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Hannah nodded and readied herself to receive Dominic’s thumping serve, rejecting the easy return to Clara’s feet in favour of inviting Dominic into a furious rally until Rob could quietly drop the ball over the net. Each point of the final game played out the same way – Rob staying out of the way so Hannah could cover the court, only stepping in to keep the ball in play or finish it off. Fury was making Dominic sloppy and erratic, and five minutes later it was all over.
‘You’ve completely screwed me over,’ hissed Dominic, squeezing Rob’s hand at the net. Rob forced a smile and Hannah could see him trying not to wince at the attempt to crush his knuckles.
‘Don’t be such a baby,’ said Clara, rolling her eyes at Hannah. ‘They beat us fair and square.’
‘We’ll be leaving in half an hour,’ said Hannah coldly. ‘Let me know if you’d like my bank details, or if you’d rather pay in cash.’
‘I’ll pay cash,’ muttered Dominic. ‘Luckily it’s the kind of money I’d blow on a night out.’
‘Well done you,’ said Hannah witheringly, silently apologising to the local drug dealers for doing them out of a lucrative weekend.
‘I’ll get it now,’ said Dominic, turning to Clara. ‘I’ll pop down to your place in an hour, yeah?’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Clara, inspecting her manicure. ‘I have other plans.’
‘What, today?’ he asked, a flush creeping up his neck. ‘Or more generally?’
‘Generally,’ said Clara, tossing her ponytail breezily. ‘I’ve reconsidered what I want out of life, and I’m afraid you’re not it.’
Dominic pursed his lips and breathed through his nose for a moment, then stalked furiously back towards the house.
‘Thanks for the game,’ said Hannah, holding her hand out for Clara to shake.
‘You play very well,’ said Clara. ‘It is good for men like Dominic to realise they cannot have everything they want.’ She turned and smiled at Rob. ‘That is why Joyce didn’t tell him that you are actually Rob the tennis coach.’
‘But you knew?’ asked Hannah, entirely delighted.
Clara shrugged. ‘Of course. Joyce wanted you both to teach her son a little humility, but I don’t think she intended it to cost him three thousand euros. You may want to leave before she finds out.’
‘Come on,’ said Rob, putting his arm around Hannah. ‘Let’s collect your winnings, then say our goodbyes to your dad and Scrumpy. We’ve got a road trip to go on.’ He grinned and headed over to join the group by the drinks table.
‘How is it possible for two people to be so happy together?’ said Clara to Hannah wistfully. ‘What’s your secret?’
Hannah wondered what Clara would say if she told her that she and Rob had never even kissed. ‘No secret,’ she said, watching him shake her dad’s hand and kiss Joyce on both cheeks. ‘We just like each other a lot. Since the first day we met.’
‘Wow,’ said Clara. ‘I think I might be pregnant.’
Hannah watched her dad slap Rob on the back, and wondered fleetingly if this was what love felt like. Because if so, she was all in.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
‘So,’ said Hannah, as Rob turned east at the junction onto the main road that would take them back towards the Sierra Nevada. ‘Just us.’
‘Just us,’ said Rob, and she could hear the excitement and anticipation in his voice. ‘I’ll miss Scrumpy, though.’
‘He’s in the best hands,’ she said.
‘I really appreciate how cool you’ve been about all this,’ said Rob. He glanced at Hannah and smiled, and she felt her insides start to melt. She needed to get on her phone and book somewhere for them to stay tonight, but she’d left it in her tennis bag so it would have to wait until they stopped somewhere. Would it seem forward if she booked somewhere with just one bed? As far as she was concerned, she and Rob were definitely going to happen, and there was no point wasting any more time worrying about whether he was the great love of her life. She wasn’t getting any younger, and two weeks of unrequited desire was now manifesting as a permanent ache in her groin, like a vaginal headache.
‘So what’s the plan for your winnings?’ Rob asked.
‘That’s a good question,’ she said. ‘I haven’t really thought about it.’
‘I can’t believe he paid you three grand in cash, like he was fucking Pablo Escobar or something.’
‘At least it was all in twenties,’ said Hannah. ‘So I’m not the woman trying to break a hundred-euro note for two sandwiches and a Coke.’
‘Can’t you pay it into the bank?’
