Get Rid of the Gnome — Tamara Ward

When Detective Brian Vale resigned from the police force to be a stay-at-home dad, he never thought he'd use the skills he gained from years of detective work around the house. But that's before a neighbor asks him to solve a mystery: the neighbor's yard has been destroyed overnight, and a beloved gnome has disappeared. Granted, the crime isn't near as serious as the cases Brian worked on the force. Still, despite the activity a young daughter, toddler twins, and a 9-month-old bring to his life, Brian takes the case and finds himself intrigued.

This 25-page short story is written by bestselling author Tamara Ward, who has written multiple novels and short stories and knows what it's like to be a stay-at-home parent occasionally longing to use skills from life before kids to do something that she's temporarily persuaded herself matters more.

This story is about 25 pages in length.