How Deep is Your Love

Chapter Four: The Mountain Ridge Hotel

Nathaniel Garcia smiled as he sat at the family kitchen table having a cup of coffee that morning; his wife of twenty years, Alexandria smiled at him as she set the table for breakfast.

“Buenos días,” Nathaniel greeted as his wife kissed him softly, they had been together for thirty years and had only one child.

“Mañana, you’re up early,” Alexandria noted making her husband smile at her and chuckle as he set down the newspaper that he had been reading.

The Mountain Ridge Hotel was empty of guests that morning since they were expecting the Real Madrid football team to arrive later that day; the couple where old friends of the team’s coach.

“I was making sure that everything was perfect for our guests,” Nathaniel said making Alexandria roll her eyes as she started to prepare breakfast, she didn't have to guess where her daughter was.

“Aliona’s out with the horses,” Alexandria stated making her husband chuckle and nod, their blonde haired daughter had always been fascinated with horses and often spent the mornings with them when she could when she wasn’t working at the hospital.

“The twins are still in bed for now,” Alexandria said as she glanced at the clock at the thought of her two Grandchildren.

Liam and Lola Garcia were four years old and they were Aliona’s proudest achievement; even after she had completed medical school and started to work at the hospital. Alexandria wrapped her arms around her husband and rested her head against his.

“How did we get so lucky?” she asked making Nathaniel chuckle as he kissed her.

The kitchen door opened and closed making the couple pull a part as Aliona used the sink to wash her hands; the blonde glanced back at her parents and smiled.

“Mañana,” she greeted as Alexandria moved to finish breakfast for the family, Nathaniel watched his daughter move; it had upset him that Liam and Lola’s father wasn’t involved, that he repeatedly let his children down and didn't see them.

“Mañana sweetheart,” Alexandria said as she flashed her daughter a smile before noticing the frown on her face, the older blonde sighed as she watched Aliona lean against the sink.

“He cancelled again… something to do with yet another business trip,” Aliona revealed making her parents frown as they realised that Daniel had called this morning; he hadn’t seen his children in seven weeks and expected Aliona to explain to their children why he wasn’t there.

Nathaniel frowned as he watched his daughter, he knew that Daniel hadn’t been happy about the pregnancy and had walked out but he thought that he would at least try now that he had a court order to see them.

***

“Mama, Liam’s being mean,” a little blonde girl said as she rushed into the stables to find her mother; Aliona sighed as she stopped brushing the black quarter horse stallion that she was stood next to.

The blonde stepped away from the horse and looked at her daughter, who had tears in her eyes; Aliona picked her daughter up as a blonde little boy slowly entered the stables.

“Liam what have I told you about picking on your sister?” Aliona asked as the little boy stopped in front of her; the blonde was grateful that her children bore a greater resemblance to her that their father, the only thing the twins had inherited from Daniel was his blue eyes.

Liam stared down at his hands as Aliona comforted her daughter as she waited for an answer.

"Not to do it,” Liam murmured making the blonde sigh as she licked her lips. Lola sniffed as she cuddled into her mother before they heard a coach pulling into the yard, Aliona sighed as she gave Liam a stern look.

“This isn’t over… we will talk about this later,” she said before leading the children out of the stables and back into the house, where Alexandria looked a little frazzled as she tried to sort out the room keys for the players and staff.

“Do you need any help Madre?” Aliona asked as she ushered the twins behind the desk, Alexandria offered her daughter a thankful look as the blonde helped her sign the people to the correct rooms and keys.

After a few moments, Aliona and Alexandria had sorted everything out at Nathaniel appeared with José, the two men joked for a moment before Alexandria moved to greet them.

“Andria it’s been too long,” José said as the blonde hugged him, Aliona shifted nervously as she watched her father and mother with the football coach.

“It’s good to see you again,” Alexandria said as she wrapped her arm around her husband, it had been a long time since the three friends had last seen each other.

“You remember our daughter Aliona,” Nathaniel said smiling back at the blonde, who was pretending to work on the computer looked up and flashed a smile at the Portuguese before she finished what she was doing.

“There are twenty-four players… several of which have brought their spouses and children and then there is myself and eight staff,” José said making Alexandria nod as she moved to collect the room assignments and keys.

***

Iker sighed as he stood with his team-mates outside the main house of the ranch, he wanted nothing more than to drink himself stupid about his break-up; he hoped that he would be lucky enough to find the mystery blonde again.

The Spaniard sighed as he watched a couple of his team-mates with their families; that was all that Iker had ever wanted, a family… he wanted a wife that loved him and that he loved in return, children that he adored.

However since his break-up he doubted that it would ever happen for him, Iker crossed his arms as he watched the younger players mess about; he doubted that love was even real… nothing more than a chemical reaction.

José appeared with a man that had grey hair and a woman with blonde hair, Iker watched as they flashed each other a loving smile at each other making the Spaniard roll his eyes while José talked them through some rules about their stay and their room assignments.

Iker was relieved to hear that he didn't have to room with anyone; the Spaniard collected his bag that was filled with his clothes for the next three weeks.

“Okay so dinner is at six in the dining hall… so until then I’ll let you all get settled,” José said as he dismissed them, Iker slipped away from his team-mates once he had collected his key for his room.

He wanted to be alone and having a load of cheerful people around him wasn’t what he needed; José watched the team captain concerned, he hoped this trip would heal Iker’s broken heart.

The Portuguese knew what the footballer was going through and he wanted to help him; the media was having a field day now that the news was out that Sara had cheated on Iker.

José really hoped that time in the mountains would help Iker, the Spaniard had worked hard and he deserved to be happy.