In late August, Eiji Takezo is driving across the United States on back roads, trying to escape the pressure from his father to marry the right woman and follow in his footsteps as head of the family bank. When his car breaks down, he suddenly finds himself stranded in rural Cedar Springs, Oklahoma. There he meets a strange cast of characters who take him in, befriend him, and reorder his life before he can blink. None of these new acquaintances is more interesting than Blair Don Mason. Blair is a beautiful local girl who works as a secretary, and Eiji-who begins calling himself Eli, a name given to him by the eccentric family who has taken him in-is instantly in love. When he learns that she feels the same way, he decides to stay and try to build a new life in Cedar Springs. But how long can their love last in the face of bigotry? In this humorous novel of romance and culture clash, a man stranded and lost manages to find love in an unexpected place.

“Who is that pretty woman with the black hair sitting with the other older woman at that table?” he asked.

“What girl, honey?’

“That woman sitting with the other older woman in the booth, over there.”Eiji stopped from pointing but just barely. “The woman with the long black hair pulled back at the nape of her neck.”

“Mae,” said Lorraine. “He’s talking about Blair Don Mason. My God! There’s Precious. I haven’t seen her in an age. She looks good and she’s not an older woman. I’ll have you know that ‘older woman’ is our age, so she’s not older because we’re not older people. I don’t consider us older. Do you, Ellanor? Have we become older people? I don’t feel like an older person.”

“So who is she, Mae?” continued Eiji. “Her name is Blair?”

Dot returned with an armload of plates just as Eiji said that. “Who are you talking about? Blair Don?” Dot chatted as she placed the dishes in front of the people. After finishing with the dishes, she quickly pulled a bottle of ketchup out of her apron pocket and placed it on the table.

Everyone looked at their plates suddenly starving.

“I think that’s it Dot,” said Mae.

“Sure thing,” she answered already heading away from the table.

“So who is she, Mae?” Eiji asked again.

“Honey, you have got to taste this.” view abbreviated excerpt only...

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