Chapet 9: Marco Hill
1406 Words
The afternoon was already halfway through when I returned to the stables, the familiar scent of hay and damp wood greeting me like an old embrace. This place has always been the only spot where my mind settles. Where the noise of the world quiets. Where the absence of her hurts just a little less.
Tornado neighed as soon as he saw me come in. That horse has always recognized me before I even spoke. Maybe because he grew up with me, maybe because I’ve vented more to him than to any living person. Or maybe because he simply knows I like him more than I like most people.
“Hey, boy,” I murmured, running a hand down his warm coat. “Today was one of those days.”
Tornado snorted, as if answering: “When is it not, Marco?” And honestly, he’d be right.
I grabbed the brush and began the usual ritual, my movements automatic, almost meditative. His mane, messy from the morning, was getting smoother, and the sounds of the stable — horses chewing, soft hoofsteps, wood creaking — were exactly the kind of background noise I needed when my thoughts were too loud.
And today… well, today they were chaotic.
All because of her.
Alice.
The petite, stubborn woman who showed up here with expensive boots, a sharp tongue, and bright blue eyes that undo me before I even understand why.
And the worst part? She reminds me of Luna. Not physically, not exactly. Luna had darker hair, brown eyes… a smile that lit up any room. But Alice… Alice has that same infuriating mix of bravery and sass. That way of being clumsy, stubborn, and somehow incredibly alive. Enough to make my blood rush and my chest tighten all at once.
I hated it.
I hated that a stranger was able to shake my defenses in just two days. And I hated even more that she was pregnant, emotionally wounded, and freshly betrayed.
I wasn’t supposed to get close. I was supposed to be polite. Just the owner of the place — nothing more.
But when she turned around with that chicken in her arms…
I sighed, letting out a laugh I hadn’t meant to.
“You should’ve seen it, Tornado…” I told him, and the horse lifted his head, curious. “She was in the middle of the bushes looking like she was about to perform surgery on the poor animal. And when the chicken bolted, she acted like she’d lost her child.”
Tornado stomped his hoof as if laughing. I shook my head.
“And then the two of us ended up in the mud…” I muttered, rubbing my forehead. “It sounds like a joke.”
But it wasn’t. It was real. And I could still feel the softness of her sweater against my shirt, the sweet smell of cinnamon and something else… Her body on top of mine, her blonde hair brushing my face…
Hell.
Any man with the slightest bit of self-preservation would step back. I, on the other hand, was standing here remembering it like an i***t.
I dragged a hand down my face.
“Not again, Marco,” I muttered to myself. “This has to be some kind of insanity.”
That was when I heard footsteps behind me.
“Marco!” João, one of the oldest employees, called out. “It’s time, man.”
I lifted my head.
“Time for what?”
“To fetch the pine tree, of course. It’s tradition. The kids are already asking.”
Oh. Right. The pine tree.
Every year, since I was a kid, my family would cut down a huge pine tree from the far end of the property, load it onto the wagons, and set it up in the hotel’s garden. Then the guests would help decorate it. It was the highlight of the season.
I took a deep breath.
“All right. Give me a minute.”
I stored the brush away, rubbed Tornado’s head one last time.
“I’ll be back later, buddy.”
He snorted, almost offended, and I smiled before leaving the stable.
The afternoon light spilled golden across the fields as I walked. I’ve always liked this hour of the day — the sun hitting the white fences, dust dancing in the air, the kind of quiet only a ranch has…
It was beautiful. The kind Luna always loved.
And whenever I was tired, the memory came sharper: Luna holding my hand under the blooming tree she planted, laughing because her dress got caught on a branch. Her eyes sparkling. Her voice soft as she said we’d grow old here.
Cancer took that before we even had the chance.
I swallowed hard.
“Okay, enough,” I muttered to myself, pushing the ache aside. “Let’s get that tree.”
João already had the truck ready. I climbed in, and we drove down the dirt path I could navigate blindfolded.
The air smelled of fresh pine as we approached the densest part of the property — practically a little forest. Darker, colder, quieter… and always beautiful in December.
We found one of the tall green giants, and João patted the trunk.
“This one’s handsome, huh?”
I nodded.
“Big enough. Let’s cut it.”
Hard work has never bothered me. In minutes, the trunk gave way and the pine tree fell, releasing that fresh smell that always reminded me of childhood.
We hauled it onto the truck, tied it down, and headed back.
As we passed near the cabins… I saw her.
Alice.
Sitting on the small porch of her chalet, a blanket over her legs, staring at the lake like she was seeing the world for the first time. The sunset turned her hair even more golden.
For a moment, I just let myself look. Just look.
She seemed… peaceful. Distant. Almost happy.
And that did something to me I wasn’t prepared to admit.
João nudged me.
“You good, boss?”
“All good,” I said quickly, turning my eyes back to the road. “Let’s go.”
Back at the hotel, we unloaded the tree and left it by the central garden. The rest of the staff would handle the setup tomorrow. I helped with some ropes, gave a few instructions, and then returned to the stables to finish up the day.
Night had already fallen when I pushed open the wooden door. The horses were settled, and the warm smell of hay and grain filled the air.
I walked to Tornado’s stall. He stared at me like he knew I’d been thinking too much.
“Don’t start,” I warned him, rubbing his muzzle. “I don’t need lectures from a horse.”
He snorted like he absolutely disagreed.
“She reminds me of Luna, you know?” I confessed, surprising myself. “Not physically… but in the way she… disrupts things. Pushes my buttons. Makes me feel alive and irritated at the same time.”
Tornado tilted his head, listening.
“I don’t want to get involved,” I continued. “That part of my life… it’s over. And Alice… she’s something else entirely. Betrayed, pregnant, lost. She came here to start over, not to get tangled up with a grumpy widower.”
The word widower still hurt.
I tightened a rope just to keep my hands busy.
“But today… when she fell on top of me…”
I closed my eyes, remembering the scent of her sweater, her quick breathing, her stunned gaze.
Remembering how it made me feel.
And hating that I felt anything.
“I need to keep my distance,” I murmured.
Tornado snorted loudly — loud enough to sound like a laugh.
“I’m serious!” I complained. “I can’t mix things up. She’s staying here for a month. One month. I need to keep it professional. No complications. No repeating old mistakes. No—”
The horse bumped his head into my chest, cutting me off.
I sighed, petting him again.
“Fine. All right. I’ll try not to be such an idiot.”
Tornado seemed satisfied.
And for the first time that day… I actually laughed.
But deep down, where I didn’t want to look too closely, I knew the truth:
Alice was already a complication.
And I was already too far gone to admit it.
- Writer
