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Hannah looked at him with the tiniest beat of indecision, like she knew exactly what he was thinking. ‘I need food and Pendejo needs a walk. But first I’m going to have a shower. I’ve probably got fleas.’
‘Same,’ said Rob. ‘How about we get showered and changed, then take our new friend to get some dinner?’
Hannah smiled, and the visceral desire Rob had for this beautiful, surprising woman felt like a melting warmth in his stomach. How had this all happened so quickly? And more importantly, where the hell was it going to end?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Hannah and Rob strolled the streets of Granada in the shadow of the Alhambra, vaguely trying to find a restaurant but actually both just happy to soak up the atmosphere of the city. They didn’t bother with a map, instead heading off down alleyways laden with window boxes or up steep flights of steps that looked like they might lead somewhere interesting, Pendejo seeming perfectly happy on his new lead, occasionally wandering off to investigate plants and stray cats and bins. The evening was warm and sultry, and Hannah could have walked for hours.
But eventually they both got hungry, so they followed their noses until they found a tapas bar with pavement seating down a narrow street packed with bustling bars and restaurants. They ordered wine and half a dozen small plates, and Hannah leaned against the cool, stone wall of the bar and relaxed.
‘You look happy,’ said Rob, feeding Pendejo dog biscuits from his pocket. They both figured that the best thing they could do between now and dropping him off at the shelter was feed him up a bit, and Pendejo definitely wasn’t complaining.
‘I am,’ said Hannah. ‘It’s been quite a day, but this is perfect.’ The wine was cold, the air smelled warm and fragrant, and the street was full of music and bustle and laughter. It reminded her how much she loved Spain, and how happy she’d be to spend more time here. She’d imagined herself roaming these streets alone, but actually having Rob and Pendejo here had been lovely. Rob was easy company and didn’t mind slogging up a steep hill at high speed, and Pendejo gave Hannah something to focus on when she felt that fizz of electricity between them. Rob had touched her arm earlier and her knees had practically buckled. He smiled at her, and she tried to ignore the throb of unrequited desire between her legs.Get used to it, she told herself.He’s a self-confessed womaniser, and absolutely not what you need right now.
‘What’s our plan for tomorrow?’ Rob asked. ‘Other than finding a vet and a shelter for Pendejo?’ He looked and sounded doubtful, and Hannah could see he was already struggling with the prospect of letting Pendejo go. Well, she had good news on that front, at least temporarily.
‘We’re definitely not going to the vet tomorrow,’ she said, taking a sip of her wine.
‘Why not?’
‘Because it’s Sunday, and pretty much everything in Spain closes on a Sunday.’
‘Oh shit, I didn’t really think about that,’ he said, raking his hand through his hair. ‘I feel bad, I’m really sorry.’
‘Stop apologising,’ laughed Hannah. ‘I’ve never had a proper plan for this trip, that was kind of the point. I asked you to come, and now we’ve got a dog.’
‘Maybe the dog will adopt a cat,’ said Rob, patting Pendejo’s head.
‘By the end of the week we’ll need a minibus for all our animals,’ Hannah giggled. ‘Look, why don’t we drive up to the Sierra Nevada. I’ve been looking up hikes, and there’s a really nice one about half an hour away from here. Through a gorge along a river; we can see if Pendejo likes to swim.’
‘That sounds amazing,’ said Rob. ‘Do you think he’ll be OK?’
‘He seems fine,’ she said. ‘We won’t go too far, and if he gets tired we’ll turn back, or you can carry him. No hurry.’
Rob smiled at her like she was some kind of miracle; a look she’d never seen on Graham’s face in fourteen years of marriage. ‘What kind of breed do you think he is?’ she asked, glad of the distraction from all these tinglyfeelings.
‘Hard to tell.’ Rob looked down at Pendejo, who was panting hot breath on his legs. Now the dirt was gone, his ears and the patch over one eye were actually grey, but his back and belly were pure white. ‘There’s definitely some kind of terrier there, but he’s got the same ears and tail as my parents’ golden retrievers, just smaller. Have you ever had a dog?’
Hannah shook her head. ‘I’ve always thought of myself as a dog person, but Graham was allergic.’ Graham was allergic to a lot of things, including monogamy, apparently. She watched Rob stroke Pendejo’s back, prompting the dog to flump sideways into his legs. ‘He’s already decided you’re his person.’
‘Whatever that little shit Javier did or didn’t feed him,’ said Rob, ‘I don’t think he’s been too badly treated.’
‘Hey, Pendejo,’ said Hannah, as the waitress appeared with a tray of food. The dog panted over and licked Hannah’s hand.
‘This is a sad name for such a beautiful dog,’ said the waitress, bending down to fuss between his ears. She pouted up at Rob from under long eyelashes and a mane of dark hair, giving him a bird’s-eye view right down her top. ‘What did he do to deserve this?’
Hannah and Rob looked at each other, then at the waitress. ‘Why? What’s wrong with it?’ asked Rob.
‘It’s a Spanish word for someone who is very stupid or annoying,’ said the waitress, scratching behind Pendejo’s ears with such blissful vigour that his eyes rolled into the back of his head. ‘It’s like, maybe like when you call someone . . . asshole.’
‘OH!’ exclaimed Hannah, pressing her hands over her mouth as Rob started to laugh.
‘Right, that makes sense,’ he said. ‘It totally explains why people were giving me funny looks earlier when I was trying to teach him to give a paw.’
‘You give him new name, please,’ said the waitress, kissing the dog’s wet nose and looking at Rob like she’d happily walk down the aisle and take his name tomorrow. ‘He is too beautiful to be a Pendejo.’
‘We will,’ said Hannah loudly, snapping the waitress out of her lovesick trance. She grabbed her tray and hurried off as Hannah rolled her eyes at Rob.
