Frank Greerson and Gregory Young have been discharged from the Army and are headed to their childhood homes. They both defied their parents in 1861 when they joined the Army. After battling southern rebels and preserving the Union of the United States of America, the two men set out to battle the Kansas Prairie and build a life together. Once they find their claim, they encounter common obstacles to life on the Kansas Prairie in 1866: Native Americans, tornadoes, wild animals, and weather.<br><br>When a prairie fire destroys their crops and takes their neighbor’s lives, Frank and Gregory are instructed to find their young son’s aunt. Faced with leaving a destroyed claim, the railroad coming through their land, and dwindling funds, Frank and Gregory must decide whether to leave the place they have worked hard to make their own or fulfill their friends' dying wishes.

A Place to Call Their Own

Riders startled Frank and Gregory from their relaxation as they crossed the stream near the campsite.


There were three of them. As they approached, Frank saw them clearer. Their leader looked a bit shorter than Gregory. He had dark, beady eyes that were at the same time warm and pleasant. His hair was dark black, coarse, and curly. The skin on his face and exposed forearms was the color of coffee when you put a bit too much cream in it, and it was clear and free of blemishes.


“Howdy, gentlemen. Let me introduce myself,” the leader said in a thick Louisiana accent. “My name is Phillip Bernard, of the New Orleans Bernards.” He acted as though Frank and Gregory should be impressed by that detail. “This here is Mr. Jackson, and this here is Mr. James. What brings you gentlemen to our part of the country?”


Frank stiffened; the hair on the back of his neck bristled and he could feel the same stress come from Gregory. Frank moved forward, his answer cautious and guarded.


Chapter 14