Married as a Dare? Sorry, It's for Life novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: Thursday

On Thursday at ten forty, Nathan was at his window with his eyes on the door.

He told himself it was because he was working.

His supervisor had asked him twice if he wanted the day off.

He had said no both times.

The door opened and Bowen came in with two paper cups.

He wore the canvas jacket, with sawdust on the shoulders and a roll of county road maps under one arm.

The line parted for him without anyone noticing it had.

He stopped at the counter and set one cup on Nathan's side.

"Black for you," Nathan said.

"Two sugars for you."

"I know."

"I know you know," Bowen said.

He put down a check for the parking fine.

His handwriting was square and careful.

Nathan took the check, and for the first time all week his hand felt steady.

"You texted," he said.

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because I wasn't going to not come." Bowen looked at the cup, then at the counter, then finally up. "I've been coming here every Thursday since last February. I'm not going to stop because of her."

"You said stay away from her."

"I said that."

"You also said you can't prove it wasn't me."

A muscle jumped in Bowen's jaw.

"I can't. I'm trying to."

"How?"

"By looking at you."

He said it low.

Nathan waited.

He was not going to be the one to look away.

They stood there with the whole courthouse pretending not to listen, and the man in the passport line behind Bowen cleared his throat for the third time.

"What do you see?" Nathan asked.

"A guy who hasn't eaten since Tuesday."

"That's not an answer."

"It is for me." Bowen's eyes dropped to Nathan's hands. "Your cuffs are wrinkled and you didn't shave. A man who did what she says doesn't look like that. He looks fine."

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