Page 40 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

I turned to find Luna standing in the entryway. I crouched down to her level. “Hey there, Unicorn Girl.”

“Where are you going?” she asked, her big brown eyes serious.

“Just into town to get something for your mom. I won’t be gone long.”

She considered this, then held out her most-prized possession. “Take Sparkles with you. She’ll keep bad things away.”

My heart squeezed at the gesture. “That’s very considerate, but I think Sparkles should stay with you. How about I promise to return quickly so we can finish her story?”

Luna nodded solemnly. “You have to. We still don’t know if she finds her magic flower.”

“That’s right,” I agreed, fighting a sudden tightness in my throat. “And I never leave a story unfinished.”

This seemed to satisfy her, and she hugged me quickly before rejoining the other kids. The trust in that hug cemented my resolve.

Keltie’s eyes were suspiciously bright when I straightened. “Magic flower?”

I shrugged. “Your daughter has a vivid imagination, and I’m happy to take our story in any direction she wants it to go.”

“You’re a good man, Holt.” I turned to leave, but stopped when I felt her hand on my arm. “Be careful, okay?”

“Always.” On impulse, I pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “Save me some dessert.”

The drive started deceptively easy,the Expedition’s headlights cutting through the falling snow. I handled navigation while Buck focused on the slick road.

“It looks worse than I thought they’d be,” I admitted.

“They aren’t as bad as they would be if it was snowing as much as it was at home.”

My mind drifted to another snowy night drive years ago—my father grimly silent behind the wheel, me in the passenger seat, racing to the pharmacy for my mother’s pain medication. The memory sent a chill through me that had nothing to do with the temperature.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Buck asked, breaking the silence.

I shrugged, not wanting to admit how worried I was about Luna.

He glanced over at me. “Something’s bothering you. Has been since we left.”

“Just thinking about everything that’s happened,” I said vaguely.

He nodded, then after a moment, added, “Everything happens for a reason, as they say.” His eyes met mine for a split second. “Kinda like you and Keltie.”

“Might be early to talk about us like it’s fate, brother.”

“I disagree. You’re nuts about her; she’s crazy about you. That shit only happens when it’s meant to be.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been with other women I was crazy about. None of them were meant to be.”

He sighed and loosened his grip on the wheel. “If you were honest with yourself, you’d admit this feels different. And Luna, hell, she’s the icing on the cake.”

While I wouldn’t look over at him, I could feel his eyes on me.

“What?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“Out with it, Holt.”

“The moment I shook her hand, I sensed something wrong.” I spoke quietly enough that I wasn’t sure if he could hear me above the sound of the windshield wipers keeping hypnotic time. “Then meeting Keltie, finding out about Remi… It’s like puzzle pieces clicking into place.”

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