“This is Taylor,” Denise said, still bright. “He handles our systems. Wi-Fi, locks, the app, all that jazz. If you have any issues with your cabin code, or the Wi-Fi, he can troubleshoot.”
Taylor’s eyes moved to me and stuck there a beat too long.
“You’re in Cabin Three,” he said.
Not a question.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Taylor lifted his phone. “You should’ve gotten the link email with the app. But the keypad works too.”
“Got it,” I said.
Rose’s voice cut through the foyer from behind us. “Denise.”
I turned.
Rose stood at the base of the stairs, arms crossed. Still in her button-down, still composed, but her eyes were sharpernow. The professional warmth from the tour stripped back to something harder.
Denise’s smile went sweeter. “Rose! I’m just getting them settled.”
Rose looked at me, quick and deliberate.
“Everything okay?” she asked Denise, but her attention stayed on me.
“Everything’s fine,” Denise said quickly. “They signed the waivers. Codes are set.”
Rose shot me a look that was equal parts warning and dare. “Your lock works? As in, it actually keeps people out?”
“Yes,” I said, keeping my face deadpan. “It stays locked.”
“It was a firmware reset,” Taylor interjected from behind me, sounding aggrieved. “The system defaulted to ‘open’ during the patch installation. It won’t happen again.”
Rose didn’t look at him, but her eyes narrowed slightly at me. “Good. Because I’m not scheduling an encore towel performance.”
Jamie choked on something behind me. Olivia narrowed her eyes, which meant she was reacting very hard internally.
Then Rose turned toward the team, ticking off the rules.
“Quiet hours start at ten. Breakfast at eight. Riding assessment at nine. If you need anything, ask Kaya or Hank. You do not wander. You do not enter staff buildings.” Her eyes cut to me. “And you do not go into my cabin.”
That last one wasn’t just a rule. It was a warning.
My neck heated. “Understood.”
Rose held my eyes just long enough to make sure the message landed, then turned her back on us.
Denise stepped into the silence with a nervous laugh. “Okay! Great! Safety is important.”
Rose walked out the side door, and the room relaxed.
Jamie leaned toward Olivia and muttered, “She’s kind of terrifying.”
Dex appeared from the hallway, his eyes locking instantly on Denise. He switched on his producer charm like flipping a light switch.
“Thanks for the check-in,” he said smoothly, stepping between us. “Are we settled?”
Denise’s smile brightened, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yes. If you need anything, I’m always around.” She pivoted toward me, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “And Graham? Try to… tread lightly with Rose. She has old wounds.”
