It's the beginning of summer, and Acorn Hill is heating up. Alice is planning a trip to the big city with the group of teen girls she mentors, but she needs to find someone to help chaperone or she may have to cancel the trip. Willing volunteers are few and far between, but Alice locates an unlikely helper who may learn just as much from the experience as the girls themselves. Meanwhile, Aunt Ethel is busy revamping her home for a visit from her daughter Francine and is wearing out the patience of her nieces with all her preparations. And when a big-box hardware store opens in nearby Potterston, Jane takes it upon herself to save the local favorite, Fred's Hardware. In the process, she strikes up a friendship with the manager of the new superstore, who is more thoughtful and charming than she expected. Soon, Jane's fight for Acorn Hill's business owners turns into a struggle between loyalty to her friends and loyalty to her heart. could this new relationship be the start of something big?