Ben shifted in his chair to face Connor. “Okay. Ready?”

“Nope.” Because he wasn’t a total jackass.

Ben kept talking anyway. “What have you risked?” He held up a hand before Connor could answer. “And don’t talk about the shootout. I mean emotionally. With her.”

“Why do I have to risk anything?” People made relationships too hard. They sliced open their skin and let their hearts drop on the table. It was ridiculous to him. There was no need to go that deep or be that vulnerable.

“Because that’s how it works, Connor.” Ben rolled his eyes. “She shares . . . and she has, right? You think I don’t know that office story of hers is bullshit?”

Talking about that would be a violation of trust. Connor was not going to add that to his list of sins . . . and he was starting to believe maybe he did have such a list where she was concerned. He thought he’d been doing okay. Keeping his head up and not being a demanding jerk. “No comment.”

Ben went off on this forbidden tangent anyway. “She laid it out there. Took the risk you would hate what you saw in her and walk away.”

“Yeah.” He didn’t take that piece for granted. He could see how difficult it was for her to open up about what happened. She’d had tears in her eyes and a determination in her voice that said she expected to be batted down. As if he would ever do that to her.

“Your turn. Or not.” Ben picked up his water glass and drained it. “Your choice.”

“That’s helpful.”

“Oh, you can keep doing this.” Ben gestured around the bar area. “Just be prepared to lose her.”

The thought made him clench his teeth together. “I’m not.”

Ben nodded. “Then risk something.”

Connor went through most of the next day without seeing Maddie. It was on purpose. He did busy work. Helped with some odd jobs at Paul’s house and walked Mr. Higginbotham twice.

He still didn’t want to talk about the walks.

He needed to clear his head and think about Ben’s advice. His initial instinct was to discount it. What did Ben know about women? But the hours ticked by and Connor’s resistance weakened. Staying away from Maddie turned out to be a bigger job than anticipated since everyone on the island asked where she was. And he didn’t like going hours without seeing or talking to her.

Jesus, he had it bad for her.

That meant listening to Ben, or at least trying out his suggestion. Easier said than done because the potential downside to spilling his guts could be huge. He was not that guy. He’d never been that guy but now he really wasn’t him.