T.T. Gristman or "Tee" as his family called him. Was perfectly happy on his mountains living all alone, until the Sheriff showed up and notified him that his property was being sold from underneath him because of his failure to pay taxes and respond to notices.
Dejected and unsure where his life would go after losing his home, he heads to the only bar he ever went to in town. As luck would have it, David an Inventor comes into the bar looking for him. He has a problem, his sister accidentally ran back into time through his time portal he invented. Others turned him down laughing when David approached believing he was pulling their legs, but knowing Tee was in dire straights from comments his father said about buying the place and building retirement villas on it and making a bundle. Afraid he would be charged for Joy's murder if she didn't return, he made an offer that Tee was glad to accept. David would pay his back taxes if Tee would go back in time and bring his sister back to her time.

It was hate at first sight, Tee being able to use only one arm and wore a beard that half hid his marks from fighting barehanded a mountain lion. She called him an ugly, smelly, cripple that was mean to women. She on the other hand didn't bring him any joy, even though it was her name. She was a rich bitch, snob that didn't think she had to listen to him and tried to treat him like he was her servant.
Joy didn't believe that she had come back in time for the longest, but couldn't spot anything that made her see otherwise. Little did she know that her life depended upon Tee keeping her alive. The Native Indians were all about and very savage people living by their standards, not the modern standards she was used to. She found out how savage they were for people coming into their territory!
Joy was soon forced to do things she never dreamed she would and eat things she would never touch before. Believing she might be stuck back there forever when the feild produced by the Time Portal collapsed suddenly, she learns to even hunt!