From the moment I met Sophie, I knew I didn’t stand a chance. I lived in Ash Creek my whole life. There’s even a city park named after my family. But I’m the last of the McCallisters. And the way my life is going, that probably isn’t going to change. Sophie came to town to stay with her mother for a year. She’s pretty, and funny, and completely out of reach. I had my four half-siblings to raise. I just lost my job at the local factory. And the old van I drove died the same night I got laid off. This is my life. Since Sophie has a boyfriend waiting for her, we start out in the friend zone. A place I figure we’ll never leave. But being her friend is better than not knowing her at all. When trouble comes knocking at my door, things take a turn for the worse. They say it takes a village. I certainly hope so. Because without the help of the town and Sophie’s support, my family may never be the same. And somehow, through all of this mess, I just might climb out of the friend zone.