Page 10 of Trapped with the Covert Ops Soldier

He grinned. “Well, it’s not to make omelettes.”

“Ha ha.”

“I do have something I want to talk to you about, but I’ll catch up with you at your office.”

“Fine.” She waved her hand at him in a shooing motion.

He saluted and drove off to town.

Ten minutes later she reached her house near the outskirts, a small bungalow her grandmother had owned until she passed away. She’d left it to Abby, saying the town doctor needed an escape. Nan’s house was definitely that. The house itself was cute, but the backyard was fabulous. It backed up to the mountain on two sides, giving her almost complete privacy. At the back was a squat stone shed full of old tools and a root cellar. A whimsical flower and vegetable garden was bordered by a fishpond that took up the majority of the space, providing a sanctuary most people would kill for.

She should invite the Sheriff over.

After a shower and a sandwich, she headed over to the clinic at a brisk walk. She turned down the back alley so she could enter through the back door, but there was a body lying across the doorway. She stopped a couple of feet away and shook her head.

“JD, wake up.”

He rolled over and presented her with his back.

“JD, get up.”

“Go away, I’m sleepin’,” the homeless man grumbled.

“Not in my doorway you’re not.” She put her foot on his back and pushed.

He swatted at her one-handed, then curled back up into a ball. “I wouldn’t have to be sleepin’ if you weren’t so noisy in the mornings.”

“Noisy?”

“Dynamite isn’t known for being quiet.”

“Hey, I make sure there isn’t anyone on or in the lake before I...start.”

JD turned over and gave her the evil eye. “Not the fish.”

She put her hands on her hips. “So, what, you’re protesting on behalf of the fish?”

“Is there a problem here?”

Abby glanced up. Smitty was charging toward her. “No, he’s mostly an annoyance.”

Smitty came up along side her and frowned at JD. “Who’s this?”

“Smitty, I’d like you to meet a Bandit Creek native and legend. This is the infamous Jack Daniels.”

“Infamous?” Smitty asked.

“Yeah,” JD said as he staggered to his feet. “I’ve lived here a long time. Got more right to sleep here than anyone else.”

“Doesn’t give you the right to be rude to a lady,” Smitty told him.

JD snorted. “Ladies need defending.” He angled his thumb at Abby. “She doesn’t. She would cheerfully gut and fillet you. If you deserved it o’course.”

Smitty’s eyebrows rose.

JD turned to Abby. “Don’t do it, girl.”

“Don’t do what?”

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