Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Laura Scott (speed reading book .txt) 📖

grip. Another minute, two at the most, she’d lose her tenuous hold altogether or the branch would break beneath her weight. Either way, the consequences would be the same.

She struggled to steady her breathing. Hyperventilating wouldn’t help.

Think.

But the silent command did little good when her heart was caught in her throat and her hands skidded farther and farther down the branch.

Thank You, Lord, for always being here for me. If this is it, I know You have another plan in store for me, something wonderful. I pray that I can be worthy of it. The silent prayer took hold in her heart and soothed the ragged edges of her fear.

The Lord was in charge.

Calmer now, she turned her focus to getting out of this. Depending upon the Lord was second nature, but she knew that He expected her to do her part.

“Hold on.”

She turned her head to see Liam moving in her direction.

He came to a halt and clung to an impossibly narrow ledge. There were no further handholds for him to get closer. “Can you swing yourself over here?” He stretched out his arm.

“It’s too far. I can’t reach you.”

“Jump. I’ll catch you.”

“Again with the jump?” she asked and made the mistake of looking down. The view stole her breath and her hard-won calm. Sweat formed at her temples, trickled down her cheeks onto her neck. She started to wipe it away and nearly laughed aloud at the absurdity of the idea. She was holding on for dear life and was troubled by a few droplets of sweat?

Get a grip, girl.

“Don’t.” The single word, barked in a loud voice, came out as a command. “Don’t look down. Just jump toward me. I’ll catch you. That’s a promise.”

When she hesitated, he said, “Look at me, Paige.”

She did and saw the steady assurance in his eyes.

“I don’t break my promises.” He flashed a confident grin her way.

Could she do it?

Would Liam catch her?

Did she trust him with her life?

With a start, she realized that none of that mattered. The real question, the only question that truly mattered, was did she trust the Lord?

With a prayer on her lips, Paige jumped.

Again.

Liam caught her wrist and, for one breath-stealing moment, she dangled over the canyon. Buffeting winds sent her swaying back and forth, anchored only by Liam’s hand.

Veins protruded from his heavily muscled arm as he took her weight. With a grunt of effort, he swung her to the narrow ledge where he stood. He shifted so that she faced the earthen wall, sheltering her from the wind with his body.

Her heart did a series of somersaults as she realized how close she’d come to dying. The Lord, with Liam’s help, had saved her.

“It’s okay.” The words whispered against her neck, and she shivered in response.

“Thank you,” she said when she found her voice, though it came out as a croak. She tried again. “Thank you.”

“Catch your breath, then go ahead of me,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you.”

The last thing she wanted to do was to start up the cliff again. They had at least fifty feet to go. Could she do it?

“We’ll make it,” he said.

“Another promise?”

“Yeah. And I always keep my promises.”

With painstaking care, she reached for a tree root, grabbed on and pulled herself up. Another step. When she felt like she couldn’t lift her arms one more time, Liam encouraged her.

“You can do it. I know it.”

She reached the top and collapsed on the rough ground. So grateful that she was still in one piece, she scarcely noticed the rocks poking through the thin cotton of her shirt or that her arm ached unbearably. With what seemed monumental effort, she rolled over and stared up at the sky. The blue had never looked more blue, the clouds never more billowy.

Liam knelt over her. “You were great back there.”

“Not so great. If it hadn’t been for you...” She shuddered at what would have happened.

He stood, then reached out a hand to pull her up. “You’d have figured it out. You’re too stubborn to let a little bitty hill get the best of you.” The teasing note in his voice was softened by the warmth of his eyes as they rested on her.

She choked out a laugh. “Little bitty hill?”

“Sure. Compared to the mountains in Afghanistan, that one was little bitty.”

“If you say so.” A smile tugged at her lips, then disappeared as she considered their circumstances. At the same time, another spear of pain radiated through her arm. The grimace that escaped her lips had Liam frowning.

“What’s going on?”

“My arm got banged up a little. No big deal.”

“Let me have a look.” Gently, he probed her arm and shoulder. “It’s not broken, but it’s pretty badly sprained.” At her look of surprise, he said, “I had some medic training. Not a lot but enough to recognize the difference between a break and a sprain.” He tore off a sleeve from his shirt and used it to fashion a crude sling. “That should do for now.”

“You’re a good guy to have around in an emergency.”

Liam gave a mock bow. “Aw, shucks, ma’am. Ain’t nothin’.”

She grinned at the exaggerated accent.

“Now, if only I could sprout wings,” he added, “I’d fly us out of here.”

Once again, she smiled in appreciation of his humor. The truth was, though, there was little to laugh about in their situation. The wind picked up, and she shivered in clothes wet with mud.

“We’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, and I’m guessing we don’t have cell coverage.” She let her gaze travel over the sweep of earth and sky. The beauty of God’s creations never failed to move her, but the mountains and valleys didn’t make for good cell reception.

She said as much to Liam, causing him to pull his phone from his pocket. “You’re right.”

“I wish I wasn’t.” She looked around, got her bearings. “The highway should be about five miles east. We’d best start walking.”

He looked down at her shoes. “That’s another thing