Page 79 of Daydreaming at the Boathouse Cafe

‘I am.’ Hannah was enthused with assertiveness about the business now. ‘Trust me.’

Thankfully he did and the ice cream for dogs was a huge success with everyone who brought their canine family members with them to cool off in the lake.

Life began to slow down under the intense heat of the day and everyone was eager to escape the heat of the towns and cities to the cool waters of Dragonfly Lake.

That included Beth and Ella, who joined them one weekend in early July.

As it had been her busiest day so far that summer, Hannah felt weary but pleased with the success.

She just wanted a quiet drink with her friends that evening to relax. However, the snug was packed with all the people who had been enjoying the beach and lake throughout the day and had decided to prolong their journeys home and enjoy one of Frankie’s delicious cocktails first.

It meant that when the four friends arrived, there wasn’t a single seat left either in the bar or outside on the veranda.

‘I thought we would have got some kind of reserved seating as we’re pretty much family,’ said Ella, frowning as she stared down at the picnic blanket that Hannah had just brought out to lay on the grass. ‘Do I have to go on that? I’m wearing white shorts.’

‘You’ll survive,’ said Lily, carefully sinking to the rug so as not to spill her drink.

‘Enjoy being outdoors,’ said Beth. ‘I spent all day yesterday in a room without air conditioning and then a packed train where I had to stand up the whole way. Right now I’m thinking about stripping off and running straight into the lake.’

‘Well, that would get the customers out of the snug,’ said Ella. ‘Maybe I’ll let you do it so we can grab a seat whilst they’re ogling you.’

Beth rolled her eyes. ‘Cocktail first,’ she said, taking a sip. ‘Mmm, that’s amazing.’

‘Frankie’s latest creation,’ said Lily. ‘Summer Dream, I think she’s called it.’

Hannah took a sip. The fresh mango and strawberries plus a hint of rum made it feel as if she were on holiday.

‘I needed this,’ she said, before taking another sip. She could feel the rum relaxing her shoulders and sank back on the rug.

‘It’s great that everyone’s so busy,’ said Ella.

‘You’re doing so well,’ said Beth to Hannah.

‘Isn’t she?’ said Lily. ‘The café’s been a huge success.’

‘Absolutely,’ said Ella, before looking at Beth. ‘Go on. I’ll let you streak into the lake in just your underwear. Maybe that’ll bring in even more customers.’

They all laughed and continued to enjoy their cocktail and gossip as they lay by the beach until the sun had gone down, watching the bright blue dragonflies making the most of the long, warm rays as they fizzed above the water like fairy aeroplanes.

Much later on, and feeling relaxed due to Frankie’s delicious cocktails, the girls were finally able to find a comfortable sofa in the snug after all the customers had left and it was only the family in the bar.

‘What a day,’ said Frankie, with a sigh.

Faye, who was sitting on a barstool nearby, looked at her, concerned. ‘Is it getting too much for you?’ she asked.

‘You know me, I like to keep busy,’ replied Frankie. ‘But some customers left without even ordering a drink because there weren’t any spare seats.’

‘Such a shame,’ said Dotty. ‘Can we put some extra chairs out? On the beach perhaps.’

Alex grimaced. ‘That might be a bit risky with any early swimmers, especially if they’re taking glass out there.’

‘I agree,’ added Faye. ‘The beach should be kept clear.’

‘Well, we can’t go on like this,’ said Dotty. ‘This run of good weather is set to last so it’s only going to get busier, not quieter.’

‘Excellent,’ said Walter. ‘It’s doing wonders for our profits!’

Frankie, who was massaging her feet, shot him a look. ‘Good. You can pay for my spa treatment when this rush is over.’