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

I also wanted to be on the opposite end of Main Street from where the Darlings would be living. I knew I couldn’t avoid them totally unless they moved, but I could make the chance of running into them at every turn less.


Item number two on my list was to call the hotel and change rooms. Away from the darling Darlings. No point in prolonging the pain. My heart had taken enough blows lately. The store was right around the corner from the hotel, so it would be foolish for me to move out of the Old Town area. In fact, I hoped I’d used up my quota of foolish for a while


As I sat thinking about what other steps I needed to take and stared at my short, succinct list, Christopher knocked on the door again, more quietly this time.


“Frank? How’s it going in there? Are you ready to talk to me?”


I sighed, got up, and unlocked the door.


He stood in the doorway, looking unsure and upset.


“C’mon in.” I stared past him at Riley and Henry, who both looked worried. “Do you want to talk too?”


Chapter 34