Page 62 of Daydreaming at the Boathouse Cafe

And then he realised he knew exactly what the answer was.

‘I’ll do it,’ Alex found himself blurting out.

‘Do what?’ asked Ben.

‘I’ll be your not-so-silent partner,’ Alex told his best friend with a grin. ‘I’ve wanted to invest in something worthwhile for a long time.’

It was true. He had been considering various investments but had never come across a project that he felt passionate about until that moment.

‘Do you have that kind of money?’ asked Ben, frowning.

Alex nodded. ‘I’ve been sensible over the years so yeah, I have enough to invest in this. I reckon it’s right up my street with the health opportunities for everyone.’

Ben looked delighted and the family burst into life once more with excited chatter.

‘Oh, yes, this could be really amazing!’ said Lily, clapping her hands together in glee.

However, Alex noticed that Walter wasn’t smiling and was actually shaking his head.

He held up his hand to quieten everyone down. ‘I’m not so sure about this,’ he said. ‘It’ll disturb the guests for one thing. They come here for the peace and quiet, not all of that messing about.’

‘Grandad, I understand your concerns but we need this from a business point of view this summer,’ said Ben, looking serious. ‘You know how tight things still are for us all.’

Alex blanched at the honesty of his friend.

Grandfather and grandson exchanged a long look before Walter finally nodded.

‘OK. I trust you, Ben, to get it right,’ said Walter, still not looking pleased. ‘But I don’t want the place ruined. Folks should be able to eat their breakfast in peace in our hotel, not overlooking Piccadilly Circus out there.’

‘I understand,’ said Ben, frowning. ‘So how do we keep everyone happy?’

‘Why don’t you have all the swimming at the other end of the lake beyond the boathouse?’ suggested Dotty. ‘There’s that smaller beach there and it would be more private for the swimmers too. Not all ladies feel confident swanning about in their swimsuits, you know.’

‘Good idea,’ said Ben, nodding. ‘And there’s a clearing over there that we can use as a car park instead of the hotel one. That way it doesn’t impact the hotel guests.’

‘So what are we talking about?’ asked Alex. ‘Paddleboards and more swimming clubs?’

‘Absolutely,’ replied Ben. ‘With you running it, that is!’

Alex laughed. ‘I’m not qualified as either a lifeguard or a teacher,’ he told his friend.

But Ben didn’t look put off. ‘But you’d be free, right?’ he said, with a grin.

Alex was still smiling. ‘Is that my only criteria?’

‘Nonsense,’ said Faye. ‘I think you’d be an excellent teacher. You’re very patient.’

‘And you’re always harping on about the health and safety to me and my friends,’ added Dotty, with a wink.

‘But I’ve never even used a paddleboard,’ Alex told them. ‘I only know how to swim, run and cycle.’

‘Well, you can’t do that without some level of fitness,’ joked Walter.

‘And I’ll have to find some kind of lifeguard course,’ carried on Alex.

‘There must be some online that we can look up,’ said Lily.

‘So what do you say?’ asked Ben. ‘The job’s yours, mate, if you want it. Just for those summer months that you were struggling to fill, if I remember.’