Page 42 of For the Love of Animals

“How much longer do you want to stay?” I asked.

“As long as you want. You’ve got a good family. And I understand from your grandma that one of the neighbours has baked a cake.”

“Yes, Guadalupe Pineda. She’s in her nineties, and trust me when I say you don’t want to eat it. We’ll probably have to cut it with a machete.”

“I’ve got one in the car.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

Dali bounded up to us, wearing a bandana and a mini sombrero, followed by Pasqual. The little dog had filled out in the last week, and the tail she’d once kept tucked between her legs now helicoptered in all directions.

“Dali! Don’t jump on Carmen’s dress,” he scolded her. “Come and eat your treats.”

“Pasqual adores that puppy, you know,” Teo said, sidling up to us as Pasqual led Dali towards the kitchen. “She’s been sitting in the shop with him and riding in the passenger seat of his van when he makes deliveries. He’ll be devastated when you take her to America with you. That’s where you’ll live, isn’t it?”

Nate and I looked at each other, and we both nodded at the same time.

“I’m moving to Virginia,” I told Teo. “But if Pasqual wants to keep Dali, he can. We rescued her from a bad situation last Sunday, so he’s spent more time with her than we have.”

“Really? We can keep her?”

Nate nodded his agreement. “We know you’ll both give her a good home.”

As Teo ran off to give Pasqual the good news, I mused over how quickly we’d started using “we” rather than “I.” And how natural it felt. Yes, I’d made the right decision today.

The only grey cloud was seeing Grandma’s happiness fade towards the end of the evening. She’d smiled all through the service and dinner, but when the younger guests got up to dance, an air of melancholy settled over her.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, squashing down the lingering annoyance at the mayhem she’d caused. “Tired?”

“Just sad that my life will soon be coming to an end.”

I clutched her hands in mine. “Thank you for helping me to start my life afresh, abuela. And for organising the party today.”

“I’m glad to see you happy, little one. And that man of yours is a real hunk. If only I were fifty years younger…”

Well, we all knew where I got my dirty mind from, didn’t we?

“When I’m fifty years older, I want to be just like you.”

CHAPTER 18 - CARMEN

“GOOD WORK ON Lozano. I’m assuming that was you and not natural causes?”

High praise indeed from Captain Pendejo. “Yes, it was me.”

“How did you do it?”

“Poison.”

“What kind of poison?”

“I’ll keep that to myself.”

“Cabo Hernandez, I’m your commanding officer.”

Not for long. “I understand that, sir, but as our general once said, it’s better to maintain plausible deniability.”

He stared at me for a long beat. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.” His tone said he really hated that idea. “But you’ll be pleased to hear that I’ve decided to give you more responsibilities. This Friday, you’ll be travelling to Sonora with five other members of the team. Santino Galegos was spotted there last week, and we understand he’ll be trying to muscle in now Lozano’s out of the picture.”

---