Joy in His Heart by Kate Welsh Page A

He felt her presence. He looked over to the way he’d come to see her limping toward the little girl. She placed her hand on the child’s shoulder. Even sick and tired, disheveled and dirty, Joy really was a beautiful woman—the very picture of a nordic beauty. Blond, blue-eyed, long-legged. Like that old secular song that had spurred the women’s movement said—strong; invincible. She had indomitable spirit that had kept her going when most people would have begged for rest.
    But she was so much more. He saw something he thought few people did. Behind the tough exterior, she was kind-hearted and vulnerable and scared to death. He prayed he hadn’t had a hand in making her feel that way.
    “Suppose we all introduce ourselves,” Joy said with a bright smile. “I’m Joy. This is Brian. He’s a doctor and I’m a pilot. Is he all right?” she asked him. She’d taken her sunglasses off now that they were in the deep shade and again her concern for the injured boy was reflected in her bluer than blue eyes.
    Brian glanced at Dan, then back up at her. “His leg’s broken. That’s all from what I can see but it’s enough.” He looked at the other kids and shook his head a little, hoping she got his signal. The break was bad. The other kids, though not presenting symptoms of dehydration thanks to recent weather making water plentiful, were too thin and weak to hike up the mountain. He couldn’t imagine they’d had much to eat in the last week and children could lose weight at an alarming rate.
    “I think we should get to know each other,” Joy saidafter a quick nod. “I know you’re Adam,” she said pointing to the tall blonde. “That’s Dan and he got hurt trying to help all of you,” she added, acknowledging the boy on the ground whose silent tears had stopped. He stared at Joy with open fascination. Brian couldn’t blame him.
    Joy kept a bright smile in place when she put her hand on the little girl’s shoulder. “And who is this little darling?”
    The child with the wispy blond hair and huge brown eyes turned to Joy and looked up. “Oh! You found Bear!” She held up her hands and took the stuffed toy Joy gave her into her thin arms with a fierce hug. “Thank you.” She looked around at the boys. “They said the river took her away like it did my daddy. Did you find my daddy, too?”
    “Other searchers did and he’s doing just fine. As for your bear they were obviously wrong,” Joy said, sending them all a censoring look.
    Brian stiffened. One of the boys had obviously taken it to be cruel and he was very afraid he might have once done the same thing. It was like having a mirror held up to him that revealed deeds he was now, more than ever, thoroughly ashamed of. He would make amends eventually.
    “What’s your name, honey?” he asked.
    “She’s Candy Merrick,” the boy with the red hair said. “I’m Chad Fremont and Adam is my big brother.”
    “I’m Kevin Jaffe,” a boy with close cropped brown hair said in a surly tone. Kevin, if Brian didn’t miss his guess, was a problem. He figured they’d find out what kind later.
    “I’m Mike Cabot. Dan’s my brother. I’m sorry I teased you, Candy.”
    He’d have picked them out as brothers anywhere. They both wore their dark hair long and had the same features. Same stoic forthrightness. Brian put his hand on Dan’s shoulder. “Hang tight, Dan. I’ll be right back. Try not to move, okay? I’ll see if I’ve got something in my bag for the pain. Have you ever taken a medicine that made you sicker than you were before taking it?” he asked. He was leery about treating a child with pain medication without parental permission, but Dan’s leg was definitely broken in two places and it had to be set.
    “I don’t think I have any allergies. Is that what you needed to know?”
    Brian smiled and nodded. Then he stood and propped his hand on his hips as he surveyed the area. There were sleeping bags spread over every available bush