Chapter 1
Everyone has a dream at some point in their life. For some, it might be taking that once-in-a-lifetime trip, exploring all the beauty the world has to offer. For others, it could be finding the perfect place to call home, or embarking on an adventure that changes everything.
For me, the dream has always been the same: to become a wedding planner. Not just any wedding planner, but one who creates pure magic.
While other little girls my age played with Barbies, I was busy planning weddings—sometimes even my own.
I’ve imagined that day in vivid detail, mapped out every beautiful moment.
The dress, the flowers, the music…everything except the face of my Prince Charming.
That part has always been a mystery, and still is to this day, but that’s okay, because I got my dream.
I became that wedding planner, just like I always imagined, and I love it.
Love the way I get to take an ordinary day and turn it into something unforgettable, a moment people carry with them long after the clock strikes midnight.
The happily ever after might not be guaranteed. But the magic of that day? The memory? That will last forever. And that’s exactly what you get when booking with me, Harlow Hayes, your very own Fairy Godmother of Ever After Events.
Today’s wedding is no exception. The bride is glowing as she adds the final touches in the bridal suite, the groom has a grin that hasn’t wavered all morning, like he’s just hit the jackpot.
Every detail is unfolding exactly as planned.
Yet, as I stand here, clipboard in hand, overseeing the last-minute adjustments before the ceremony begins, something darkens the moment.
Or rather, someone.
Linc Masters.
My childhood nemesis.
The bane of my existence.
Given the groom is also a firefighter, I should have known he would be here, but since his department is in the neighboring county, I hoped to dodge that bullet.
No such luck.
His presence looms like a dark cloud, suffocating me from across the room. I can feel the weight of his gaze, tracking my every move as I perfect the altar, my skin tingling with awareness, as though every nerve ending recognizes his proximity and reacts of its own accord.
I hate it. Hate that he triggers any kind of response in me.
Bad enough I have to endure him occasionally, thanks to our mutual friends. But here, in my territory, it’s even worse. It’s distracting, and I don’t like distractions when I’m working. I need to be sharp, focused, at the top of my game, and Linc throws me off that game. He always has.
I chance a look over my shoulder, unable to resist, and find him standing with a few other firefighters from the local department.
The way he fills out a suit is downright maddening. Add in light brown hair that is tousled just enough to look careless yet intentional, and a strong jaw shadowed by a hint of stubble, and it’s a deadly combination. One that infuriates me as much as it draws me in.
Two women stand among them, one of them a blonde whose too-tight dress struggles to contain her massive boobs. She laughs dramatically at something Linc says, clinging to his arm as if she might collapse without the support.
Typical.
Women always flock to him like moths to a flame, not that I blame them. He’s an expert at hiding his true colors behind that sexy smile and confident swagger.
There was even a moment when he almost had me fooled, a fleeting second when I thought I might have been wrong about him. That maybe, just maybe, there was more to Linc Masters than the ambushes and pranks. I was quickly proven wrong.
A mistake I won’t ever make again.
His eyes suddenly meet mine, the vibrant color pinning me in place. The smug smirk that follows lets me know I’ve been caught staring.
Shit.
I’m about to look away, pretend it never happened, but he excuses himself from the group and heads toward me.
Great.
Knowing it’s inevitable, I straighten my shoulders and perfect my stony expression, one I reserve just for him.
He stops just a few feet away, that annoying grin of his still firmly in place. “Well, if it isn’t the Ice Queen of Passion Falls.”
The title doesn’t bother me in the least; it’s exactly what I want him to think. What I have always wanted him to think. He just has no idea how wrong he is, and I plan to keep it that way.
“And if it isn’t Passion Falls’ biggest manwhore,” I counter.
He wears the insult like a badge of honor. “Manwhore is such a harsh word. I prefer most eligible bachelor.”
My brow arches. “Eligible? Does your date know that?”
His head tilts, expression suddenly amused. “What makes you think I brought one?”
I snort before I can stop myself. “Please. Big-boobed Tammy over there is hard to miss with that cackle. ‘Oh, Linc,’” I mock in an annoying voice. “‘You’re so funny. Let me hold onto your arm before I fall over from laughter.’”
Usually, I wouldn’t insult a stranger, especially another woman. I’m all about uplifting one another, but since she’s currently glaring at me like I’ve just stolen something precious from her, I feel a little less guilty about it.
Little does she know, I’m the last person she needs to worry about when it comes to this man.
“Jealous, Harlow?” he muses, sounding almost hopeful at the thought.
A sharp laugh bursts from me. “Yeah right. Pity is more like it. Poor woman has no idea what she’s getting herself into with you.”
His arms fold across his chest, the corner of his mouth twitching like he’s holding back a laugh. “For your information, her name is Lola, not Tammy, and she happens to be a very sweet girl.”
I’ll just bet she is.
“But she’s not my date,” he adds. “Actually, I just met her. She’s Jason’s cousin from out of town.”
Mortification washes over me as I realize I just insulted the groom’s cousin.
Way to go, Harlow.
I clear my throat, embarrassed. “Oh.”
He chuckles, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
Before I can level the playing field again, he steps closer, invading my personal space.
My breath catches, pulse spiking at the heady mix of his woodsy scent and searing warmth. It coils around my senses like a trap, making me lightheaded.
“You see, Goldilocks,” he murmurs, the nickname he gave me years ago rolling off his tongue like a sin. “I never bring a date to these things. Why limit myself when there are always plenty of gorgeous women in need of a dance partner?”
Just like that, I’m snapped out of the hypnotic trance, the unwelcome heat evaporating in an instant, as I’m reminded of exactly who this man is.
He leans back just enough to flash me that infuriating smirk. “Play your cards right, and maybe I’ll save a dance for you too.”
My eyes narrow into tiny slits, the urge to slap the cockiness off his stupid face surging through me.
“You wish, Slimer,” I sneer. “I wouldn’t dance with you if you were the last man on earth.”
That cutting response only seems to amuse him more. “Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.”
His knowing gaze penetrates mine, peeling back every layer I’ve spent years building.
I decide it’s time to make my exit, but not without getting the last word in.
My lips part, ready to unleash the final blow when the sound of my name stops me cold.
“Harlow?”
I tense at the all-too-familiar voice behind me, the soft feminine tone weighing down every limb of my body.
It can’t be.
Turning, my heart plummets straight to my stomach as I come face-to-face with two people I never expected to see today, especially here in Passion Falls. Two people I’ve gone out of my way to avoid for nearly three years, ever since they shattered my trust and left me reeling in their wake.
My sister and my ex.