14
After hearing a knock at the front door, Tonya stepped out of her bedroom and walked down the hallway toward the kitchen. Fastening the gold-hoop earring through the hole in her ear, she walked a little faster when she heard Ashure’s deep voice greeting Dan.
“Hi, Dan,” she said with forced cheerfulness.
“Hi, Tonya. You look ravishing,” he responded heatedly. When she raised her eyebrow and Ashure growled a warning, Dan quickly cleared his throat and said, “I mean, you look really nice.”
“Thanks. Are you ready?” she asked.
“Sure,” Dan replied, nodding at Ashure. The deputy backed out of the doorway and held open the screen door for her.
“I’ll be right there,” she said, stepping aside so that Dan couldn’t see her and Ashure.
Ashure turned and looked at her with a disapproving expre
