Read The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Café for Free Online Page A

absentmindedly again at the L of the boat name and half of it came away. She looked round to check Holly wasn’t watching and tried to patch it back together, sticking it back on but it fell to the ground. Sheepishly, she scuttled to the other side of the landing stage.
    ‘Is your dad still boatman here?’ she called into the boathouse, towards where Holly was racking her boat.
    ‘Of course,’ Holly shouted, ‘He’ll never leave!’
    Annie laughed, remembered many afternoons after school spent sitting in the warm sun, legs dangling in the river, sanding down blades for Holly’s dad in return for Saturday-night-out cash.
    As she moved herself as far from the motorboat with the missing L as possible, she came across a battered old ice cream van, tucked round the side in an overgrown alleyway. Pastel blue and white, it had a wonky awning and a broken window. The wheel arches were speckled with rust but otherwise it was a vintage classic. Stickers for 99s and raspberry ripples decorated the glass and inside were ruffled curtains patterned with forget-me-nots and pink and white striped bunting.
    ‘Well I got that,’ Holly said, coming to stand beside her.
    ‘This?’ Annie pointed at the little van.
    ‘Uh-huh. It was Enid’s. Don’t you remember, she’d sell ice cream at weddings? Dressed it up with bluebells and blossom.’
    Annie laughed, ‘And I suppose you’re far too cool for bluebells and blossom, Holly?’
    Holly raised a brow, ‘Too right. You should be thankful. Who do you think it is who’s kept Gerty out of those dreadful dresses Suzi wants to put her in? It’s me that bought her the yellow jeans and red converse.’
    Annie frowned, ‘How did you manage that?’
    ‘She’s learning to row. On the first day she appeared all covered in frills and lace and looked so uncomfortable. I took pity on her.’
    ‘Aww!’ Annie tipped her head to one side and smiled at her friend. ‘I didn’t know you had this maternal streak.’
    Holly scoffed, then reached forward and ran her hand down the rusty paintwork, changing the subject back to the van. ‘Well, Enid left it to me. God knows why. And it’s just sitting here gathering dust and mice.’
    ‘Maybe you should fix it up?’ Annie shrugged.
    ‘And do what with it?’
    Annie smiled, ‘Travel the world, my dear. Wasn’t that always your plan? Sell ice cream from it at weddings? Convert it into a caravan? I mean, Holly, what are you still doing here anyway? There’s only so long a beautiful young girl can live on an island.’
    Holly shook her head, was about to say something and then changed her mind. Instead she turned her back on Annie and gestured towards the river to where Matt was rowing back, the clouds darkening on the horizon, the boat skating past them, cutting through water flat as ice. ‘Why would I leave? Look at me, I’m surrounded by eligible young men...’ She glanced back at Annie over her shoulder, ‘But I have a feeling someone else might have their eye on him...’
    Annie blushed. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have enough problems with the cafe without adding some brooding adventurer to the list. Oh shit, he’s going to hit those ducklings—’
    Annie pointed to just in front of Matt’s boat where a trail of eleven little brown and yellow ducklings were in a line behind their mum, the bow of his boat powering towards them.
    ‘Stop!’ Annie shouted, running to the edge of the water. ‘Stop! Stop!’ She waved her hands above her head. ‘You’ve got to stop!’
    Matthew did a sudden movement with his blades and his boat halted on the spot. Sweat pouring down his face, his breath coming in short bursts, he leant forward to pause his stopwatch. ‘What?’ He looked around for the danger, clearly ready to act. ‘What’s happened?’
    The ducklings were well across the river, hadn’t ever really been threatened, Annie realised. ‘Erm…’ she frowned. ‘It was…Erm…’
    Matthew was just getting his