Page 4 of Stone's Promise

I scowled. “Yeah. So?”

“So,” Ryder said, crossing his arms, “we finally found the secret to making you talk. Small-town women with big ideas.”

Liam snorted, and I threw my towel in the bin behind him. He dodged it easily. “Not a big deal,” I said, hoping if I said it enough, I’d believe it.

But my mind drifted back to Emily, to the look on her face after she checked her phone. Whatever it was, it left her rattled.

And for some reason, I didn’t like that.

EMILY

I DRUMMED MY FINGERSagainst my desk, glancing at the email I’d sent Cody two days ago. No response. Not that I expected anything else from Mr. Blunt-and-Brooding, but still. A simpleGot itwouldn’t have killed him.

Sighing, I tapped the folder on my desk, the one containing the rest of the details he needed for Family Day. His schedule, his security badge, and a rundown of what he was expected to do. I wasn’t about to leave this up to chance, so hand-delivering it was my best option.

Which meant another visit to Warrior’s Den.

I pushed away from my desk, grabbed my purse, and tucked the folder under my arm. The drive across town didn’t take long, and when I stepped into the gym, the familiar sights and sounds hit me instantly. Athletes moved across the floor, some drilling techniques, others pounding away at bags, the steady rhythm of training filling the space.

And then I spotted Cody.

He was near the cage, wrapping his hands, focus locked on the task like the rest of the world didn’t exist. His dog Max sat beside him, ears alert but body relaxed.

I approached, the folder tucked under my arm as I stopped a few feet from Cody and Max. Cody didn’t look up right away, still focused on wrapping his hands with precision, but Max’s sharp eyes landed on me immediately. The big German Shepherd let out a quiet chuff, his tail giving a single thump against the mat.

“He’s saying hi,” Cody muttered, finally glancing up at me.

“Oh, well... hi, Max.” I hesitated, but when I held out my hand, Max leaned forward and sniffed before nudging my palm with his nose. I smiled, fingers grazing the thick fur behind his ears.

Cody’s hands stilled. “Huh.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“He doesn’t usually let people touch him right away.”

“Guess I’m just special,” I teased, scratching behind the dog’s ears a little more before straightening. “Speaking of special, I have something for you.” I held out the folder. “Your security clearance, event details, and schedule for Family Day. I emailed most of it, but since you never confirmed...”

His eyes flicked to the folder but didn’t move to take it. “I got the email.”

“And you didn’t think to reply?” I asked, tilting my head.

Cody just shrugged. Typical.

I exhaled through my nose, deciding to let it go. “This has everything else you’ll need. You’re doing some Q&A, nothing crazy. Then a quick meet-and-greet. It shouldn’t take too much of your time.”

He took the folder then, flipping it open as he skimmed the contents. “Meet-and-greet, huh?”

“Yes, you have to interact with people.” I crossed my arms. “Try not to look like you’d rather be anywhere else.”

His lips twitched. “No promises.”

Despite myself, my eyes stayed on him, on the strong line of his jaw, the way his muscles tensed and flexed even in small movements. It was silly, really, being attracted to someone who barely spoke, whose resting face looked one bad moment away from a brawl. Although, something about the way he carried himself, the way he seemed so solid and immovable, pulled me in.

I shook off the thought. This wasn’t the time to be noticing how broad his shoulders were or how his gray-blue eyes caught the light just right.

“I’ll be there to make sure everything runs smoothly,” I said, stepping back. “So just—”

The gym doors swung open, making me turn my head. The last person I wanted to see strolled through the gym doors.

---