Page 17 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

“You want your coffee to go?” she asked.

“Nah, I won’t be gone that long.”

The bellabove the door jingled as I entered the toy store that always smelled like cinnamon and pine. Holiday music played softly, and when Lucy emerged from behind a display, her face lit up. “Holt Wheaton! What brings you in? Last-minute shopping?”

“Hey, Lucy. I need some Christmas magic.”

“What kind of magic are we talking about?”

I pulled out Sam’s list. “Personalized stockings for two special guests at the ranch tomorrow—Keltie and Luna. And I need toys for Luna. She’s four.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow. “The little girl who comes in with the new owner of the Goat? Sweet child.”

“That’s the one,” I confirmed, already moving through the aisles.

A stuffed unicorn with a rainbow mane and silver hooves caught my eye immediately. “This,” I said, grabbing it. Nearby was a matching robe-and-slipper set with the mystical animal dancing across a starry sky. “And these.”

I continued through the store, adding picture books, a children’s keyboard, art supplies, and a doctor’s kit. Something about the last item felt right—maybe it would help Luna process her hospital experience.

“Holt,” Lucy called, laughing. “I think that’s enough to keep any child occupied until next Christmas.”

I looked down at the growing pile in my arms. “Too much?”

“Well, it’s not my place to say, but…” She gestured to the mountain of toys.

“I’m gettin’ it all,” I decided after thoughts of what I’d heard the doctor tell Keltie last night echoed in my head.

I handed over my credit card without asking for the total.

“It’s nice, what you’re doing,” she said as she rang up the purchases. “Keltie and her daughter are new in town. No family around for the holidays.”

“They’re not alone anymore,” I said, the words coming out before I could think about them.

She smiled. “I’ll get this delivered by midafternoon,” she said, handing me the receipt and my card.

“You’re the best, Lucy.”

I hurried over to McGill’s, where Stacey was setting my breakfast on the table. “Sorry for the delay,” I said, sliding into my seat.

“Where did you go?” Luna asked immediately, curiosity shining in her eyes.

I glanced at Keltie, then leaned conspiratorially toward Luna. “Well, I happened to run into Santa at the toy store. He asked if I knew whether a girl named Luna would be at the Roaring Fork Ranch tonight, and if he should bring her presents there.”

Luna gasped, her eyes growing impossibly wider. “Really?You saw Santa?” She turned to her mother, bouncing in her seat. “Mommy, Santa knows I’m gonna be there!”

Keltie shot me a look that was half amusement, half exasperation. I mouthed “sorry” over Luna’s head, realizing I might have overstepped. But when she rolled her eyes and smiled, I knew we were okay.

“Can we go now?” Luna asked, already done with her pancakes. “Please, Mommy?”

“We need to go home and pack first,” Keltie said, then looked at me. “If you don’t mind giving us a ride afterward…”

“I’d be happy to,” I replied. “Just tell me when and where.”

Keltie wrote her address on a napkin and slid it across the table. “Give us about an hour?”

When the check came, I grabbed it before she could reach for it.

“Holt, you don’t have to?—”

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