chin like she was Little Bo Peep or some damn thing. “I am taking you to the JC Penney’s in the Asheville Mall. We’re going shopping!”
Fern glanced sideways at Tanyalee, daring to scoot up in the seat a little. “What for?”
Tanyalee smiled at her, and for just a second, Fern wondered if she’d ever look anywhere near as glamorous as Tanyalee Newberry. With that scarf and glasses, she looked like she’d just popped right out of a magazine, or an episode of Mad Men, or maybe one of those old James Bond movies.
“We are going shopping for you, Miss Bisbee. I am taking you for a head-to-toe makeover—underwear, shoes, clothes, and I made an appointment for you at the Hair Apparent!”
Fern felt her eyes go huge, but for a moment she couldn’t say anything. No one had ever taken her clothes shopping at a mall, for shit’s sake! She was more accustomed to the Goodwill, where clothes were organized by color instead of size and everything smelled like it was as old as Three-Gee.
Tanyalee pulled onto the highway and headed east, smiling and humming to herself. Fern didn’t get it. Why was this chick suddenly in such a good mood? It was either because she really loved being a mentor or she really loved shopping.
Shopping. It had to be the shopping.
* * *
“What do you think?”
Dante finished studying the digital images that had arrived in his e-mail in-box. It was obvious from the size, color, and maturity of the marijuana plants that the harvest on Possum Ridge would be a profitable one.
“We need to make our move in three weeks.”
“That’s what I thought, too.” Kelly O’Connor made her way across the DEA field office to sit on the edge of Dante’s desk. “That would put us right at the end of the drying and curing process, right?”
Dante nodded, then chuckled.
“You find something amusing about the violation of Title Twenty-one of the United States Code?”
O’Connor could be a piece of work sometimes.
“No, ma’am. It’s these photos from the bureau’s new surveillance drones—they’re so good I think I just discovered which brand of toilet paper Gene Lewis Tillman prefers.”
“Ha.” O’Connor began drumming her fingertips on the top of his desk. “I’ll update Sheriff Halliday. We’ll need one more task force meeting before we go in. Can you find a time everyone is available?”
“Of course.”
O’Connor looked off into the distance. Dante had observed his boss long enough to know she was stalling—about something.
“What’s up, O’Connor?”
“An old acquaintance of yours will be joining us for the bust.” She turned her piercing eyes on him, smiling. “Special Agent Westley Hinman. And he’ll be staying on if your transfer request goes through.”
“Wes?”
“Yep.”
“Wait.” Dante tipped back in his desk chair, confused. It would be great to work with Wes again, but … “What transfer request? Division turned me down months ago.”
“I convinced them to reconsider.”
Dante’s brain buzzed. This was fantastic news! He’d planned on resubmitting his request but it was already taken care of. He should be thrilled that it was still a possibility. So why didn’t he feel thrilled? Why did his mind immediately go to Tanyalee?
Dante dropped his head and squeezed his eyes shut, giving himself a moment to snap out of it. There was no way he could let his attraction to Tanyalee change his career plans.
Right?
O’Connor laughed. “What? No happy dance? I thought for sure you’d be bustin’ a move right about now.”
“No, no. It’s wonderful news.” Dante looked up, wishing O’Connor would get off his desk. Her proximity made him feel like he was about to be poked with a stick.
“Holy crap, Cabrera! I thought you’d be thrilled!” She hopped off and headed over to her own desk, her heels clicking on the wood floors on the way. “At the very least I thought you’d ask me how I pulled it off.”
Dante was game. “How did you pull it off?”
She gave a prim little shrug. “I made Division an offer they couldn’t refuse. I agreed to remain in Asheville for another two years.”
Dante felt his mouth open. O’Connor had already done her time here, and she could have her pick of assignments. It was obvious that her request had nothing to do with work and everything to do with the man formerly known as Tater. “So you two are getting serious?”
She scowled. “You two who?”
“Come on, O’Connor.” He shook his head and chuckled. “Everyone knows about you and the lottery winner. Nobody can keep a secret around here.”
Her lips pulled into a