Connor refrained from taking a look. Seeing a spreadsheet or whatever was on there would only tick him off. “Why do I like you?”

“It’s a mystery.”

“Thank you for your faith in me, by the way. Blaming me if we had an issue, which we don’t.” He needed to make that clear. He’d decided on the word aberration. It’s the one that kept kicking around in his head.

“Being the law around here is a full-service job. You’d be amazed what nonsense I have to listen to just to have a beer.”

Yeah, he should have gone to the takeout pizza place. He didn’t really need company. “I wonder what Jenna, Sylvia, and Maddie are doing right now. Probably not this.”

“Admittedly, I’m not an expert on marriage.”

How did they jump to that? “I’m not married. Not looking to be either. You’ve got the wrong Rye brother.”

Ben switched out beer for water. He sounded and acted sober. He probably limited himself to half a beer even off duty. A sensible move. Far more sensible than a marriage talk.

“Maybe you’re not now, but this advice will be helpful despite the fact I only managed to make mine last for a short time.”

“You were married?” That was news. No one talked about that on Whitaker, which made Connor think the relationship was far in Ben’s past where residents were hesitant to go or at least ask about.

“Speaking of the Rye brothers. Why do you two have trouble imagining me married?”

“I wonder. You seem so stable and all.”

Ben waved that off. He also waved to the couple in the corner who were smiling at him. “I’m going to pretend you mean that.”

“Let’s.”

They didn’t say anything for a full minute. They both pretended to watch the television over the bar. Two talking heads argued about something football-related. Connor loved the sport but that’s not where his mind was right now.

Before he could come up with a safe topic that didn’t involve wedding bands, Ben started talking again. “But I do think the key is sharing.”

“For relationships?” Maybe he would prefer to talk about football. Football seemed safe and didn’t involve Maddie.

Ben frowned. “Isn’t that what we’re talking about?”

“I have no idea. But, for the record, we almost died together out at the prison. That’s sharing.”

The frown turned into a scoff. “That’s not what I mean, dumbass.”

This was really a great night. Connor needed to remember to pencil in another one of these very soon. “Enlighten me.”

“She wants to know you.”

She’d seen every inch of him. Literally. “We’ve been informally living together.”

“Uh-huh.”

At least he didn’t throw out the dumbass tag again. That might amount to progress. “Is that the sum total of your advice?”