Page 33 of Roaring Fork Rockstar (Roaring Fork Ranch #3)

KELTIE

T he morning of Luna’s second round of chemotherapy arrived too quickly. She sat at the kitchen table, eyes downcast beneath her purple bandana, arranging Bunny, Shimmer, and Sparkles in a protective line beside her.

The front door opened, and Holt’s familiar footsteps sounded in the hallway. He appeared in the kitchen doorway, snow dusting his shoulders and his cheeks reddened from the cold.

“There’s my favorite unicorn girl,” he said, hanging his jacket by the door. He crossed to Luna and crouched beside her chair. “Ready for our big adventure today?”

Luna shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I don’t want to go! The medicine hurts and makes me throw up and… and…” Her words dissolved into sobs that rattled her small frame.

Holt gathered her in his arms, holding her against his chest while she cried. Over her head, his eyes met mine, reflecting the same ache I felt.

“Let’s work on our story,” he was saying. “Remember how, in the last part, Sparkles was feeling sick after she drank from the magic pond?”

I moved toward the doorway, my father following quietly behind me.

I heard Luna’s sniffling response. “She said it tasted like old socks.”

“That’s right. And remember how she felt afterward? All wobbly and sad?”

“She cried,” Luna said softly. “And Shimmer came to help her.”

“Exactly. She told Sparkles something very important. Do you remember what it was?”

A pause, then Luna’s voice, steadier now. “That it’s okay to cry. And it’s okay to be upset.”

“That’s right,” Holt confirmed. “The important thing is that when you feel upset or scared, you lean on the people who love you and let them help make you feel better.”

Luna’s voice dropped to a whisper I could barely hear. “Do you love me, Mr. Holt?”

My breathing stopped. Her question carried a weight that made the room grow still. I waited, motionless, for his answer.

“Yes, Luna,” Holt replied without hesitation. “I love you very much.”

“I love you too.” The certainty in her voice brought fresh tears to my eyes.

My father squeezed my shoulder, drawing me away from the doorway. “That man loves both of you,” he said quietly. “You know this, yes?”

Words failed me, my throat too tight to speak.

“It scares you,” my father observed, his eyes gentle.

“Everything scares me right now, Dad.”

“That’s normal, mija .” His weathered hand patted mine. “But don’t let fear of one pain make you miss out on something wonderful.”

Within the hour, we were on our way to Gunnison Valley Hospital. Luna sat quietly between her stuffed animals in the backseat, her small hand clutching mine.

When we arrived at the hospital, Dr. Patel was waiting for us. He greeted my daughter with a warm smile and a high five. “Hello there, Miss Luna. Ready for round two?”

Luna took a deep breath. “I’m scared, but I’m being brave.”

“You know what?” he said, leaning closer. “The best people I know still get scared sometimes.”

“Even Mr. Holt?” Luna glanced up at him.

Holt crouched down to her level. “Especially me.”

The nurse led us to a room similar to one Luna had been in on a previous stay. She immediately went to the windowsill, where she arranged her stuffed animals, carefully positioning Sparkles and Shimmer beside Bunny.

“They’re keeping watch,” she explained seriously.

Dr. Patel walked in with another doctor, and they explained that they would be inserting Luna’s IV shortly. I sat beside her on the bed, feeling her small body tense.

“Can I do something first?” Luna asked Dr. Patel.

“Of course.”

Luna held out her arms, and I gathered her close, breathing in her sweetness. Then she reached for Holt, who wrapped his strong arms around both of us, creating a circle of warmth and love.

“We’re ready,” Luna said finally, her voice small but determined.

I stood, allowing the medical team to do their jobs, but kept hold of Luna’s hand. Holt positioned himself on her other side, pulling a chair close to the bed.

“Tell me more about the Cloud Kingdom,” Luna asked as the nurse prepared her IV.

Holt launched into an elaborate tale about mystical creatures who could jump between puffy white clouds, his voice steady and calm as the medication began flowing through Luna’s veins.

His stories had become our anchor—a bridge between the harsh reality of treatment and a world where anything was possible.

Hours later, after Luna had fallen asleep, the three of us—my father, Holt, and I—stood in the hallway outside her room. The treatment was complete, and now came the waiting, managing side effects, and the long hours of hospital life.

“I’ve arranged for a place for us to stay,” Holt said. “It’s right across the street. Two bedrooms, full kitchen.”

“That must have been expensive,” I protested. “I could have?—”

“Let me do this, Keltie,” he said softly. “Please.”

My father cleared his throat. “I think I’ll go check it out. Maybe rest a bit.”

I smiled at him. “Thanks, Dad.”

After he left with the keys Holt provided, exhaustion washed over me. “What if it’s worse than last time?”

Holt took my hand and kissed it. “We’ll help her through it.”

I looked through the window into Luna’s room, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath. “You helped her be brave today.”

“So did you, Keltie.”

I turned to face him fully, taking in the fatigue etched around his eyes and the worry lines on his forehead. “You should go rest too. You’ve been up since dawn.”

Holt shook his head. “I’m staying right here with both of you.”

“But—”

“No buts. I meant what I said to Luna. When it comes to the hard stuff, you lean on the people who love you.” His hand came up to cup my cheek. “And I love you both. So much.”

A nurse appeared in the hallway. “Ms. Marquez? Luna’s awake.”

Holt and I walked into the room together. Luna’s eyes were drowsy, but alert.

“Hey, Luna-bug,” I said, sitting beside her on the bed. “How are you doing?”

“Okay.” She looked past me to Holt. “Is Abuelo still here?”

“He’s resting at the place where we’re staying,” Holt explained. “It’s right across the street, so he can return anytime you want.”

Luna’s expression turned serious. “Are you staying with me tonight, Mommy?”

“Of course I am. I’m not going anywhere.”

Her gaze moved to Holt. “Will you stay too?”

“You can count on it,” he promised, pulling his chair closer to her bed.

Luna’s small hand reached out, grasping his larger one. “Good. Because I need both of you.”

These seven words hung in the air, crystallizing something I’d been feeling but couldn’t articulate—we had become a family.

Her eyes began to drift closed again, but her hands still held ours, creating a physical link between the three of us that mirrored the emotional one growing stronger each day.

“Sleep, baby,” I whispered. “We’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Promise?” she murmured, already half asleep.

“Promise,” Holt and I said in unison.