His generosity toward these men is a way for him to continue living in the past when his deceased son was one of them. Alexa is the personification of responsibility. She owes Howard. He helped her when her parents died and she was left to raise her troubled, teen-age sister on her own. Initially, Carol Finch's treatment of Chance and Howard is heavy handed.
Chance is sensitive, caring, flexible and capable of change.
His actions prove that again and again. Similarly, her characterization of Howard is initially overdone. The final third of the book is a home-run for Zach. His actions are delightful rather than saccharine or overly cute, which can be a pitfall for children in category romances. Carol Finch's characterizations of Alexa and Chance alone are so good, this book is only made more special by her deft handling of this young boy and his quest for a man for his mom and himself.