1. Liam
1
LIAM
My ass is stuck on a stool in the cluttered garage. I nurse the whiskey in my glass, trying not to get high on the smell of motor oil and grease assaulting my senses.
My best friend—or better put, the only man who can tolerate me—Damon, is lying on a creeper under an old Chevy, his legs sticking out like he’s some kind of human jack. The sound of him muttering to himself as he tinkers with the engine brings a wry smile to my face. I watched him do that every time he cleaned his rifle at the six NAVY SEAL camps we shared over the years.
People clearly don’t change that much, whether they’re firing guns or fixing cars.
“So, where’s Ethan?” I ask, taking a sip of my whiskey. It burns a little, but it’s a good burn. The kind that reminds you you’re still alive.
“Science fair,” Damon’s voice echoes from under the car. “June’s picking him up. You know how she is with her schedules. Kid’s probably going to come back with another ribbon.”
“Kid’s smarter than you,” I shoot back, grinning. “Spending his time winning science fairs while you’re stuck here fixing up old rust buckets.”
The wrench clatters with a loud bang echoing in the garage, and a moment later, Damon slides out from under the car, wiping grime from his forehead, then swiping his hands on the grease-stained rag.
“What’s bad about fixing cars? Just trying to carve out a semblance of a normal life here.”
He’s missed a huge smudge of grease on his cheek that makes me chuckle. The peace and quiet of a town like this probably works for Damon. He looks quite at peace, grease-stained or not, and that makes me happy and at the same time worried that he’s about to shoot that happiness into oblivion with him getting married in a couple of weeks.
I shrug. “Never said anything about it being bad.”
He points his wrench at me with a mock glare. “At least I'm not stuck in some sterile hospital poking and prodding at hypochondriacs all day.”
“Hey! I remember saving your life a couple of times. Don’t knock my profession.”
“Okay, Dr. Fancy Pants. You fix people, I fix cars. We’re both just grease monkeys in different coveralls.”
I laugh. “More blood for me than grease.”
“Yeah, and blood’s worse than grease.” He shakes his head. “But at least we’re fixing things now.”
“Yeah, quite the redemption arc, ain’t it?”
He plops onto the seat opposite me and pours himself a drink. “Full round journey from blowing things up to fixing them. How’s it working out for you?”
“Good, I guess.” I clink my glass against his. “At least I’m not bored enough yet to go all out destroying my life with a second marriage.”
Damon pauses for a bit and drops the whiskey glass to stare at me. He knows I’m talking about his upcoming wedding to June. It’s part of why I’m here in Harmony Creek. That, and the opportunity to see my father.
“You’re hopeless, you know that?” He chuckles, a deep, rumbling sound. “I’ve told you that June and I love each other.”
I twirl a finger around the edge of my glass, studying Damon’s eyes. He seems to truly believe what he’s saying which makes it more clear that my friend is in trouble…huge trouble.
“I should give up on trying to convince you that love is as real as when people thought the earth was flat. It’s a concept that will soon be proven wrong.”
Damon grins. “Wish you were a car, Liam. I think you need fixing.”
“Yeah, well, I’m the one who fixes humans, and I know more about the human body and psychology. Love is just a dopamine rush making you do stupid things.”
“Like joining the military? For the love of the country?” Damon retorts, eyebrow raised.
He’s changing the topic. I believe that Damon inviting me to be his best man when he knows how much I hate the concept of marriage must be his subconscious asking me to save him. And I’m determined to do my goddamned best.
I’ll let him change the topic for now.
“Better not let Big Sam loyalists hear you say that,” I laugh.
He grins. “Captain Miller couldn’t stop yammering about duty.” A nostalgic look comes into his eyes. “Those were the days.”
“Yeah, they were. We survived on adrenaline as much as food. You miss those days?”
“No.” He shakes his head, his gaze flickering toward a photo pinned to the bulletin board behind him. A woman with warm brown eyes and a bright smile that could melt glaciers stares back. “I’m glad I came home.”
“Because of her?”
Damon's smile widens. He takes a long sip of his whiskey, swirling the amber liquid before letting out a sigh. “Look, Liam, I know you can’t understand. But June is different. She gets me. She gets why I need to keep my hands dirty, why this town, this garage, is all a part of me.”
“I think you’re just in the dopamine stage, Damon. It wears off.”
“You must have felt love once, Liam.”
“Never.” I shake my head.
“Yes, you have. I remember when we lost Rex, the guard dog. You nearly cried when we buried him.”
“That’s different, Damon. Animals stay loyal. They don’t change. Humans?” I lean across the table. “You can’t bet you’ll wake up to the same person you went to bed with.”
“That’s the beauty of it.” Damon leans across, too. “It’s what makes life interesting.”
“It’s scary,” I relax into my seat, shaking my head as I take another sip. “One minute, everything can be perfect, and the next, it’s all falling apart.”
Damon looks at me, his eyes softer now. “You’re scared of getting hurt. I get it. But sometimes, the risk is worth it.”
“That’s an illusion,” I murmur quietly. “The scars last longer than the pleasure.”
“I think you’ll change that opinion when you meet the right person.”
I raise my glass at him. “Don’t hold your breath, comrade.”
Damon studies me as we sit in silence for a moment, the only sound the faint hum of the workshop. We’ve been friends for years now, and even when we don’t see eye to eye on matters, we try to understand each other’s perspective.
I remember the day we met at camp like it was yesterday. There I was, fresh off the bus, trying to get my bearings in the chaos of military life. Damon and I got paired up for a training exercise, and we quickly found common ground. He mentioned Harmony Creek, and it felt like a punch to the gut.
My dad had moved there after the divorce, while my mom held custody rights, so I stayed with her, with only occasional visits from him. Hearing about Harmony Creek from someone who lived there was like peering through a window into my dad's life.
My mind starts to wander back to the days when my world first fell apart. The memory of my parents' divorce is like an old wound that never fully healed. I was just a kid, and the pain of watching my family split was something I never quite got over. They loved each other, I knew they did. I heard them say it to each other every day, and then slowly things started to change, and I seem to be the only reason they endured it for one more year before they finally got the divorce.
I haven’t been good at trusting people or even making friends since then. Damon is the rare exception.
It’s strange, being here in this small town where my father lived all those years away from me. Everything seems to move slower here, and it’s a break from the chaos of my life in New York.
“So, how do you find the town?” Damon asks, pulling me back to the present.
I take a moment to gather my thoughts. “It’s not what I expected. Haven’t seen much of it yet, though.”
“So, what’s the plan now that you’re in Harmony Creek?”
“Help my dad at the hospital, try as much as possible to convince you not to mess up by going ahead with this wedding, and maybe, catch some breath. The air’s fresh here.”
Damon laughs, raising his glass. “I’ll go with two out of three of your plans. Welcome to Harmony Creek, Liam.”
“Thanks, man.” I clink my glass against his.
“Remember the first time we talked about Harmony Creek?”
“Yeah,” I chuckle. “I grilled you for every detail about my dad. Poor you probably didn’t even realize I was less interested in you giving me a complete rundown of your life.”
Damon shakes his head, smiling. “I figured it out pretty quickly. The Miller name gave you away. Your old man’s kind of a legend around here, you know. Runs the biggest hospital across three towns.”
“Hearing that was…mixed feelings,” I admit. “Happy that he’s doing well, but also…I don’t know, it’s complicated.”
“Isn’t it always?” His words are spoken softly. “But hey, now you get to see it for yourself. Maybe it’ll help you sort things out.”
I nod as I take a long sip of my drink, letting the warmth spread through me. It’s strange being back in this town, this place that feels like a cross between a stranger’s home and a long-lost memory. I’d never been to Harmony Creek, and my father only told me a few words about where he was living, mostly during the awkward teenage years when Dad visiting felt more like an obligation than a reunion. Now that I’m here, I can see there’s a certain charm to the town, a sense of purpose and natural comfort.
“Maybe,” I mumble, not entirely convinced.
Damon slaps me on the back, jarring me out of my thoughts. “Enough heavy stuff. I can tell you it’ll be fun. I’ll show you around, and we’ll also grab some food. There’s a new diner in town. You’ll love it.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Since when do you know anything about good food?”
“Since June started making me eat like a grown-up,” Damon replies with a grin.
“Everything revolves around her now, eh?”
Damon nods, a knowing look in his eyes. He drops his glass and heads back to the car.
“It’s good you came back, Liam. Even if you’re not a fan of my wedding plans.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “I’m just looking out for you, man. You got pretty lucky the first time around. You’ve got an amazing son, you’re not exactly bad-looking, and you could have any girl you want. Why commit to one woman when feelings can change along the way?”
He leans against a workbench and fiddles with a wrench, but his focus is on me. “Because I only want one woman in my bed, and that’s June.”
“And I really have to be the best man?”
Damon grins, grabbing a rag and tossing it over his shoulder. “Consider it payback for all the times I covered your ass at camp.” He goes on his knees and proceeds to slide back under the car but stops. “Well, now that you’re here, the team’s almost complete.”
“Team?” I raise an eyebrow.
“My wedding team. She's the last member, and when she arrives, things will kick off.”
“Who’s this last member of the illustrious team?”
“The wedding planner herself,” Damon replies, his grin widening. “My sister.”
I frown, intrigued. “Your sister, huh? I can remember you saying much about her, but I thought she’d be living in town.”
Damon laughs, shaking his head. “Emma’s just like you, man. She left five years ago. Finds it hard to come back to Harmony Creek even though she’s got people who love her to pieces here.”
I scoff. “Maybe she’s smart enough to know that’s a lie.”
Damon laughs. “Okay, maybe you both are not as alike as I thought. She’s a romantic in her heart, body and soul…you?—”
“Definitely not.”
“Definitely not.” Damon agrees with a nod. “But I still see some similarities.”
I listen as Damon starts to ramble on about his sister—how great and beautiful she is, how perfect she is, and how the whole town loves her. I grin into my cup. Everyone has a family bias, but Damon’s never been one to exaggerate. If he says she’s impressive, she probably is.
“Emma’s June’s best friend by the way,” Damon continues.
I shake my head, warning him again. “You’re really setting yourself up for trouble. If things don’t work out with June, it’s going to strain things with your sister.”
Damon just smirks, waving off my concerns. “Don’t worry about it. Things are going to be fine. They’re cool.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” I nod, but the nagging doubt remains.
“They were inseparable until June had to leave town. She’s a genius at wedding planning. She did a couple of high-profile ones in New York, too.”
A thrill suddenly runs through me. “She’s in New York?”
“Yeah,” Damon nods. “If you were the type that goes to weddings, I’d say it’s possible your paths crossed somewhere. But you’re not…” Damon grins and slides under the car, then stops and pulls himself back out again. “I have a picture of her on my phone.” He pulls out his phone, scrolls to her picture, and tosses it at me.
I catch the phone midair. The moment I see her face, my stomach drops. I know the woman beaming back at me. I know that cascading auburn hair and green eyes all too well. It’s been about a year and a half, but my photographic memory, which usually helps me avoid the awkwardness of running into past flings, now tells me I’m in deep shit.
I blink repeatedly, trying to process what I’m seeing. Damon’s sister was in my bed eighteen months ago.
“Looks familiar?” Damon's question shows he noticed my reaction.
I quickly shake my head, forcing a casual smile. “Nope, never seen her before.”
Damon goes on about how genius his sister is at planning weddings, but I’m barely listening. I nod and mumble agreement to everything he says, my mind racing. How am I supposed to handle this?
Suddenly, Damon’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Emma’s on her way here. She’ll want to meet you.”
“When’s she arriving?”
“Today.”
My first instinct is to come up with an excuse and bolt, but I realize there’s no escaping this. Harmony Creek is a small town, and with her planning Damon’s wedding, our paths will inevitably cross. Better to face this head-on in a controlled environment.
I sigh, resigning myself to the situation. “Alright, I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
That’s one of the worst lies I’ve ever told Damon, and if he was closer, I bet he’d read that lie quickly.
Damon grins and rolls back under the car. “You’re going to love her, man. She’s amazing.”
No way in hell there’s any love between me and the woman I threw out of my house in that manner. I run a hand across my face, my mind still spinning.
This is going to be interesting.