Everything about thirty-five-year-old Stone Acres hardware store owner Frank McCord is old-fashioned -- from his bow tie and overalls to the way he happily makes house calls. He dreams of lasting romance, true love, and marriage. Frank’s ancestors have run the store and been mainstays in the small California town for over a century. While genial Frank upholds tradition and earns the respect of friends and neighbors, he fears he’s too dull and old to attract a husband. Maybe it’s time to break out of his mold. Then handsome thirty-six-year-old electronic games designer Christopher Darling and his fifteen-year-old son, Henry, come into his life. Christopher has everything Frank could want in a potential partner: charm, kindness, and compatibility. Also, he’s a terrific father to Henry. When their Stone Acres home turns out to be uninhabitable, Frank offers the Darlings temporary lodging in his ancestral farmhouse, where he and his tenant Emil reside. Since Emil thinks Frank is his, sparks fly. Suddenly, Frank’s monotonous life promises to explode with love and change him forever.

Frank at Heart

“So you mean the top floor could have fallen through?” Christopher sounded aghast. “But it’s a stone house. Stone is sturdy, right?”


“Uh, yeah, up to a point. I can’t tell you why it hasn’t collapsed yet.” Abe took out his phone, dialed, and walked away, talking in a low, serious voice.


“Do you have somewhere else you can stay?” I asked Christopher, putting a hand on his arm


“What? No. This is our home. This is where we live.”


I took out my phone and called Zeke at the Bandy Hotel. Christopher looked so shell-shocked I figured I could at least get him a room. But not only was the Bandy filled, when I called the motel off of the highway, it was too. So much for my help. Too many fly fishermen in town had packed all the area accommodations.


Then I remembered my spare room. It wasn’t much, but it wasn’t about to collapse either.


“Tell you what. You’re coming home with me, both of you.”


Chapter 10