Thomasville, a budding little town named in honor of the late Barkley patriarch, Thomas Barkley. A small desert hole that his three sons, Jarrod, Nick and Heath, saw fit to develop and nurture for future generations. Three years later, with a consistently growing population and a spot on the city map, their slaving had paid off.

The gruelling process of erecting a town from scratch was all but trials and tribulations for the three boys. But together, hand in hand, they weathered the storms and battled the odds to achieve their goal.

One fierce opponent, who adamantly objected to the town’s name on account of an old quarrel between him and Thomas Barkley over that piece of land that he clamoured was originally his, was a constant thorn at their sides. When the court ruled in favor of the Barkleys in the land dispute, the boys believed they had seen the last of him.

One night, the foe returned with an army of cohorts and burned the Barkley ranch to the ground. Victoria, Audra, Jarrod and Heath and been knocked unconscious and tied up to make certain they would all perish in the blaze. Nick was away to Stockton on an errand when the tragedy occurred. Returning home, he witnessed the horror and managed to drag Heath out of the crumbling structure. Gravely injured, he passed away in Nick’s arms shortly after.

Since that massacre, Nick had been wandering about in a state of stupor, dulling his pain in liquor on a daily basis. He had no intention of rebuilding the ranch, let alone set foot on the property that bore to many memories of yesteryears. He wanted to forget, bury the haunting images of the horrendous night in the dim recesses of his mind. He was alone, lost in a world of strangers and shunning the people he once called his friends.

Since the men responsible for the heinous crime had been apprehended, tried and hung by the neck, Nick had no purpose to vent his anger on. Instead he lapsed into a deep depression, making daily journeys to the Stockton cemetery where his family had been laid to rest, and where he would idle the time away by engaging in lengthy imaginary conversations with each member. When not seeking comfort by his departed loved ones, he would sit in a saloon bar and toss down an entire bottle of whiskey a day.

All this was about to change with the chance encounter with a waitress named Elizabeth. A woman with Heath’s sensitivity, Jarrod’s insight, Victoria’s charm and Audra’s beauty.