Loving Out of Time

A cowboy loving an Indian— an inconceivable thought to an 1898 Oklahoma man. But when a ranch hand falls through a time travel portal and lands in an Indian's backyard, she battles her pride to help him while he battles his prejudice about being in an interracial relationship. Having a friend in the quantum physics field makes Anya Littlefeather slightly more receptive to Cody Bell's claim that his horse tossed him from 1898 into her backyard of 2013. He certainly seems to be an honest-to-God— albeit prejudiced— handsome cowboy who is utterly surprised by the established neighborhood where he claims his family farm once stood. He's a drifter, and Anya has too many abandonment issues with men to even consider dating someone who already breaks two of her four relationship requirements. This frees Anya to help Cody as one human does another, and not worry about the possibility of dating. Cody had been racing home with medicine to save his niece's life when his horse tossed him into this magical place. The Indian who rescued him confuses him, for she doesn't act the way his grandfather spoke of them during the Indian/Settler Wars, and she's courteous and helpful and respects him as a man. Her offer to help get him home seems genuine, and he fears every day spent in this amazing land jeopardizes the life of his beloved niece. The last woman he loved died, and that scar makes him hesitant to love again, regardless of his attraction. As the time draws near for the next portal to open, Cody has to decide whether to go save the life of the last of his family, or stay here and start a new one. Anya has to either add one more abandonment issue to her list when he goes home, or ask Cody to let his niece perish and stay with her forever.