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

The sheriff led Emil away. Emil protested that I’d given him the keys to my place downstairs.


“In case of emergency. There was no emergency for him to be in here tonight, Lloyd.”


A grim-looking Sheriff Campbell advised me to come down to the office Monday to complete the paperwork to charge Emil formally. In the meantime, Lloyd told me to get some rest.


“He stole from me.” I heard the glass crunch beneath my feet, but I was talking about more than the bottle of wine and the broken crystal. I was talking about peace of mind and his betrayal of my trust.


“I know, Frank.” The sheriff patted me on the back. “Call me if anything else turns up missing.”


His hand smacked on Emil’s shoulder, and Emil winced as the sheriff led him outside.


Silence reigned after the sheriff’s SUV drove away.


At the front door, I turned to Christopher and Henry.


Chapter 13