Joy in His Heart Read Online Free PDF

Brian quickly unpacked his rope, then tossed the pack next to the parachute, followed by the bundle he’d managed to carry with him from the plane.
    He had never used a grappling hook but he managed to hook it to the first branch on the third try. From there to the next level of branches was just as far but he quickly climbed it. His hands, blistered and bleeding, would take some time to heal but he reached Joy ten minutes after starting his climb. Of course, he’d had toendure a critique of his technique from the moment he entered Joy’s line of sight. She’d made a few good suggestions, but that didn’t make her guidance of his rescue any easier to take.
    “I don’t think that branch will hold you,” Joy said when Brian went to move onto the branch he needed to traverse in order to cut the lines tangled with her arm.
    “Yes, it will,” he said as he gingerly walked the narrowing branch. “You know, you make a really lousy damsel in distress. This is my rescue. Would you just let me do it my way?”
    “Sorry. Maybe I’m out of damsel practice. Oh, no. Wait. It could be because I’ve never needed someone to rescue me.”
    “Well, you need one now. I’m sorry it’s me, but it is, so relax and stop nattering at me. I’m using the branch above to support some of my weight. Now shush.”
    Her blue eyes blazed. “Don’t ‘shush’ me. I’m getting rescued so I get to help. And I don’t natter. You have to be at least sixty to natter.”
    Brian had to grin. “Is that a rule I don’t know about?” he asked, hoping a little nonsensical conversation would calm both their nerves as he made his way to her. Now that he’d reached her level he saw damage to at least three other trees, which meant she’d been dragged through them. He sincerely prayed the injuries she’d already catalogued were all that was wrong with her. He caught his breath when he saw that a branch had punctured the pack at her waist. If it had gone all the way through….
    She was lucky to be alive.
    “Now let’s see what the problem is with your knee and ankle,” he said, his voice unsteady even though he was on a relatively stable footing next to her.
    She glared at him. “Look, just get me free. I didn’t ask you up here to play doctor.”
    Insulted, he snapped, “I am a doctor, Joy. I don’t play at it. Not now and not ever in my life.”
    The fire in her eyes banked a little and she looked away. “I still don’t need you doctoring me. I probably exaggerated my injuries anyway. My head feels better now that I’ve been conscious for a while and I’m sure my knee and ankle are just slightly sprained. In fact, I’m sure I can get down on my own if you cut me free.”
    Brian sighed. She was determined to make this just as difficult as possible, even though one look and he knew her shoulder was dislocated. The longer it stayed out of joint the harder it would be to get it back where it belonged and the longer her recovery would be. And since she’d been unconscious there was a good bet she’d been right to guess she might have at least a slight concussion. Her leg was so badly hurt, too, that she winced whenever she tried to move it. Sure it would hold her weight! For 2.2 seconds before she plummeted to the ground.
    “You think you can climb down? You can hardly move.” He got nothing but a dirty look in response. “Ever read Proverbs 16, Joy?” he demanded after she remained stubbornly silent. “Verse 18 warns that ‘Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.’ The way you’re acting I’d say it was written just for you.” He pointed downward. “And that is one longfall! Now listen. I’m going to get you down— my way. Using your harness. You can’t climb and I admit to not being strong enough to get down with you on my back.”
    She opened her mouth but he wasn’t going to cling to a branch arguing all day or give her another chance to try sticking pins in his ego. “We both aren’t