said with a shy smile. “I woke up and you were gone.” She joined him on the porch, leaning her back against his chest and sighing contentedly when he wrapped his arms around her.
They silently watched the moon on the sea for a moment. He took in her warm scent and fought the urge to slip a hand under her robe.
“Just think,” she said, teasing, “of all the time we wasted. We could have been doing that for years.”
He kissed the top of her head. Remained silent.
She burrowed closer to him. “We’ll have to make up for all those missed opportunities.”
He kept his eyes on the sea. He clenched and unclenched his fist. “I’m not so sure, Noni,” he said softly.
She looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“You know I was married before, right?”
“Yes. You told me.”
“I made mistakes, niña .”
“Meaning what?” Her voice suddenly lost its brightness.
“Meaning I swore that I would never make those same mistakes again.”
She turned to him, her eyes flashing. “Are you saying that what we just did was a mistake?”
“No,” he said. “I mean, I don’t know. Maybe.”
She broke away from him, crossing the balcony and turning to face him. She stood silhouetted against the ocean, with her silvery hair drifting in the breeze.
She was so beautiful, it made his heart hurt to look at her.
He frowned, quiet for some time, thinking. Then he took a deep breath. “My father managed the horses for the Flores family. They lived on a ranch outside Buenos Aires. I spent most of my childhood on their farm. My papá taught me everything I know about the ponies.”
She raised an eyebrow. “He must have been very good, then.”
“ Sí . He was. But he died when I was sixteen.”
“Riding accident?” she said quietly.
He shook his head. “Auto accident, actually. A truck driver lost his brakes and smashed right into him.”
She flinched. “I’m so sorry.”
He swallowed. “My younger brother was in the car as well. He was thrown through the window. He ended up in a wheelchair, quadriplegic, but at least he survived.”
She exhaled and crossed back to him, taking hold of his arm. “Oh, Enzo. I didn’t know.”
He nodded, watching the sea. “Anyway, after my father died, it was on me to support my family. My mother had to stay home to take care of my brother, and the medical bills just kept coming. So I dropped out of school and started working full-time for the Flores family.
“They were good to me. I’m sure they helped out my mother even more than I knew. And they had a daughter…”
He felt Antonia’s breath hitch.
“Her name was Agustina Flores. She was a year younger than me. From the beginning, she was determined that we would be together…”
“Was she very beautiful?” asked Noni.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Oh, sí . And very spoiled and strong willed. She was used to getting whatever she wanted.”
“And she wanted you.”
He laughed harshly. “For some reason, yes.”
He felt Noni tighten her hand possessively on his arm. He smiled. “Believe me, niña , she couldn’t hold a candle to you. What woman could?”
Antonia snorted. “You don’t have to flatter me. Go on.”
“We were married by the time I was nineteen. I think her family would have chosen someone else for her if they were able to—I was not of their class, you see—but they knew how hardheaded their daughter was. They were a bit afraid of her, really. So they made the best of it and accepted me as one of their own.”
“Did you love her?”
He paused, tracing his finger across the scars on Noni’s hand. “I don’t know. I very much wanted to. Even if I wasn’t entirely sure”—he sighed—“how could I say no when it meant that my brother and my mother would be taken care of? I was so young, and the weight of my responsibilities seemed very heavy.
“My father-in-law brought me into his import business. After all, his daughter’s husband couldn’t very well be a hired hand
They silently watched the moon on the sea for a moment. He took in her warm scent and fought the urge to slip a hand under her robe.
“Just think,” she said, teasing, “of all the time we wasted. We could have been doing that for years.”
He kissed the top of her head. Remained silent.
She burrowed closer to him. “We’ll have to make up for all those missed opportunities.”
He kept his eyes on the sea. He clenched and unclenched his fist. “I’m not so sure, Noni,” he said softly.
She looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“You know I was married before, right?”
“Yes. You told me.”
“I made mistakes, niña .”
“Meaning what?” Her voice suddenly lost its brightness.
“Meaning I swore that I would never make those same mistakes again.”
She turned to him, her eyes flashing. “Are you saying that what we just did was a mistake?”
“No,” he said. “I mean, I don’t know. Maybe.”
She broke away from him, crossing the balcony and turning to face him. She stood silhouetted against the ocean, with her silvery hair drifting in the breeze.
She was so beautiful, it made his heart hurt to look at her.
He frowned, quiet for some time, thinking. Then he took a deep breath. “My father managed the horses for the Flores family. They lived on a ranch outside Buenos Aires. I spent most of my childhood on their farm. My papá taught me everything I know about the ponies.”
She raised an eyebrow. “He must have been very good, then.”
“ Sí . He was. But he died when I was sixteen.”
“Riding accident?” she said quietly.
He shook his head. “Auto accident, actually. A truck driver lost his brakes and smashed right into him.”
She flinched. “I’m so sorry.”
He swallowed. “My younger brother was in the car as well. He was thrown through the window. He ended up in a wheelchair, quadriplegic, but at least he survived.”
She exhaled and crossed back to him, taking hold of his arm. “Oh, Enzo. I didn’t know.”
He nodded, watching the sea. “Anyway, after my father died, it was on me to support my family. My mother had to stay home to take care of my brother, and the medical bills just kept coming. So I dropped out of school and started working full-time for the Flores family.
“They were good to me. I’m sure they helped out my mother even more than I knew. And they had a daughter…”
He felt Antonia’s breath hitch.
“Her name was Agustina Flores. She was a year younger than me. From the beginning, she was determined that we would be together…”
“Was she very beautiful?” asked Noni.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Oh, sí . And very spoiled and strong willed. She was used to getting whatever she wanted.”
“And she wanted you.”
He laughed harshly. “For some reason, yes.”
He felt Noni tighten her hand possessively on his arm. He smiled. “Believe me, niña , she couldn’t hold a candle to you. What woman could?”
Antonia snorted. “You don’t have to flatter me. Go on.”
“We were married by the time I was nineteen. I think her family would have chosen someone else for her if they were able to—I was not of their class, you see—but they knew how hardheaded their daughter was. They were a bit afraid of her, really. So they made the best of it and accepted me as one of their own.”
“Did you love her?”
He paused, tracing his finger across the scars on Noni’s hand. “I don’t know. I very much wanted to. Even if I wasn’t entirely sure”—he sighed—“how could I say no when it meant that my brother and my mother would be taken care of? I was so young, and the weight of my responsibilities seemed very heavy.
“My father-in-law brought me into his import business. After all, his daughter’s husband couldn’t very well be a hired hand
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