Page 16 of Roaring Fork Rockstar (Roaring Fork Ranch #3)

HOLT

T he family was gathered in the dining room, the warmth of the Christmas dinner preparations filling the house with delicious aromas and laughter. As we were carrying dishes into the dining room, Buck’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, raising a brow. “It’s Kaleb Ackerman. I better take this.”

He stepped away, his expression growing serious as he listened. After ending the call, he looked out the window. “There’s a fast-moving blizzard heading our way and moving north. The sheriff says it’s a bad one.”

Flynn crossed to the window, pushing the curtain aside. “It’s already coming down pretty hard.”

I looked out to see thick flakes swirling in the darkness, the ranch lights illuminating their chaotic descent. The wind had picked up too, bending tree branches in sharp, erratic movements.

“We should head home,” Keltie said immediately, concern flashing across her face. “Before the roads get too bad.”

Luna, who’d been happily arranging her stuffed animal in an empty chair at the table, looked up with dismay. “But we’re supposed to go on a sleigh ride!”

“We’ll have to do that another night,” Keltie told her.

I glanced between Luna and the window, hating the thought of their evening being cut short, but more than that, hating the idea of taking the two of them out on the road in the deteriorating conditions.

“That’s part of the reason Kaleb called. He wanted to make sure none of us were headed into town.”

“The Goat’s supposed to reopen tomorrow,” Keltie said more to herself than any of us.

“Why don’t you call Miguel?” I suggested. “See how bad it looks from his place.”

Keltie pulled out her phone. The call was brief, but the concern on her face worsened with each passing moment.

“That bad?” I asked when she hung up.

“He says it’s coming down heavily in town too. Road crews are already having trouble keeping up, and the highway between here and the butte might close soon.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Miguel offered to open the Goat tomorrow if he can make it in. Said not to worry.”

“Then, stay,” Flynn urged, bringing the last dish to the table. “We’ve got tons of room.”

Keltie’s expression shifted from concern to alarm. “Luna’s medication. I don’t have it with me.”

“Medication?” Flynn asked.

“For her fever.” Keltie’s voice tightened with distress. “It’s at home. I can’t believe I didn’t think to bring it. What kind of mother forgets something that important?”

“The kind who’s been through a lot lately,” I said softly, touching her arm. “We’ll figure it out.”

As I spoke, a flash hit me—a vision so vivid that it might have been a memory. Luna thrashing in bed, her face flushed with fever, her breathing labored. The intensity of it made me blink hard, my hand tightening reflexively on Keltie’s arm.

“Holt? What’s wrong?” she asked, frowning at my expression.

I shook it off, trying to hide how much the premonition had unsettled me. “I’m fine. Let’s check the weather report and see exactly what we’re dealing with.”

Buck was already pulling up the radar on his phone. “Storm’s moving north, not south. Highway to Gunnison should still be passable.”

I made a quick decision. “I’ll drive to the hospital in Gunnison and get her medication.”

“What? No,” Keltie protested immediately. “It’s Christmas, and the roads are dangerous.”

I motioned for her to join me in the kitchen so her daughter wouldn’t hear us. “Luna’s health is more important,” I countered, memories of her hospital stay fresh in my mind. “You said yourself how bad it could get if her fever spikes again.”

Keltie bit her lip, torn between worry for her daughter and concern for my safety.

“Call the hospital,” I urged. “See if Dr. Patel or another doctor on duty can have the medication ready. It’ll be a quick trip.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she made the call. Dr. Patel happened to be there tonight and agreed to have the prescription ready for pickup.

“He says to ask for him at the emergency desk,” she told me, covering the phone’s microphone. “He’ll meet you there.”

When she hung up, she turned to me with a mixture of gratitude and anxiety. “The medication is prescription-strength Children’s Motrin, the liquid kind. He’s giving us extra because of the weather. It’s for when her fever goes above 101.5.”

“I’ve got it,” I assured her, already grabbing my coat.

“I’m coming with you,” Buck announced, reaching for his own jacket. “Better to have two of us on the road in this weather.”

Flynn appeared with a backpack full of emergency supplies. “Take the Expedition. It has the best tires and all-wheel drive.”

Keltie followed me to the door, her expression torn. “Holt, I don’t know how to thank you.”

“No need,” I said, zipping up my coat.

A small voice interrupted us. “Mr. Holt?”

I turned to find Luna standing in the entryway. I crouched down to her level. “Hey there, Unicorn Girl.”

“Where are you going?” she asked, her big brown eyes serious.

“Just into town to get something for your mom. I won’t be gone long.”

She considered this, then held out her most-prized possession. “Take Sparkles with you. She’ll keep bad things away.”

My heart squeezed at the gesture. “That’s very considerate, but I think Sparkles should stay with you. How about I promise to return quickly so we can finish her story?”

Luna nodded solemnly. “You have to. We still don’t know if she finds her magic flower.”

“That’s right,” I agreed, fighting a sudden tightness in my throat. “And I never leave a story unfinished.”

This seemed to satisfy her, and she hugged me quickly before rejoining the other kids. The trust in that hug cemented my resolve.

Keltie’s eyes were suspiciously bright when I straightened. “Magic flower?”

I shrugged. “Your daughter has a vivid imagination, and I’m happy to take our story in any direction she wants it to go.”

“You’re a good man, Holt.” I turned to leave, but stopped when I felt her hand on my arm. “Be careful, okay?”

“Always.” On impulse, I pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “Save me some dessert.”

The drive started deceptively easy, the Expedition’s headlights cutting through the falling snow. I handled navigation while Buck focused on the slick road.

“It looks worse than I thought they’d be,” I admitted.

“They aren’t as bad as they would be if it was snowing as much as it was at home.”

My mind drifted to another snowy night drive years ago—my father grimly silent behind the wheel, me in the passenger seat, racing to the pharmacy for my mother’s pain medication. The memory sent a chill through me that had nothing to do with the temperature.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Buck asked, breaking the silence.

I shrugged, not wanting to admit how worried I was about Luna.

He glanced over at me. “Something’s bothering you. Has been since we left.”

“Just thinking about everything that’s happened,” I said vaguely.

He nodded, then after a moment, added, “Everything happens for a reason, as they say.” His eyes met mine for a split second. “Kinda like you and Keltie.”

“Might be early to talk about us like it’s fate, brother.”

“I disagree. You’re nuts about her; she’s crazy about you. That shit only happens when it’s meant to be.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been with other women I was crazy about. None of them were meant to be.”

He sighed and loosened his grip on the wheel. “If you were honest with yourself, you’d admit this feels different. And Luna, hell, she’s the icing on the cake.”

While I wouldn’t look over at him, I could feel his eyes on me.

“What?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“Out with it, Holt.”

“The moment I shook her hand, I sensed something wrong.” I spoke quietly enough that I wasn’t sure if he could hear me above the sound of the windshield wipers keeping hypnotic time. “Then meeting Keltie, finding out about Remi… It’s like puzzle pieces clicking into place.”

“Remi?”

“Shit,” I muttered. “Forget I said anything.”

Buck shook his head. “Out with it. What about Remi?”

“I think he’s Luna’s father.”

“Wow,” he said under his breath. “How do you feel about that?”

“He isn’t involved, if that’s what you meant.”

“It wasn’t.”

I considered the question for several seconds.

“It doesn’t change my feelings for either of them.

If anything, it makes me admire Keltie more, raising Luna on her own.

” I paused, watching the snow swirl in our headlights.

“You should’ve seen her face when she saw me talking to him.

Pure panic. I think she’s afraid he’ll try to take Luna away. ”

My brother’s eyes scrunched. “Would he?”

I shrugged. “It’s doubtful, but you never know.” I sighed. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you? Getting involved in all this?”

“Not crazy. But definitely setting yourself up for potential heartbreak. Question is, can you walk away?”

The answer came without hesitation. “No. I don’t think I could if I tried.”

“Then, you’ve got your answer.” Buck smiled. “The trust brought each of us exactly where we needed to be. Funny how that works.”

He grew serious, eyes on the road. “You know, I’ve been thinking, what if Mom’s behind all this? The trust, the codicils… It’s like she’s still watching over us.”

Before I could respond, a vision slammed into me—a sickly baby in a hospital crib, tubes attached to its tiny body. The scene shifted, and I saw my mother in a hospital chair, the same baby in her arms. The images were so vivid that my vision blurred.

“Holt?” Buck’s voice sounded distant. “You okay?”

I blinked, shaking myself out of it. “Yeah. Fine.” I didn’t share what I’d seen. It made no sense—my mother died years before Luna was born—yet somehow, it felt important.

“We should get this medicine back to the ranch,” Buck said, refocusing on the hazardous drive.

We reached the hospital without further incident. Buck stayed with the Expedition while I went inside, grateful for the blast of warm air that greeted me. The emergency desk directed me to a small waiting area where Dr. Patel soon appeared, medication in hand.

“Thank you for coming out in this weather,” he said, his expression kind but concerned. “How is Luna doing?”

“She’s good. No fever at the moment,” I assured him. “Just want to be prepared, with this storm.”

“Smart. I don’t think I’ll be venturing home tonight.”

“Where’s home?” I asked before it dawned on me that doctors might not like sharing that kind of information.

“Just this side of Crested Butte. On the outskirts.”

My mouth gaped. “The Roaring Fork’s my family’s place. Roads are fairly clear between here and there right now.”

“Had I known that, I could’ve made a house call.” We both chuckled. “Anyway, this should see you through. The instructions for the dosage are on the bottle, but Keltie knows the routine.”

I climbed into the SUV and told Buck the medicine was secured.

On the drive home, Buck asked the question I’d been avoiding. “What happens when they go home?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, Holt. You’ve barely spent a moment away from them since they arrived. When life goes back to normal, what then?”

My hands clenched. “All I know is that I don’t want to be apart from them.”

“Just take it slow. They’ve both been through a lot.”

Nearly two hours after leaving, we pulled into the ranch’s driveway. The house was a welcome sight, glowing warmly against the storm.

Keltie met us at the door, the tension visibly leaving her shoulders. “Thank goodness. I was beginning to worry.”

I handed her the medication. “One Children’s Motrin, as ordered.”

She took it, then surprised me by throwing her arms around my neck in a hug. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done.”

I held her close, breathing in the scent of her hair. “Anytime.”

Buck tactfully disappeared into the kitchen, leaving us alone in the entryway.

“How’s Luna?” I asked, reluctantly releasing her.

“Asleep. She tried to wait up for you, but couldn’t keep her eyes open.” Keltie’s hand remained on my arm. “Are you hungry? I saved you a plate.”

“Starving,” I admitted, realizing I hadn’t eaten since lunch.

After dinner, we found ourselves in the sitting room of the suite she shared with Luna, in front of the fire where we were the night before. Everyone else had gone to bed, leaving us in comfortable privacy.

We sat in silence for a while. Finally, Keltie turned to me, her expression serious.

“Holt, about CB Rice…”

“That’s a conversation for another day,” I interrupted gently. “It’s been a long night.”

Relief and maybe gratitude crossed her face as I reached for her, pulling her closer until she was nestled against my side.

“I’m glad you’re both safe here,” I murmured into her hair.

She tilted her face up to mine, and the invitation in her eyes was unmistakable. I dipped my head, capturing her lips in a kiss that started gentle but quickly deepened with unexpected heat. Her hands slid into my hair as mine wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer.

Hunger built between us as the attraction we both felt became something we could no longer ignore.

With effort, I rested my forehead against hers as we both caught our breath. “We should probably slow down.”

Keltie’s eyes remained closed. “Probably.”

Neither of us moved, though, content to stay in each other’s arms as the fire crackled and the storm continued outside. Whatever questions remained unanswered, whatever complications lay ahead, this moment felt genuine, yet totally unexpected. It was definitely a Christmas I’d never forget.