El Viejo is a historical remnant of El Rancho de Las Cuevas in a section of El Diablo county in California. By 1997 the town stands in the path of Pollard Park, a new town, created by ex-cattle baron, Monty Pollard. The town is weeks away from an election to sell their Mutual Water Company to the new town. Jesus (Jesse) Martinez, a diplomat, Esperanza (Ranza) Moreno, a career politician and Consuela Sanchez y Shrewsberry, an heiress. Jesse discovers that Consuela's 300 acre homestead and adobe mansion, La Casa De Las Flores are endangered and that Ranza, as a politician is a vivacious "firecracker." Can three former classmates get up to speed in time to fend off the rich and politically powerful? Jesse's preference was to let the town collapse and then take his stubborn mother back to Washington, D.C. Do all townspeople think the old ways are worth the fight? As the date for the election draws closer, there's a lot of work to be done and the question is, can it be done in time?