Gabby Greene slid behind the wheel of her minivan. She hadn’t been a secret agent for more than a minute, but already the minivan fit like a skin she hadn’t shed yet. Too clunky and slow, too many goldfish crackers ground into the carpet.

Gabby 2.0 was a career woman, undercover with a hot handler on the other side of her earpiece. The cheesy cartoon sticker of a family of four and dog didn’t fit her life, but it wouldn’t come off the window without a fight.

Today the man behind the dad-shaped figure hadn’t come through and she was the only secret agent leaving early for parent pickup. “Divorce is a new beginning,” was the mantra she wanted to believe. Beginnings were hard, though, especially when you were starting out without adequate childcare. By the time she pulled up to the kid’s school, the parking lot was empty.

At the entrance, she pressed the intercom. “It’s Lucas and Kyle’s mom!”

While she waited for someone to buzz her in, a black SUV pulled into the lot. Gabby put on her sunglasses and gave it a closer look. Male, twenties, fixing his hair in the rearview. Probably nothing.

Shamika, the school receptionist, was waiting with the kids, fixing one of her nails. The rest of the building had almost cleared out, something about a teacher meeting. When Shamika saw Gabby, she leaned back and gave her an appreciative onceover. “Daaaamn, Kyle and Lucas’s Mom. What happened to you?”

Gabby ran her hand through her newly short hairstyle feeling her glow-up. “I had a makeover.”

“Queer Eye?”

Gabby laughed. Even better than Queer Eye, the disguises department at the EOD. Gabby glanced out the front window at the SUV. It hadn’t moved.

Better safe than sorry, she stepped into the hall and called Markus. “It’s probably nothing, but—”

Before she could finish describing the situation, he said, “I’ll be there in ten.”

Gabby smiled hesitantly at Shamika. “Do you mind if we stay for a few?”

“As long as you don’t mind watching me get ready. I’ve got a date.”

“Anyone special?”

“No.” Shamika pinned on a pair of false bangs and swiped on lipstick.

Kyle and Lucas watched, rapt.

Gabby glanced out the window again. “Is he picking you up?”

“He better. I’m not taking an Uber to Inglewood.”

“What does he drive?”

“Black SUV, custom rims.”

Relief flooded her system. She was worrying too much, like normal. “Looks like he’s here.”

Gabby handed Lucas his Minecraft backpack and texted Markus, False alarm. Sorry.

In the parking lot, Shamika stopped ten feet from the SUV and held up her phone. She looked back and forth between the phone and the guy a few times. “Dude, quit playing. Whose picture is this?”

Gabby’s amygdala flashed red alert.

The dude in the SUV hung his head out the window. “Who are you?”

“Not your date,” Shamika called. “That’s all you need to know.”

“I’m talking to your friend.”

Shamika scoffed. “She’s just a mom.”

Just a mom. In the past that might have rankled. Today, she’d take it.

Like she was late to soccer practice, Gabby said, “Get in the car, kids.” She grabbed Shamika’s arm. “I’ll give you a ride, too. Let’s get out of here.”

“Really? All the way to Inglewood?”

“Yep. Get in.”

Gabby peeled out and turned the wrong direction, evasive driving 101.

Settled in the passenger seat, Shamika took in the van. “You know, this ain’t bad,” “Snacks, drop-down TVs, plenty of space.”

Gabby smiled and “Just a mom’d” her way out of danger.

Errands & Espionage
Genre: Mystery Romance (Romcom)
Release: July 2024
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

In this fast-paced and deliciously witty spy romcom, a single mom finds herself wrapped up in unexpected adventure when she is recruited to pose as a secret agent, perfect for fans of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It.

Recently divorced Gabby Greene spends most of her days listening to self-help books while wrangling her loving yet erratic kids. During a decade of marriage, Gabby shoved aside her own career and ambitions to make room for mountains of laundry, running errands, and investigating the case of the missing socks. Her number one suspect: their Bichon Frise, Mr. Bubbles.

All that changes when a secret government agency comes knocking on Gabby’s door, asking her to go undercover. At first, she thinks some reality show is pranking her, but apparently, she bears a striking resemblance to an agent recently murdered, and… well, desperate missions call for desperate measures. Soon Gabby is juggling motherhood and a crash course in Spying 101, led by a handsome James Bond-type who has secrets of his own.

As Gabby embarks on a dangerous mission involving money laundering, a Russian oligarch, and an unfortunate incident with a prosthetic nose, she begins to realize that she is far from the invisible housewife she once believed herself to be, and that maybe, just maybe, she might be capable of saving the day.

Meet the author
When not writing romcom/mystery mashups, author Sam Tschida (pronounced cheetah) is probably flipping channels between Dateline and the latest reality dating show. She braves the Minnesota winter with her four resigned children, two snuggly dogs, and one sizzling-hot husband. She doesn’t drink alcohol, never touches caffeine, and is always on time. Just kidding—did you read how many kids she has?