Page 42 of Roaring Fork Rockstar (Roaring Fork Ranch #3)

She smiled, her eyes drifting closed. “Then, I’ll definitely get better. Your cells are strong, like me.”

The next few days were the most terrifying of my life. Every temperature spike sent panic through me. Every blood test held the potential for devastating news. Luna’s body might reject my cells, attack them as foreign invaders, or simply fail to integrate them.

But somehow, miraculously, neither happened. Seven days after the transplant, Dr. Robbins entered Luna’s room with the first genuine smile I’d seen since we arrived.

“Her blood counts are improving,” she announced. “The engraftment is beginning to take hold.”

I sagged against Holt, who had been my constant shadow throughout the ordeal. “So it’s working?”

“It’s early,” Dr. Robbins cautioned. “But yes, so far, it’s working exactly as we’d hoped.”

That night, when we were at the apartment while my father stayed with Luna, the stress of the past weeks crashed over me like a tidal wave—the fear for Luna’s life, the battle with Remi, the physical toll of the donation, all of it.

Holt held me through it. “You saved her,” he murmured against my hair. “Not only from the cancer, but from him too.”

I looked up at him through tears. “We’re not out of the woods yet. She has a long recovery ahead of her, and Remi’s threat still hangs over us.”

“Let him try,” Holt said, his voice hardening. “He’s going up against you, me, and an entire community that loves Luna. He doesn’t stand a chance.”

Our moment was interrupted by a sharp knock at the apartment door. Holt frowned, crossing the room to answer it. Ben Rice stood in the hallway, his expression grave.

“Sorry to disturb you this late,” he said, stepping inside when Holt gestured him in. “But I have information you both need to hear immediately.”

I straightened, instantly alert. “About Luna?”

“It’s about Remi.” Ben’s jaw tightened as he sat across from us.

Holt’s eyebrows shot up. “What about him?”

Ben ran a hand over his face. “The lead singer of the band that opened for us on the East Coast contacted me yesterday. He said one of his sound engineers is accusing Remi of sexual assault. She’s also saying she wasn’t the only one.

” Ben’s expression darkened. “Liv, the rest of our band, and I have been on the phone with everyone Remi’s worked with, every band we’ve toured with.

In the last twenty-four hours, more women have come forward with similar stories. ”

“My God,” I muttered. “He assaulted them?”

“That’s right. Every one of the women said they were afraid to speak up because of Remi’s position and influence. He threatened to ruin their careers.” Ben met my eyes directly. “When you disappeared from the tour, I should have questioned it, especially given how abruptly you left.”

The validation after all these years brought unexpected tears to my eyes. “You couldn’t have known.”

“I should have,” Ben insisted. “When I confronted him about these new allegations, he became defensive, started ranting about ‘ungrateful women’ trying to ruin his life.” Ben shook his head in disgust. “Then he made the mistake of bringing up Luna.”

“What did he say?” I asked, my stomach tightening.

“He implied that if these allegations came to light, he might need to ‘explore all his options’ regarding her.” Ben’s expression hardened. “He didn’t explicitly threaten custody, but the implication was clear—he was planning to use her as leverage to silence the accusations.”

“That fucking sonuvabitch ,” Holt seethed.

“Here’s the thing; I recorded the entire conversation,” Ben continued, pulling out his phone.

“His veiled threats about Luna and his response to everything else. It might not be admissible in a court of law, but if these women are willing to press charges, knowing they have my backing, along with that of other powerful people in the music industry, we wouldn’t need it for evidence. ”

My breath caught in my throat. “Do you think they will actually press charges?”

“Two already have. The police picked him up an hour ago. He’s in custody now.”

“For how long?” Holt asked.

“With multiple charges coming in from different jurisdictions, his lawyer will have a hard time getting bail.” Ben’s expression was solemn. “I came here as soon as I heard. I wanted you to know that Luna is safe from him, and so are you.”

I pressed my hand to my mouth, overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events.

“I know this must be a lot to process,” Ben said gently. “But I wanted you to hear it from me directly. I’m doing everything in my power to make this right—not only for you and Luna, but for every woman he’s hurt.”

Holt stood, extending his hand to Ben. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

Ben shook his head. “I’m so sorry…”

After Ben left, I found myself standing by the window, watching the Denver lights flicker against the night sky. Holt’s arms wrapped around my waist from behind, and he rested his chin on my shoulder.

“What are you thinking?” he asked softly.

“That sometimes the universe has a strange way of delivering justice,” I replied.

My phone rang, and I answered it quickly when I saw Dr. Robbins’ number.

“Dr. Robbins? Is everything okay?”

Her voice came through, professional but with an undercurrent of excitement. “Better than okay, Keltie. I’ve completed Luna’s evening assessment and am happy to say her fever has broken and her latest blood work shows the strongest signs of engraftment yet.”

Tears sprang to my eyes. “She’s accepting the transplant?”

“Better than I dared to hope,” Dr. Robbins continued. “The cellular integration is remarkable. It’s like a perfect match, after all.”

I turned to Holt, who was watching my face anxiously. “Luna’s improving. The transplant is working.”

He pulled me into a crushing embrace, his own tears dampening my hair. “Our girl’s going to be okay.”

Our girl. The phrase encompassed everything I’d ever wanted—a family bound not by biology or legal documents, but by love, by choice, by fierce protection of one another.

“I should return to the hospital,” I said, already gathering my coat.

“We both should,” Holt agreed.

As we drove through the quiet streets, my mind kept circling around to the unexpected resolution. Remi’s threat had disintegrated under the weight of his own misdeeds. And Luna was healing, growing stronger with each passing hour.

At the hospital, we found my father dozing in the chair beside Luna’s bed. Her color had improved dramatically, and her breathing was deep and even. I approached quietly, not wanting to wake her. But her eyes fluttered open as I took her hand.

“Mommy,” she whispered, her voice stronger than it had been in days. “I had a dream about you.”

“Did you?” I smoothed her cheek with my thumb. “Tell me about it.”

“You were wearing a long white dress and a veil,” Luna said, her eyes drifting to Holt, who stood beside me. “And you had on a suit.”

“What else did you dream, Unicorn Girl?” Holt asked in a shaky voice.

“I was between you, wearing a long purple dress, and the three of us walked down an aisle together while everyone clapped.” She glanced up at Holt. “And you told me that I could call you Daddy.”

“That sounds like a very happy dream,” I said, not even bothering to stop my tears.

Luna smiled, her eyelids growing heavy again. “Not just a dream, Mommy.” She glanced at Holt a second time. “Right, Daddy?”

“That’s right, Luna-bug. It’s a dream come true.”