Free Will of Steel by Diana Palmer Page B

They called him the father of history. He wrote about Egypt. He admitted that the information might not all be factual, but he wrote down exactly what the Egyptian priests told him about their country.”
    â€œI’d like to read what he said.”
    â€œYou can borrow one of my books,” he offered. “I have several copies of his Histories. ”
    â€œWhy?”
    He grimaced. “Because I keep losing them.”
    She frowned. “How in the world do you lose a book?”
    â€œYou’ll have to come home with me sometime and see why.”
    Her eyes sparkled. “Is that an invitation? You know, ‘come up and see my books’?”
    He chuckled. “No, it’s not a pickup line. I really mean it.”
    â€œI’d like to.”
    â€œYou would?” His arm contracted. “When? How about next Saturday? I’ll show you my collection of maps, too.”
    â€œMaps?” she exclaimed.
    He nodded. “I like topo maps, and relief maps, best of all. It helps me to understand where places are located.”
    She smiled secretively. “We could compare maps.”
    â€œWhat?”
    She sighed. “I guess we do have a lot in common. I think I’ve got half the maps Rand McNally ever published!”

Five
    â€œW ell, what do you know?” He laughed. “We’re both closet map fanatics.”
    â€œAnd we love ancient history.”
    â€œAnd we love shooting targets from the front porch.”
    She glowered up at him.
    He sighed. “I’ll try to reform.”
    â€œYou might miss and shoot Sammy,” she replied.
    â€œI’m a dead shot.”
    â€œAnybody can miss once,” she pointed out.
    â€œI guess so.”
    They’d stopped on the dance floor while the band got ready to start the next number. When they did, he whirled her around and they started all over again. Jillian thought she’d never enjoyed anything in her life so much.
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    Ted walked her to the front door, smiling. “It was a nice first date.”
    â€œYes, it was,” she agreed, smiling back. “I’ve never had so much fun!”
    He laughed. She made him feel warm inside. She was such an honest person. She wasn’t coy or flirtatious. She just said what she felt. It wasn’t a trait he was familiar with.
    â€œWhat are you thinking?” she asked curiously.
    â€œThat I’m not used to people who tell the truth.”
    She blinked. “Why not?”
    â€œAlmost all the people I arrest are innocent,” he ticked off. “They were set up by a friend, or it was a case of mistaken identity even when there were eyewitnesses. Oh, and, the police have it in for them and arrest them just to be mean. That’s my personal favorite,” he added facetiously.
    She chuckled. “I guess they wish they were innocent.”
    â€œI guess.”
    She frowned. “There’s been some talk about that man you arrested for the bank robbery getting paroled because of a technicality. Is it true?”
    His face set in hard lines. “It might be. His attorney said that the judge made an error in his instructions to the jury that prejudiced the case. I’ve seen men get off in similar situations.”
    â€œTed, he swore he’d kill you if he ever got out,” she said worriedly.
    He pursed his lips and his dark eyes twinkled. “Frightened for me?”
    â€œOf course I am.”
    He sighed and pulled her close. “Now, that’s exactlythe sort of thing that makes a man feel good about himself, when some sweet little woman worries about him.”
    â€œI’m not little, I’m not sweet and I don’t usually worry,” she pointed out.
    â€œIt’s okay if you worry about me,” he teased. “As long as you don’t do it excessively.”
    She toyed with the top button of his unbuttoned jacket. “There are lots of safer professions than being a police chief.”
    He