’ve barely had a real meal since you moved in here.”

      Avery took another sip and nodded in agreement. “I know I do.”

      “So, tell me what it is. Is there something I can make that you’d wolf down? When I first met Tommy, you were a nachos-and-beer kind of girl. Maybe we just need to get you to a Tex-Mex place, stat.” Macy’s voice was light, but Avery didn’t miss the hint of seriousness in the woman’s words.

      “It’s hard to explain, Mace. It’s almost like...like everything tastes stale or cardboard-y. I couldn’t tell you why. Ever since... I just can’t seem to eat like I used to. But I’ll try harder. Really, I will. And last week, I did eat a pretty mean sandwich at Isaac’s—”

      At the sound of the front door swinging open, both women exchanged glances and then turned their heads to the kitchen entryway.

      “Honey, is that you?” Macy called out.

      “Me and company,” Tommy bellowed from the hallway.

      A racket started at the front door and thundered down the hall, and suddenly Isaac’s dog, Jane, was rushing through the kitchen entrance, headed straight toward the table. Macy’s eyes widened in surprise but Avery’s heart swelled at the sight of the dog.

      “Janie!” Avery said as the giant mutt bounded over to her chair. She stopped short and sat in front of Avery, her behind wiggling with the effort of not jumping into Avery’s lap. She reached up a paw and Avery touched it, laughing. “High-five!”

      “Goodness,” Macy said. “Someone’s in love.”