Page 43 of Roaring Fork Rockstar (Roaring Fork Ranch #3)

HOLT

JULY

T he ranch looked different today. Not because anything had physically changed—the butte still framed the horizon, the big trees still spread their branches across the eastern field, and the main house still stood proud against the Colorado sky.

But something had shifted in the way I saw it all.

Today, this place wasn’t only our legacy or where I’d grown up.

Today, it was the place where Keltie, Luna, and I would begin our new life as a family.

I stood beneath the white wooden arch my brothers and I had built last week, watching as Keltie walked toward me across the grass.

She wore a white dress that flowed around her, catching the July breeze.

No elaborate cathedral, no hundreds of guests, no pageantry—just us, our families, and the land that represented far more than we’d ever dreamed.

Her smile caught the sunlight as she approached, her hand tucked in her father’s arm. I’d never seen anything more beautiful than her wild, curly, dark-brown hair framing her face and her gorgeous amber eyes filled with joy.

When she reached me, those eyes were bright with unshed tears. Happy ones, I knew. We’d cried enough of the other kind to recognize the difference.

“Hi,” she whispered, taking my hands.

“Hi, yourself,” I whispered like she had.

The ceremony passed in a blur. I remembered the important parts—the promises we made, the rings we exchanged, the kiss that sealed it all.

But mostly, I remembered how it felt to stand there, surrounded by everyone who mattered, pledging myself to the woman who had shown me the best of what life could be.

Luna stood between us, like she’d dreamed, wearing her long purple dress and beaming with pride. She occasionally waved to everyone as if she were the star of the show—which, in many ways, she was. After all, she was the one to dream this day into existence.

After the celebratory cheers died down, I squeezed Keltie’s hand. We’d planned this moment carefully.

“Before we all head to the reception,” I said, raising my voice so our gathered family could hear, “Keltie and I have an announcement.”

She stepped forward, her hand drifting to rest on the swell of her belly, visible now if you knew to look for it.

“We’re having a baby,” she said, her voice steady and clear in the summer air. “Due in December.”

The second round of cheers was even louder than the first. My brothers and Flynn were the first to reach us, pulling us both into tight embraces. Luna danced around us, shouting that she was going to be a big sister.

Later, as the celebration continued under the twinkling lights strung across the yard, Keltie found me standing aside, watching our families together.

“Happy?” she asked, slipping her hand into mine.

I pulled her close. “More than I ever thought possible.” I pressed my hand gently against her belly. “When you said yes to marrying me, I didn’t think life could get better. And then this somehow happened…”

She laughed. “Somehow? I believe my exact words were, ‘Let’s start our family now.’”

“Best decision ever,” I murmured against her hair.

A few days after the wedding, Dr. Robbins called. The hospital was holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new research lab, funded largely by Miracles of Hope, along with significant private donations.

“They specifically asked that we all attend,” my brother Buck said after hanging up the phone. “And mentioned that Luna will be the guest of honor.”

“Of course she will.” I smiled. Wasn’t she always? Hadn’t she more than earned it? Not only because of her struggles, but from her positive outlook on life.

So we went—Keltie, Luna, and me, along with my siblings. Beau and Sam, who’d flown in from New York for our wedding, stayed an extra week.

When we arrived at the hospital, I was surprised to see Ben and Liv Rice already there, chatting with Dr. Robbins.

“There they are,” Dr. Robbins said warmly as we approached. She knelt down and gave Luna a big hug. “You’re looking very pretty today, Unicorn Girl.”

Luna beamed up at me. “That’s what my Daddy calls me.”

The ceremony itself was brief. Dr. Robbins spoke about the importance of continued research into childhood cancers and how the new lab would focus specifically on the type that had affected both Scarlett and Luna.

Then she unveiled the plaque beside the entrance— Scarlett’s Hope Research Laboratory.

Underneath, a smaller plaque listed the major donors. I felt my throat tighten when I read that both the Rice family and the Barrett family had made significant contributions in Luna’s name.

After the ceremony, as people mingled with refreshments, Ben walked over to Keltie and me. “I bet he didn’t tell you that all the proceeds from Luna’s song helped build this too.”

Keltie’s eyes were wide when she looked up at me. “You did that?”

“No, darlin’. We did it. Remember?”

A week later, we arrived at the Roaring Fork, where we joined my family for a walk to the memorial garden my siblings and I had created around Scarlett’s grave. Luna ran ahead of us, carrying a small bouquet of wildflowers she’d insisted on picking herself.

“For Scarlett,” she explained as she carefully arranged them at the base of the small headstone.

My siblings gathered around us and shared a moment of silence. Then Keltie squeezed my hand.

“We have one more thing to share,” she said, looking at my family. “We found out a couple of days ago that we’re having a girl.”

Luna looked up from where she was kneeling by the flowers. “And we decided to name my baby sister Scarlett,” she announced before either of us could continue.

I felt the breath catch in my throat as I looked at my siblings, realizing this was something I should have discussed with them first. But before I could speak, I saw tears in Flynn’s eyes and Buck smiling.

“It’s right,” Porter said quietly.

“Scarlett is the perfect name,” Cord added, brushing away his own tears.

I’d planned to make another announcement today, but decided it wasn’t necessary to.

Yesterday afternoon, Luna had officially become my daughter.

Remi, who was in jail, facing several counts of sexual harassment and assault, had relinquished his parental rights, making it possible for the adoption to move forward.

I felt a small hand grab mine as I brushed away yet another tear of happiness.

“Are you okay, Daddy?”

“Never better, Unicorn Girl,” I said as my eyes met Keltie’s. I looked beyond her to Buck, who stood with TJ and Buckaroo, Cord with Juni, Porter with Cici, and even Sam and Beau. The Roaring Fork Trust had brought love into each of our lives when what we’d all expected was pain and uncertainty.

I looked up at the sky. “Mama, if you had a hand in all this, thank you. I hope we’ve made you happy.”

The clouds parted then, and a ray of sunshine bathed the garden in light.

Flynn raised her face and closed her eyes as the warmth settled over her.

I had no idea what else the trustee would demand, but for the first time since our dad died, I believed that whatever it was would bring more joy, more happiness, and more love into all our lives.

______________

Keep reading for a sneak peek at

the next book in Heather Slade’s

Roaring Fork Ranch Series,

Roaring Fork Rooker

Some inheritances come with strings attached.

Certain family secrets span generations.

The deepest truths can only be revealed

when the time is right.

After my brothers each spent a year fulfilling their obligations to the mysterious Roaring Fork Trust, my stipulation seemed almost too simple—one month at a secluded ranch in New Mexico with my husband and children.

But from the moment we arrived, nothing has felt quite right.

The property's enigmatic owner seems to know too much about us, from my twins' favorite foods to my daughter's sleeping habits.

The walls are adorned with familiar landscapes I've known my entire life, and sometimes I catch him watching me with an expression I can't decipher.

With each passing day, fragments of a hidden past emerge—old photographs, preserved wildflowers, melodies that stir memories I shouldn't have.

My mother died when I was three, leaving countless questions unanswered.

Now, in this mountain sanctuary, I sense those answers are finally within reach—but am I prepared for what they'll reveal about my family, my inheritance, and the carefully orchestrated path that led me here?

After decades of shadows, the truth is about to surface, and nothing will ever be the same.