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

“Ah, right. The kid who Larry’s got the crush on. You must be the game designer. Big stuff. Larry wants your autograph.” She ripped a page out of the back of her pad as a few men tried to call her over to their tables. Unflappable as always, she merely turned her head and said, “Keep your shirts on.”


“I want you to make this out to Lorraine and Bud.” She spelled out her name as Christopher wrote it. “And sign it. Then I’ll take your order. Larry’s going to kill me for getting your autograph before he did. I love it!”


She and Christopher grinned at each other. Parent humor, I guess.


After she admired the piece of paper and scribbled down our order on a clean sheet, she scurried off in the direction of the kitchen, stopping by a few tables on her way.


Chapter 24