Page 28 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

“I’m sorry,” I said, quickly wiping away my tears. “Did I wake you?”

“No, I was still up.” He paused, uncertain. “I knocked, but you didn’t answer. I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

I should have sent him away, maintained the distance I’d built around Luna and myself for years. Instead, I found myself telling him I was glad he was here.

The relief in his eyes as he crossed the room sent a fresh wave of emotion through me. He sat beside me on the sofa, close enough for me to feel his warmth but not touching me.

“Nightmare?” he asked quietly.

“About Luna. In a hospital. I couldn’t reach her.”

Holt’s arm slipped around my shoulders, the gesture so natural that I easily leaned into him. “She’s safe,” he murmured. “You both are.”

I rested my head against his shoulder, allowing myself to accept the comfort he offered. We sat in silence for several minutes. The only sounds were the crackling of the fire and my quiet sobs filling the room.

“I’m scared.” I finally whispered the words I hadn’t allowed myself to say to anyone else.

His arm tightened around me.

“What if she has…?” I couldn’t bring myself to utter the word.

“Hey,” he interrupted gently. “One step at a time, okay?”

I drew a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be leaning on you like this.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m supposed to be strong. Independent. That’s who I’ve always been.”

Holt was quiet for a moment. “Being strong doesn’t mean carrying everything alone.”

“Doesn’t it?” I laughed bitterly. “That’s exactly what it’s meant since Luna was born. Her father walked away before she took her first breath.”

“I won’t walk away, Keltie,” he said simply. “I’ll be with you as much as you want me to be.”

“Why would you do this for people who just came into your life?”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t feel that way to me. It seems like, I don’t know, more.”

The words settled over me, resonating in ways I couldn’t explain. “I know what you mean.”

I told him how my father had helped after Luna was born, but moving to Crested Butte meant leaving that support system behind. How I’d struggled to balance single parenthood with running the Goat, even before Luna’s health took a turn for the worse.

“When I first met her,” Holt said quietly, “I felt something I can’t explain. A closeness. Like I was supposed to be in her life. Like she’d need me.”

I studied him. “What do you mean?”

“Like I said, I can’t explain it. All I know is that I’ve had feelings like this since I was a kid. The first was when I knew my mother was sick before anyone admitted it.”

“Is that what happened with Luna? You sensed something was wrong?”

His somber expression reminded me of the way Mrs. Lopez had described his reaction—how odd it had been.

“That’s why you came to the hospital,” I whispered.

“Partly,” he said. “But also because I knewyouneeded me.” Holt’s hand found mine, our fingers intertwining.

My eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to break whatever spell had formed between us in the quiet darkness.

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