Page 35 of Stone's Promise

MAX SAT AT MY FEET, watching me lace up my boots like he knew today wasn’t a normal gym day. His tail thumped against the floor, ears perked in curiosity.

“Yeah, I know, bud,” I muttered, standing up and rolling out my shoulders. “Family Day. A public event. A whole lot of people.”

I wasn’t nervous about being around crowds. I’d fought in front of thousands. This time, though, it wasn’t just about me. This was for Emily and Oliver. I made a promise to them, and even if the show Em and I put on for the town was fake, what I built with her and her son was real.

I went to grab my keys. Max followed me to the door, watching as I hesitated for half a second. This wasn’t my usual scene, but neither was Emily, and I’d never wanted something more.

I arrived at the event fifteen minutes later, parking in the designated spot Emily had for me. The sounds of Family Day hit me the second I stepped onto the festival grounds. There was laughter, conversation, the occasional burst of music from a nearby speaker. It was nothing like the arenas I was used to, where tension coiled in the air from blood-hungry fighters. This was lighter.

It made me feel like a fish out of water.

Max walked beside me, every now and then his head looking in the direction of the smells coming from the food stands. Booths lined the park, vendors selling everything from handmade crafts to barbecue plates. Kids ran past me with balloon animals and sticky fingers, and I caught the scent of fried dough and roasted corn. It was the kind of event I’d never thought twice about before.

And then I spotted Emily.

Dressed in a pink shorts outfit I wanted to peel off her curves later, she stood near the main pavilion. She chatted with a group of volunteers. As if she could sense me watching, she turned. The second she smiled, some of the stiffness in my shoulders eased. I started toward her. Before I could make it halfway, Oliver came barreling toward me.

“Cody! You made it!” He skidded to a stop in front of me.

“Of course I did, kid. Told you I’d be here.”

He grabbed my wrist, tugging me forward. “Come on. I have so much to show you.”

For the next half hour, I let Oliver drag me through the festival, pointing out everything from the bouncy house to the dunk tank. Security stood at a comfortable distance, makingsure any potential MMA fans knew to respect our space. A few people gave me curious glances, but it wasn’t the usual recognition I got in the fight world. It was more subtle, mostly parents sizing me up, probably trying to figure out what a guy like me was doing here.

A couple of dads eventually struck up conversations, asking about my training regimen, how I prepped for fights. I answered their questions as best I could, keeping things light, but I could feel myself loosening up. It wasn’t so bad. Different, sure, but not bad.

By the time my scheduled Q&A rolled around, a decent-sized crowd had gathered. I stood on the small stage, microphone in hand, scanning the audience. Teens and young adults made up most of the front rows, eager to ask about my career.

“What’s the toughest part of being an MMA fighter?” one kid asked.

“Probably the mental game,” I answered honestly. “Your body can be in peak condition, but if your head isn’t in the right place, you’re done before the fight even starts.”

Another teenager raised his hand. “How do you handle losing?”

“You don’t let it break you. You learn from it. Every loss teaches you something, and if you’re smart, you use it to get better.”

More questions followed about fitness, mindset, even diet. I answered them all, feeling more at ease as the conversation flowed.

Then, someone called out, “Show us a move.”

A few people laughed, but I could tell they were actually interested. I glanced toward the crowd, my eyes landing on Emily. She was watching me with this look—one I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen before. Like she was seeing me in a new light.

I cleared my throat and gestured toward Oliver. “Alright, my assistant here is gonna help me out.”

Oliver beamed as he scrambled up onto the stage, and I showed him a few simple techniques: how to break a wrist grip, how to stay balanced when throwing a punch. He followed my instructions to the letter, grinning the whole time.

The crowd loved it. I did too.

When it was over, Oliver hopped off the stage and ran to Emily, who wrapped an arm around him, laughing at something he said. I took a second to take it in. This wasn’t my world. But with them, it didn’t feel so far off.

EMILY

I HAD ALREADY SPOTTEDTrey earlier, stationed at his company’s stand, shaking hands and flashing his businessman smile to anyone who walked by. Typical. Always the charmer when he had an audience. I made the conscious decision to ignore him, knowing full well he’d find an excuse to come my way eventually.

I just hadn’t expected him to pick now.

Cody had just wrapped up his demonstration, and the energy was still buzzing around us. Oliver was practically bouncing on his toes, thrilled to have been part of the action.

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