Page 1 of Stone's Promise

Chapter One

EMILY

SUNRIDGE CITY HALL

Sunridge, Illinois

I walked through the office suite of city hall, wishing I could go home for the day. Instead of the spring sun warming my skin, the fluorescent buzz of the lights overhead cast a glare in my face. My phone buzzed in my pocket, a relentless reminder of work still left to be done. Family Day was coming up in a few weeks. The event wasn’t going to organize itself, and I was responsible for making sure things went off without a hitch.

I switched between text conversations with vendors, confirming the bounce house for the preschool kids and local bands for the soundstage downtown. Each confirmation was a small victory. Then I made sure to call the sitter. There was a good chance I could be working late again tonight, and needed to be sure she could watch my six-year-old son Oliver. My mother had her boutique to run, and I sure couldn’t rely on Trey Larson, Oliver’s dad, to step up to the plate. I heard he was back in town, but he’d been pretty much absent from our lives for the past three years.

"Em, did you order extra ice for the drinks stand?" Linda, the office manager, called out to me from her desk. Her voice was tinged with the usual pre-event stress.

"Already on it," I replied, ticking it off my app checklist. Mama always said multitasking was my superpower, though right now, it felt more like a survival skill.

"Great job." Linda stood up from her seat to stretch. “I don’t know how you do it, girl, being a single mom and working as the city coordinator.”

I wanted to let out a giant sigh, although I knew she was just giving me a compliment. “If I’m honest, I don’t know, either.” I kept my tone light and tossed in some bland office humor. “It’s got to be all the coffee we keep stocked in the break room.”

“You’re such a modest little powerhouse.” She chuckled. “Well, I don’t want to keep you from your next appointment. You got this.” She waved me off.

I felt like I was doing a decent job juggling my career and mom life. Even so, I had other unspoken womanly needs. Just for a while, I wanted to lose the corporate suits for some comfy sweats. I had my whole little fantasy planned out: I would eat the gooiest slice of deep-dish pizza from Little Nando’s, spend the night with a decent guy who knew what to do with his mouth besides say ridiculous things to me, and then sleep for a week straight while the other adults figured out their lives.

But that’s what I got paid to do: figure things out for everyone. And that included my next task.

I left city hall to head to Warrior’s Den, the biggest mixed martial arts facility in town. It put Sunridge on the map a couple years ago when it first opened, attracting professional athletes and those who dreamed of making it big in the sport. With Family Day approaching, I thought it would be fun to get a couple fighters to come out and put on a show. All family-friendly, course. No black eyes or TKOS.

Oliver was going to be so excited to see some of his favorite MMA fighters in person. As I drove down Main Street in my SUV, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at all my hard work.Despite the whispers around town that lingered after Trey and I ended things, I was determined to show I was more than just a broken engagement with a guy from Sunridge’s richest family. I was Emily Daniels, dedicated mom, and architect of community joy. Come this Family Day, everyone would see just that.

Maybe I’d get more paid vacation when all was said and done, too.

Just as I'd rounded the corner past Sullivan's Diner, my phone beeped. I pulled over to check the message. The screen lit up with Mayor Jenkins' name and a text from his assistant:The mayor saw Cody Stone at last Saturday’s fight. He wants him at Family Day.

A lump formed in my throat. Cody Stone. His name alone made me think of a scowling face, a grumpy grizzly, even an empty cliffside. I had met him once last year during a visit to Warriors Den with my friend Ava, back when she was working on an exclusive for a sports journal.

Cody had stood there while we chatted with him and Ryder McKenzie, the heavyweight champ at the time. Ava had her eyes all on Ryder, but I remember Cody being a six-foot wall of muscle and restraint. He barely acknowledged anyone with more than a grunt or quick nod. I struggled to include him in the conversation. He turned his intense grey-blue eyes from me like I was wasting his time.

Today, I was about to step into his world again. I hoped he wouldn’t be as closed off as he seemed that day a year ago.

I arrived at the facility. Pushing open the door to the Warriors Den, I felt the shift in energy. The calm sunny day gave way to an atmosphere of sweat and resolve within the gym. My entrance drew little attention among the grunts and thuds from the surrounding training sessions.

“Hi, I’m Emily from city hall.” I flashed my ID to the receptionist at the front desk. “I called earlier to see which athletes wanted to be part of a charity event.”

The receptionist pointed to the main floor. “A lot of guys are training today. You might can catch a couple before they finish up.”

I thanked the man and took a breath to prepare myself before heading out on the gym floor. At first, I thought my job wasn’t going to be difficult. Then Mayor Jenkins made a specific request, and I had no choice but to search for him.

Scanning the area, I sought out the man I'd come to find.

Cody was just finishing up with a heavy punching bag, his face and arms glistening with the sheen of hard work as he wiped the sweat from his brow with a white towel. Our eyes met. The recognition in his was immediate, but it was accompanied by a shrewd look and a frown that creased his forehead.

My heart skipped a beat, unsettling the confidence I’d built on the drive over. I straightened my spine, mentally bracing myself. There I was, all five foot two inches of me, out of place among giants whose bodies were being forged for combat.

"You got this," I whispered, hyping myself with the reminder of my personal successes and the love for my son that powered every decision I made. I could do this. I was smart, competent, and I’d faced tougher challenges than meeting the harsh gaze of an athlete.

With each determined step toward Cody, the clench of anxiety in my stomach unwound slightly. This was for my career, for Family Day, for the community that was the heartbeat of my life. And if that meant standing toe-to-toe with Cody Stone, then so be it. I was ready.

"Hey, Cody. I’m Emily Daniels. I’m not sure if you remember me." I extended a hand that hovered in the air for an awkward moment before he took it.

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