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Undercover Dog Dad

By Erin Stevenson

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CHAPTER 1

As the plane made its final descent into Nashville, Garrett stared out the window at the sprawling city. Funny, it didn’t look that different from Phoenix. There were more trees, and the mountains were rounded rather than jagged, but other than that, he didn’t anticipate great differences. They would have the same traffic snarls, chain restaurants, and big box stores. The same crimes—major and petty. The same people, ready to stab you in the back.
Garrett sighed and ran his hand over his jaw. He still wasn’t used to the stubble, and he was itching for a haircut. But Wyatt had insisted his recent unkempt look was perfect for this assignment.
The wheels kissed the runway, and the jet taxied to the terminal. “Welcome to Music City, USA!” the chipper flight attendant announced. A smattering of cheers and applause rippled through the cabin. She prattled on about the Grand Ole Opry and other area attractions, and Garrett tuned her out.
He’d purposefully chosen an aisle seat so he could stretch his leg out, but almost four hours was pushing it. He stood to retrieve his carry-on, tested his left side for weight bearing, and sucked in a breath.
By the time Garrett got to baggage claim, his leg was throbbing, but he could walk without limping visibly. Luckily the line at the car rental desk was short and soon, he was climbing into a quintessential non-descript vehicle.
He checked his messages and plugged in the address Wyatt had texted, then connected the Bluetooth and called his old friend.
“What’s up, man? You in Nash already?” Wyatt’s familiar drawl boomed from the speaker.
Garrett smiled and adjusted the volume. “Yep. We landed a little early, and I’m in the car headed for Autumn—” he searched for the word. “Whatever it is.”
“Springs. Autumn Springs.” Wyatt laughed. “Every third town in the South is something-springs. Hey, how’s the car? Big enough for you?”
Garrett squirmed. “It’ll do. It won’t draw any attention, which is the point.”
“I really appreciate you coming. The problems are escalating, and we’re just spread too thin.” Wyatt was the county sheriff, and home burglaries had started occurring in the small towns without their own police departments a few months ago. Autumn Springs, in particular.
“Well, it’s not like I was doing anything.”
“How’s the knee coming along?”
“Slow. But that’s to be expected when a bullet shatters it.”
There was uncomfortable silence, then Wyatt cleared his throat. “Well, we’ve got you a rental house. On the small side, but it’ll be fine. My people stocked enough things in the fridge and pantry to get you through a day or two. For now, just get your bearings and settle into small-town life. Keep your eyes and ears open and listen for anything that might help us get a handle on this. We’ll circle back in a couple days and go from there.”
“Roger that.” Garrett pulled onto the southbound highway and set the cruise control. He didn’t need to call attention to himself and get pulled over. “Thanks, Wyatt.”
“No, thank you, Garrett. Got your cover story straight?”
“Sure do. I’m a software engineer who works from home, just went through a painful divorce, and looking to start fresh in a new place.” Not entirely his true circumstances, but close enough.
“We set up a home office for you. All the latest stuff. I think you’ll like it.”
Garrett smiled. “Thanks, Wyatt. Talk with you soon.”
“Oh, one more thing. You’ll find something else at the house that we think will add credibility to your cover story.”
Something in Wyatt’s voice raised Garrett’s suspicions. “What are you not telling me?”
Noise crackled over the speaker. “Sorry—can’t—you’re breaking—.” The connection went dead.
Garrett rolled his eyes and ended the call. No doubt about it, his old buddy was up to something.

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