The Vintage Ice Cream Van Road Trip (Cherry Pie Island - Book 2) by Jenny Oliver Page A
Authors: Jenny Oliver
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my roof. But they have cut fallen sycamore into stumps for cafe tables (sounds gross but actually v. nice). If you’re bored, talk to the baby. A x
Holly looked down at her tummy and scrunched up her face. ‘OK in there?’ she said. Then she had a bit of a look around. The dog walkers had stopped for a chat while the dogs sniffed around each other. A couple of students ambled past her, kicking a stone along the pavement.
Holly looked back at her bump. ‘We haven’t got anywhere to stay at the moment. But don’t worry,’ she said, ‘I think Daddy’ll find us somewhere. I don’t think he’ll allow himself to be wrong.’ She smiled to herself. ‘He’s very stubborn,’ she said and then, after a second’s pause, carried on, pleased to have found someone to tell all her frustrations. ‘And really full of himself. And he refuses to admit when he’s wrong. And he drives way too fast. And he doesn’t really listen. And…’ She stopped herself, realising that this wasn’t the person to be telling and a loop of the journey so far suddenly spinning through her head: Wilf running to jump into the van, the funny lunch on the ferry, the dinner outside at the service station under the pines, the Mickey Mouse like a mascot on the front seat, and now Wilf trudging all across town to find them a place to stay. She sighed. ‘OK,’ she said to the tiny bump, ‘He’s not that bad. And I think whatever happens you’ll be OK because he’ll be an OK dad.’ She paused, ran her finger in a line from left to right across her T-shirt, then gave her stomach a prod. ‘He’s funnier than I thought,’ she added with another prod.
‘You think I’m funny?’ she heard Wilf say from behind her and she closed her eyes for a second, wondering how long he’d been standing there.
‘No. I was just saying it for the baby.’
Wilf laughed as he climbed over the back of the bench and slid down next to her. ‘I think it’s a bit unfair that you get to talk to it. I think I should talk to it. Play it music. Stuff like that.’ He was looking at Holly very seriously.
‘If you want to talk to it, you are more than welcome,’ Holly said, putting her hands down either side of her on the bench so her tummy was easily accessible.
Wilf made a face. ‘Well it’s kind of embarrassing with you here listening.’
‘There’s not much I can do about that.’
Wilf bit his lip, looked around to check no one could hear him in the square and then leant forward so his lips were level with Holly’s tummy. ‘Hello, baby,’ he said, clearly feeling awkward. ‘Dad here… No, it’s too weird.’
‘Keep going,’ Holly said with a nod.
‘OK.’ Wilf straightened his collar, pushed his hair back. ‘OK. Hi, baby, it’s your dad. Hi. Um. Nice to meet you. I don’t know if you’re a boy or a girl, but I am going to work on your mum about that.’ He sucked in a breath and glanced up for a sneaky look at Holly, who made a face back at him. Wilf grinned. ‘I’ll play you some music at some point. Good stuff. I’m not convinced about your mum’s taste so far. And I don’t want any of her boyfriends in the future playing you their crap.’
Holly raised her eyebrows and Wilf shrugged.
The idea of meeting someone new felt strangely sad all of a sudden. She thought about waving the kid goodbye on a Saturday morning, as Wilf pulled up in his Porsche or whatever flash car he drove, and them spending the weekend having a cool, crazy time together. She saw herself as single in that image, but maybe she wouldn’t be. Maybe there would be someone by her side as she waved her child off with Wilf. She thought about her mum leaving and the few times she hung out with her and her new boyfriend. How weird it felt, simply because she knew her mum had left her for him. That had made this man better. More important than her. And she hated that. She hated that if she had asked her mum to choose, she would have picked him.
She’d told Enid that
Holly looked down at her tummy and scrunched up her face. ‘OK in there?’ she said. Then she had a bit of a look around. The dog walkers had stopped for a chat while the dogs sniffed around each other. A couple of students ambled past her, kicking a stone along the pavement.
Holly looked back at her bump. ‘We haven’t got anywhere to stay at the moment. But don’t worry,’ she said, ‘I think Daddy’ll find us somewhere. I don’t think he’ll allow himself to be wrong.’ She smiled to herself. ‘He’s very stubborn,’ she said and then, after a second’s pause, carried on, pleased to have found someone to tell all her frustrations. ‘And really full of himself. And he refuses to admit when he’s wrong. And he drives way too fast. And he doesn’t really listen. And…’ She stopped herself, realising that this wasn’t the person to be telling and a loop of the journey so far suddenly spinning through her head: Wilf running to jump into the van, the funny lunch on the ferry, the dinner outside at the service station under the pines, the Mickey Mouse like a mascot on the front seat, and now Wilf trudging all across town to find them a place to stay. She sighed. ‘OK,’ she said to the tiny bump, ‘He’s not that bad. And I think whatever happens you’ll be OK because he’ll be an OK dad.’ She paused, ran her finger in a line from left to right across her T-shirt, then gave her stomach a prod. ‘He’s funnier than I thought,’ she added with another prod.
‘You think I’m funny?’ she heard Wilf say from behind her and she closed her eyes for a second, wondering how long he’d been standing there.
‘No. I was just saying it for the baby.’
Wilf laughed as he climbed over the back of the bench and slid down next to her. ‘I think it’s a bit unfair that you get to talk to it. I think I should talk to it. Play it music. Stuff like that.’ He was looking at Holly very seriously.
‘If you want to talk to it, you are more than welcome,’ Holly said, putting her hands down either side of her on the bench so her tummy was easily accessible.
Wilf made a face. ‘Well it’s kind of embarrassing with you here listening.’
‘There’s not much I can do about that.’
Wilf bit his lip, looked around to check no one could hear him in the square and then leant forward so his lips were level with Holly’s tummy. ‘Hello, baby,’ he said, clearly feeling awkward. ‘Dad here… No, it’s too weird.’
‘Keep going,’ Holly said with a nod.
‘OK.’ Wilf straightened his collar, pushed his hair back. ‘OK. Hi, baby, it’s your dad. Hi. Um. Nice to meet you. I don’t know if you’re a boy or a girl, but I am going to work on your mum about that.’ He sucked in a breath and glanced up for a sneaky look at Holly, who made a face back at him. Wilf grinned. ‘I’ll play you some music at some point. Good stuff. I’m not convinced about your mum’s taste so far. And I don’t want any of her boyfriends in the future playing you their crap.’
Holly raised her eyebrows and Wilf shrugged.
The idea of meeting someone new felt strangely sad all of a sudden. She thought about waving the kid goodbye on a Saturday morning, as Wilf pulled up in his Porsche or whatever flash car he drove, and them spending the weekend having a cool, crazy time together. She saw herself as single in that image, but maybe she wouldn’t be. Maybe there would be someone by her side as she waved her child off with Wilf. She thought about her mum leaving and the few times she hung out with her and her new boyfriend. How weird it felt, simply because she knew her mum had left her for him. That had made this man better. More important than her. And she hated that. She hated that if she had asked her mum to choose, she would have picked him.
She’d told Enid that
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