Daniel froze mid-step, his grin fading instantly from his face, a sharp, wary look flashing across his features before he forced another casual laugh. “Uh, easy there, boy.” His eyes darted quickly to Rex’s leash in Lucy’s hand. “I didn’t realize Rex was gonna be here today.” Lucy’s grip on the leash tightened immediately.
“Yeah, I thought I’d have him be our flower dog for the day,” Emma said, forcing a light chuckle to ease the tension. Rex growled again, this time louder and more insistent. “Rex, back,” Emma snapped firmly. The dog obeyed her order right away, but his body stayed angled straight toward Daniel, his ears rigid, his eyes locked and tracking the man’s every move until Daniel cautiously stepped back a few paces.
“Right,” Daniel said, already backing toward the door. “Just caught me off guard, that’s all.” He threw out a quick, forced thumbs-up, his smile never reaching his eyes, then pulled the chamber door shut firmly behind him. Rex’s growl only faded away once the door latch clicked closed. A heavy, awkward silence settled over the entire room.
