Page 11 of My Husband Problem

Also going on the list of things I never thought Declan would say to me.

“Wipe my nose? On your incredibly expensive silk tie?”

He lifts a shoulder. “I don’t carry a handkerchief. And I’ve got lots of ties.”

The guy is…surprising.

Which is a problem.

I liked him much better when he was predictably distant.

But I do want him to not like me, and me wiping snot on one of his expensive ties seems like a pretty good step in that direction.

So I not only wipe my nose, but I blow it. I also take a portion of the tie and wipe it under both of my eyes, removing mascara.

Then I tuck it back into his suit jacket pocket.

He doesn’t say a word.

The door to Perks and Rec swings open, and Harley, Bruce’s husband and Nora’s grandfather, and one of my favorite people in Rebel, leans out. “Everything good out here?” There is slight concern in his expression, but he seems more amused than anything.

I tip my head and give him areally?look.

Harley is Team Miles. Which means he's automatically suspicious of Declan and fiercely protective of me. He loves me, which means he wants me to be happy, and as far as he can tell, I’m happiest whenever Miles is in town. He’s never seen me happy with Declan. That’s really all it takes around here.

Which is nice. They’ve embraced me and appointed themselves my adopted aunts, uncles, and cousins, which evidently gives them a vote in my love life.

Considering I don’t want my husband here visiting me, that works for me.

“Definitely feeling better,” I tell him.

“Glad to hear it.” Harley holds out a cup with a straw and my purse. “Here you go.”

I take the purse, and Declan takes the cup. “What’s this? We need milk.”

“Milkshake,” Harley says with a nod. “Pecan Praline Crunch. Her favorite.” Harley gives me a smile.

“You don’t have plain milk?” Declan asks.

“Sure, we do,” Harley says.

“You couldn’t bring that?”

“I could have. But this is better.”

“She just needs something to take away the burn.”

“This will do that too,” Harley says, gesturing at the cup.

“It’s…overkill for what we need,” Declan says.

Harley chuckles. “Welcome to Rebel.”

Declan clearly doesn’t know what to say to that.

Harley laughs again. “Overkill is kind of our specialty.”

Declan hands me the cup. “You did say you like pralines.”