Page 56 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

Bridger cleared his throat softly. “Sometimes, when people are scared, they reach for what feels safe. A woman might understand another woman’s fears better.”

His insight caught me off guard again. For someone so quiet, he certainly had a lot to say today.

We mounted up and rode to the ranch in silence, my mind churning with the dreams, the trust, and most of all, Keltie and Luna. By the time we reached the barn, I’d made up my mind to drive over to Ben Rice’s studio today. We’d postponed getting together since another storm was supposed to dump snow on us, but that didn’t end up happening. Now, I needed a distraction, and recording an EP felt like the perfect escape.

Ben’s studio was impressive—everythinga musician could dream of. He played me a track from the new album, one I’d helped write but would never perform live, and my gut twisted with regret.

Ben watched my face carefully as the song played. When it ended, he said, “Your fingerprints are all over that track, Holt. No one plays it the same way you do.”

“It sounds great,” I said, meaning it despite the pang of what-might-have-been.

“It’s ready for you to lay down your tracks,” he said quietly. “Whenever you’re into it.”

“Seriously?” I said for the second time today, albeit in an entirely different way.

“Absolutely. We need you on this one.”

Liv stepped farther into the room. “How are Keltie and Luna?” she asked, setting her coffee cup down. “Luna is such a sweet child.”

The mention of the little girl’s name brought an immediate smile to my face. “She is. Smart as a whip too.”

“And quite attached to you, from what I could see,” she added.

I couldn’t deny it. “The feeling’s mutual.”

“For both mother and daughter?” Ben asked, his tone teasing, but his eyes serious.

Heat crept up my neck. “Yeah, I guess that’s fair to say.”

“Good.” Liv’s smile widened. “You deserve someone special, Holt. Both of you do.”

“This is beyond generous, Ben.”

“It’s selfish, really,” he countered. “I want to hear what you come up with. And, hey—if Keltie ever wants to get behind a mixing board again, you should encourage it.”

I tensed, remembering how Keltie had reacted to Ben’s recognition of her at Christmas. “I’ll mention it,” I said, hesitating. “But, as you know, it’s been a while since she’s done that work.”

“Like riding a bike,” Ben said with a wave of his hand. “That kind of talent doesn’t go away.”

The tour continued as Ben pointed out the features of the studio while Liv occasionally added her own insights. They weregracious hosts, yet I found my mind continually drifting to Keltie and Luna. Two days without seeing them felt like an eternity.

When I pulledup to my cabin later that afternoon, Cord was waiting on my porch, arms crossed against the cold.

“Six-pack’s been asking questions,” he said as I climbed out of my truck.

I frowned, unlocking my door and gesturing for him to follow me inside. “What kind of questions?”

“About whether you’re fulfilling the stipulations. Playing three nights a week, donating half your earnings.” Cord stomped snow from his boots before stepping into the warmth of my cabin. “I don’t know if he’s got someone breathing down his neck about it or if he’s being his usual asshole self.”

I hung my coat on the hook by the door, then moved to stoke the fire I’d banked earlier. “Did you have to deal with this shit?”

Cord shook his head, settling onto my sofa. “It was more complicated with me cuz of the accident.”

“Right. Sorry, man.”

“You didn’t have a premonition about that, did you?”

“If I had dreamed you were ambushed out in a snowstorm and left for dead, I sure as hell would’ve warned you.”

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