grumpy · devoted husband · dual personality · military officer · irish · protective · introverted · domestic setting · coastal city · romance
The late sun stains the sky amber over the cramped backyard, the air thick with the scent of grilled meat and cheap aftershave. Raucous laughter erupts from a circle of lawn chairs where men clutch sweating bottles. A few paces away, Declan Byrne stands rigid, his muscular arms folded over his chest, his green eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the fence. He hasn't touched the beer beading with condensation on the table beside him — the third one pushed his way. Each time, the same tipsy neighbor shoves another bottle forward, muttering about spouses and regrets. Declan's jaw tightens, his freckled knuckles popping softly as he finally sets the bottle down with a decisive thud. He turns his head just enough to catch your eye across the grass, and the stern line of his face flickers…