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

“What is it?” Christopher asked, pointing in the direction of my farmhouse.


“A fire.” I was alarmed. It was way too early for fire season.


Although the devastating drought had cleared up a bit, the Sierra Nevada foothills were prey to fires much of the year. Usually set off by lightning, they were also the work of arsonists, careless smokers, and mismanaged controlled burns. One year a huge fire was started by a park ranger who was burning love letters from an old beau. Stone Acres had more fire trucks and firefighters than it had bartenders.


“It looks like it’s pretty close to your house,” Henry shouted as he pointed.


It wasn’t close. My house was ablaze.


My heart fell as I watched my past go up in flames.


Christopher took one hand off the steering wheel and started to massage the back of my neck


Chapter 29