Read Online Will of Steel by Diana Palmer - Free Book Online Page A

least it was in closed session, in the judge’s chambers. The hired man plea-bargained. You see, he had priors, many of them. He drew a long jail sentence, but it did at least spare me a public trial.” She sipped tea again. “His sister lived over in Wyoming. She came to see me, after the trial.” Her eyes closed. “She said I was a slut who had no business putting a sweet, nice guy like him behind bars for years.” She managed a smile. “Sassy was in the kitchen when the woman came to the door. She marched into the living room and gave that woman hell. She told her about her innocent brother’s priors and how many young girls had suffered because of his inability to control his own desires. She was eloquent. The woman shut up and went away. I never heard from her again.” She looked over at him. “Sassy’s been my friend ever since. Not a close one, I’m sorry to say. I was so embarrassed at having her know about it that it inhibited me with her and everyone else. Everyone would believe the man’s sister, and that I’d asked for it.”
    His fingers curled closer into hers. “No young woman asks for such abuse,” he said softly. “But abusers usethat argument to defend themselves. It’s a lie, like all their other lies.”
    â€œSometimes,” she said, to be fair, “women do lie, and men, innocent men, go to jail for things they didn’t do.”
    â€œYes,” he agreed. “But more often than not, such lies are found out, and the women themselves are punished for it.”
    â€œI guess so.”
    â€œI wasn’t here when that happened.”
    â€œNo. You were doing that workshop at the FBI Academy. And I begged the judge not to tell you or anybody else. She was very kind to me.”
    He looked over her head, his eyes flashing cold and black as he thought what he might have done to the man if he’d been in town. He wasn’t interested in Jillian as a woman back then, because she was still almost a child, but he’d always been fond of her. He would have wiped the floor with the man.
    His expression made her feel warm inside. “You’d have knocked him up and down main street,” she ventured.
    He laughed, surprised, and met her eyes. “Worse than that, probably.” He frowned. “First the hired man, then the accountant.”
    â€œThe accountant was my fault,” she confessed. “I never told him how old I was, and I was infatuated with him. He was drinking when he tried to persuade me.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe I even did that.”
    He stared at her. “You were a kid, Jake. Kids aren’t known for deep thought.”
    She smiled. “Thanks for not being judgmental.”
    He shrugged. “I’m such a nice man that I’m never judgmental.”
    Her eyebrows arched.
    He grinned. “And I really can do the tango. Suppose I teach you?”
    She studied his lean, handsome face. “It’s a very, well, sensual sort of dance, they say.”
    â€œVery.” He pursed his lips. “But I’m not an aggressive man. Not in any way that should frighten you.”
    She colored a little. “Really?”
    â€œReally.”
    She drew in a long breath. “I guess every woman should dance the tango at least once.”
    â€œMy thoughts exactly.”
    He wiped his mouth on the linen napkin, took a last sip of the excellent but cooling coffee and got to his feet.
    â€œYou have to watch your back on the dance floor, though,” he told her as he led her toward it.
    â€œWhy is that?”
    â€œWhen the other women see what a great dancer I am, they’ll probably mob you and take me away from you,” he teased.
    She laughed. “Okay.” She leaned toward him. “Are you packing?”
    â€œAre you kidding?” he asked, indicating the automatic nestled at his waist on his belt. “I’m a cop.