Page 36 of Roaring Fork Rockstar (Roaring Fork Ranch #3)
As he approached what I assumed was the final chorus, Holt stood, stepping away from the microphone. To my shock, he set down his guitar and walked to the edge of the stage, extending his hand toward me.
“Join me?” he asked, voice carrying despite the lack of amplification.
My legs moved of their own accord, carrying me onto the stage. The lights were blinding, the crowd a blur beyond them. All I could see clearly was Holt, his blue eyes intense as he took my hands in his.
A movement at the opposite side of the stage caught my attention. My father appeared and led Luna by the hand. Her unicorn cape fluttered behind her as she hurried toward us, her face alight with excitement.
Holt knelt down when she approached. “Can I ask you something important?” he said, his voice carrying enough for those in the front rows to hear.
“Yes,” said Luna solemnly.
“Would it be okay with you if I asked your mommy to marry me?”
The amphitheater fell silent. I could hear my own heartbeat thundering in my ears as I stared down at them, unable to process what was happening.
Luna’s response was immediate and enthusiastic. “Yes, yes, yes!” She jumped up and down, her cape billowing. “I’ve been waiting forever!”
Laughter rippled through the crowd, breaking the tension. Holt smiled at Luna, then turned to me. Still kneeling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.
“Keltie,” he said, his voice clear and steady despite the emotion in his eyes. “I never believed in love at first sight until I met you. I never thought I could love someone else’s child as my own until I met Luna. You two have changed my life in ways I never imagined possible.”
He opened the box, revealing a ring that caught the stage lights—a delicate band with a center diamond surrounded by smaller stones.
“I know this might seem fast,” he continued, “but when you know, you know. And I know, with absolute certainty, that I want to spend the rest of my life with you both. Will you marry me?”
I stared at this man kneeling before me, this man who had appeared in our lives at the exact moment we needed him.
“Yes,” I whispered, then found my voice. “Yes!”
Holt slid the ring onto my finger, then stood and pulled me into his arms. When his lips met mine, the cheers from the crowd faded into background noise. All I could feel was him, solid and real, promising a future I hadn’t dared imagine.
When we broke apart, Luna squeezed between us, her arms wrapping around our legs. Holt lifted her up, and the three of us stood there for a moment—a family, despite all the odds stacked against us.
Through my tears, I spotted Miguel near the front row, wiping his eyes unashamedly. My father stood at the edge of the stage, his smile wider than I’d seen in years. Sam and Beau were on their feet, along with Flynn, TJ, Buck, and the rest of the Wheaton clan.
Holt cleared his throat, obviously emotional. “Thank you, everyone. CB Rice will be taking the stage in twenty minutes.”
The stage manager gestured for us to exit, and we made our way off to the side, still wrapped in our bubble of joy. Luna bounced between us, unable to contain her excitement.
“I knew it!” she exclaimed. “I told Abuelo you were going to be my daddy now!”
Holt laughed, ruffling her bandana. “Is that right, Unicorn Girl?”
“She did,” my father confirmed, joining us. “Congratulations, mija .” He embraced me tightly, then turned to Holt. “Welcome to the family, son.”
“Thank you, sir.” Holt’s voice was thick with emotion. “I promise to take care of them both.”
“I know you will,” my father replied. “Now, I believe there’s a little girl who was promised ice cream after the performance.”
Luna’s face lit up. “Ice cream! Can we go now, please?”
Holt glanced at me, eyebrows raised in question.
“You two go ahead,” I said. “I’ll let Sam and the others know and catch up with you.”
“You sure?” Holt asked.
“I’ll only be a minute,” I said, still floating on the happiness of the moment. “Get Luna her treat before she combusts from excitement.”
He laughed, then leaned in to kiss me quickly. “Don’t be long, fiancée.”
The word sent a thrill through me. “I won’t, fiancé.”
As they headed toward the exit, Luna chattering animatedly about what flavor she wanted, I turned to make my way to our seats. It was more crowded now, in anticipation of CB Rice’s set.
I spotted Sam and was about to call out to her when a figure stepped directly into my path. The smile on my face froze as I stared straight into Remi Gilbert’s eyes.
He looked different than I remembered—in a polished, manufactured way, with too-perfect hair and tacky designer clothes. Had he always been that swarmy? His eyes were cold as they swept over me, lingering on the ring now adorning my left hand.
“Quite the performance up there,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I lifted my chin, refusing to show how much his presence rattled me. “Excuse me, I need to get back to my family.”
He shifted, blocking my path. “That’s what I want to talk about, actually. Family. ” His gaze hardened. “Just tell me one thing, Keltie. Have you been lying this whole time about who Luna’s father is?”
Confusion replaced my unease. “What are you talking about?”
“Is it Holt?” he demanded. “Is that what this whole scheme has been about? Getting me to pay for another man’s kid?”
I stared at him, genuinely bewildered by the accusation. “Luna is your daughter, Remi. I’ve never claimed otherwise.”
“Then, why is Wheaton acting like her father? Why the big proposal with the kid right there?” His voice rose, drawing glances from people nearby. “If she’s mine, then why are you letting another man claim her?”
“Holt loves Luna,” I said, anger beginning to replace my shock. “Which is more than I can say for you. You’ve never even acknowledged her existence until now.”
“I’m still not convinced this isn’t all bullshit. This whole benefit thing, the sob story about cancer—how convenient that it lines up with Wheaton being stuck in town because of a mysterious family obligation.”
My hand connected with his cheek before I even realized I’d moved. The sharp crack of the slap echoed in the open area, silencing conversations around us.
“How dare you,” I hissed, shaking with fury. “How dare you suggest I would lie about my daughter being sick. You think I want this? You think I enjoy watching my four-year-old fight for her life?”
Remi’s hand went to his cheek, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “You’ll regret that,” he said quietly. “More than you know.”
“Get away from her,” came a deep voice from behind me. Bridger appeared at my side, his imposing presence immediately changing the dynamic. “Now.”
Remi hesitated, clearly weighing his options until Cord, Beau, and Porter all stepped forward. With a final glare at me, he turned around. He stalked away but glanced over his shoulder. “This isn’t over, Keltie. Not by a long shot.”
Beau’s hand on my elbow steadied me as I began to shake.
“Come on. Let’s find Holt.”
As we navigated through the crowd, Remi’s words replayed in my mind. The accusations, the sneering tone, the threat—“You’ll regret that.” Why, on one of the happiest days of my life, did he have to try to ruin it?