Christmas at Lilac Cottage: (#1 White Cliff Bay)

by Martin, Holly

  ‘What?’

  ‘You said you weren’t going to get involved with her.’

  ‘I didn’t say that.’

  ‘We agreed that she was an all-or-nothing kind of girl. You’re not capable of anything serious. You’re going to hurt her and I really like her. She’s said she’s happy to teach me about carving and that I can work with her part time around school and she will pay me to carve. You have no idea how much I want to work with her. My first proper job doing something I absolutely love and you’re going to screw it all up for me.’

  ‘I won’t screw it up. I have no intention of hurting her, that’s the last thing I want.’

  ‘But you will. Look at Rosie. You broke her heart.’

  ‘Rosie was never anything serious.’

  ‘It was for her.’

  He knew he had hurt Rosie when he broke up with her and he felt bad for that, but the worst thing was how upset Daisy had been by the break-up too. He shook his head. Why was he trying to justify his relationships to his sixteen-year-old daughter? Surely it should be the other way round.

  ‘She was never going to be a good fit for us.’

  ‘She doesn’t need to be a fit for us, she needs to be a fit for you. You finished it with her because she was getting too close.’

  It was true that he found it hard to imagine ever trusting or loving someone enough to have them in his and Daisy’s life permanently. He always kept women at a distance. But Daisy had lectured him about his commitment issues after he had split with Rosie and he had tried to prove he didn’t have these issues by bringing Emily into their life, which had resulted in the very thing he had tried for years to protect Daisy from. Daisy feared rejection, he knew that, that she was scared that one day he would leave her just as her mum had. But what Henry feared was any woman he was with rejecting Daisy, making her feel for one second unloved and unwanted, and Emily had done just that. It would be a long time before he could trust someone enough to let them into his life again.

  ‘Look, I like Penny and the ice carving is important to me. If you break her heart she is hardly likely to want me around any more. Be nice to her, be friends with her, but please don’t sleep with her,’ Daisy said.

  ‘Hang on, you don’t get to dictate who I do or don’t go out with. I would never presume to tell you who you can or can’t date.’

  ‘Oh, if that’s the case, you’ll be OK with me dating the huge tattooed guy who was just flirting with me in the kitchen.’

  Henry let out an involuntary growl. ‘That’s different and you know it.’

  ‘I have never asked you not to date anyone before, not even bitches like Emily.’

  ‘Watch your language.’

  ‘The point being I hope you can see how important this job is to me. I like living here. I know it’s small but the views are incredible and I really like living next door to Penny and Bernard. I think she’s lovely.’

  ‘I do too.’

  ‘So do you really want to ruin what could be a fantastic friendship for you two and ruin my first job just for a few weeks of fun?’

  Henry couldn’t help feeling like the naughty child called in front of the headmaster.

  Daisy walked back towards the house and Henry rubbed his head with the sudden complications. But if it really was that important to Daisy, he would have to forget about being with Penny once and for all.

  Daisy was right, he didn’t want anything serious and Penny didn’t want to get hurt. It was better all round if he stayed away from her.

  * * *

  Henry knocked softly on the connecting door later that night as Daisy tucked into the Italian with great relish. The girl was like a gannet, eating everything and anything in sight, and she still stayed stick-thin.

  ‘Save some for the rest of us, greedy guts.’

  Daisy grinned up at him with her winning smile and carried on eating at full speed.

  There was no answer from Penny so Henry tentatively let himself in.

  He didn’t want to call out if she was working in the cool room; if he scared her whilst she was working with some of those tools she could end up cutting off one of her fingers. He opened the cool room door but the room was empty. He closed it and that was when he saw her lying on the sofa in the darkness of the front room.

  He moved closer and noticed she had evidently fallen asleep reading some romance book. He carefully took the book out of her hands, marked the place with a piece of paper and put it on the coffee table. She was sleeping peacefully, her mouth parted slightly, her long eyelashes dusting her cheeks. He sat down on the coffee table feeling mildly creepy watching her sleep, but finding her peaceful slumber incredibly alluring too.

  He ran his hand up her arm, giving her a gentle shake and her eyes fluttered open.

  ‘Hey,’ he said softly. ‘Dinner is ready and if we don’t get in there soon, the hungry caterpillar in there will eat it all.’

  She looked around in confusion. ‘Did I fall asleep?’

  ‘Evidently.’

  She sat up and swung her legs off the sofa, but he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her getting up. ‘Give yourself a moment to wake up.’

  ‘I never fall asleep during the day.’ She rubbed her face and looked up at him. Her hair was sticking out at all angles and there was something just so achingly endearing about her.

  She stood up and shivered. He grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it round her and with his hand on her back he guided her towards the connecting door.

  As they walked into the kitchen, Daisy looked up at them in horror at Penny’s appearance. With the bright red blanket, pale face and hair everywhere she did look like she’d just been rescued from a hurricane or plane crash. Henry made frantic gestures behind Penny’s back so Daisy didn’t say anything to make Penny feel self-conscious. Thankfully, after sixteen years of living together, she knew him well enough to understand him.

  ‘Here, sit down,’ Daisy said gently, as if Penny had just received some bad news and needed tender loving care.

  Daisy patted the seat next to her and Penny sat down, obviously still waking up.

  Penny started helping herself to some of the food and Daisy mouthed over her head, asking if she was OK. Henry nodded and mimed that she had been sleeping. Daisy sighed with relief.

  Daisy liked Penny and it was easy to see why. He really liked her too. But it was almost unheard of for Daisy to like the same women he did. She had never really liked any of his girlfriends apart from Rosie and, although he hadn’t the best track record for choosing wisely, he did wonder whether some of it was to do with not wanting to share him after she’d had him to herself for the last sixteen years. He didn’t want to upset Daisy and he worried over how much his daughter would still like Penny if he ever got involved with her, or if she would find fault in her just like all the others. Daisy had practically made him promise not to pursue things with Penny and he had to remember that.

  They ate and chatted about the upcoming ball for a while and then Daisy got up and started clearing away the plates.

  ‘We better get going,’ Henry said, glancing at his watch.

  Penny nodded. ‘I’ll just grab my shoes and coat, I won’t be a second.’

  Sure enough, she was back in the kitchen a few seconds later, with her shoes on, fastening her coat, her hair still a wild, tangled bush.

  Henry bit his lip. As much as it didn’t bother him in the slightest going out with her looking like this, he knew it would bother her.

  ‘Erm… maybe you should, er, brush your hair first,’ Henry said.

  Penny looked at him in shock. ‘Why, what’s the matter with it?’ She glanced at herself in the reflection of the window and her eyes widened. ‘Oh my god, why didn’t you tell me I looked such a state?’

  ‘Because we’re friends, and if you came to dinner in your tattiest stained pyjamas, I wouldn’t give a shit.’

  Penny turned to look at him, a huge genuine smile forming on her face. ‘We’re
friends?’

  ‘Yes of course.’ He wasn’t sure what had caused her to smile so much but he liked it a lot. Penny didn’t say anything else, she just walked out, presumably to do something about her wayward hair, but she had the biggest grin on her face.

  He looked at Daisy in confusion and she came and hugged him. ‘You know, for all your grumpiness you can be very sweet sometimes.’

  ‘What did I do?’

  Daisy let him go. ‘I’m just going to grab my hat.’

  She ran upstairs and he stared after her. Women, he’d never understand them.

  Penny came back in with her hair suitably brushed and swept up in a loose ponytail and he caught her arm as she moved towards the door.

  ‘Look, I’m sorry about…’ he gestured towards the shed, ‘the flirting and everything. I don’t want to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable and I certainly don’t want to do anything to hurt you, but I would like to be friends. I promise no more flirting from now on.’

  She eyed him speculatively for a moment then smiled. ‘I’d really like to be friends too.’

  She stuck out her hand for him to shake and he smiled as he took it. The feel of her skin against his was like a jolt to the stomach. Her eyes were alight with happiness, trusting him so easily, when he barely trusted himself. Being friends was for the best.

  * * *

  Penny’s heart sank a little as they walked down towards the seafront and she realised that the ice rink was directly outside The Pilchard, Chris’s parents’ pub, a place she had tried to avoid for the last eight years. His parents had been lovely while they were dating and had been very excited about the arrival of their first grandchild, even if her pregnancy had come very early in their relationship. But after the miscarriage, and shortly after, the break-up, Chris had tried to tell anyone who looked badly on him for leaving her mere days after she had lost their child that she was unhinged, deranged and completely psychotic. Thankfully, most people hadn’t believed it. She wasn’t sure what his parents believed but the fact they had never been to see her in the months after their grandchild had died probably meant they had believed everything their son had fed them. She’d seen them around town occasionally but they always scurried off in the opposite direction whenever they saw her, making an already awkward situation worse. Thankfully Chris didn’t live in White Cliff Bay any more, but he did pop back occasionally to see his parents and the thought of running into him when she still felt so much anger towards him was not one she relished.

  She looked at the ice skating rink, determined she was going to enjoy her night out and not let any of her feelings ruin it for Henry and Daisy.

  Standing just in front of the rink was a fire breather, enticing the crowds with his fiery talent, and the golden glow of the flames stood dramatically against the icy backdrop of the ice rink.

  The ice rink looked magical and enticing as they approached. Fairy lights were strewn across the top of the rink in a criss-cross star pattern and they sent orbs of lights over the black waves immediately behind the rink. With only nine days until the Christmas Eve ball, it seemed that the Christmas festivities were well underway.

  Penny smiled as couples old and young clung to each other as they slid gracefully past, families with small children linked between them creating small chains of people as they skated round the rink.

  They paid and got changed into their skates. Penny stood up, wobbling on the blades. How was anyone supposed to walk in these things, let alone move with any kind of skill or grace? Her feet really hurt inside them, but she guessed that was to do with the muscles she was using to stay upright. She hobbled towards the entrance, knowing that if she had been trying to impress Henry, she was a million miles away from looking sexy right now. Daisy got on the ice first, skating off and zooming round with all the ease of someone who had been doing it for years. Henry got on and patiently waited for her, both hands out towards her for her to hold.

  She grabbed them and stepped onto the ice. Immediately her legs were like Bambi’s underneath her, sliding in opposite directions to each other and she tried to run on the spot to try to stop herself from falling. She squealed, drawing a lot of unnecessary attention down on herself. Henry immediately hauled her up against him, holding her steady, with his arms round her back and her face squashed against his chest.

  Oh god, it felt too good in his arms. He was warm and strong and so solid. She tentatively rested her hands on his hips, trying to steady herself, but the rush of emotions that stormed through her at being held did nothing to quell her nerves.

  ‘Don’t panic, I’ve got you, I’m not going to let you fall, trust me,’ Henry said softly, with all the patience and tenderness of addressing a frightened child.

  Holding on to her forearms firmly, he pulled back slightly, holding her up.

  ‘OK, relax, bend your legs a little and lean forward slightly, I’m going to pull you round. Look at me, not your feet.’

  She stared up at him and unbelievably he started skating backwards, taking her with him. He cast an odd glance over his shoulder now and again, but other than that his eyes stayed on hers the whole time.

  ‘You’re doing great, don’t look down.’

  She cast a look around and was surprised to see almost everyone on the rink and the spectators were watching her and Henry. Was she doing that badly that she was keeping everyone entertained with her wobbly gait? She flushed with embarrassment.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘People are staring.’

  ‘They’re not, don’t be so self-conscious.’

  She glanced around again. ‘No, they’re definitely staring.’

  Henry looked around as well, and she saw him frown as he saw all the eyes that were watching them.

  ‘They’re probably looking at me, you know the new guy in town, people are curious,’ he said, trying to placate her.

  She looked at some of the townsfolk. Some were smiling at her encouragingly and Suzanna, one elderly lady she knew quite well, gave her a big thumbs up and a toothy wink as they passed. Suddenly Penny realised why they were getting all the attention: they thought she and Henry were a couple and they were all smiling because it was the first time that Penny had been with a man in over eight years. It was embarrassing because it wasn’t true.

  ‘They think we’re together,’ Penny said, quietly. ‘Sorry, these guys don’t get out too much and me holding hands with a man is big news.’

  Henry smiled. ‘I’m not remotely bothered by it, so you shouldn’t be either. If they want to think I’m going out with a beautiful woman, then I’m totally fine with that.’

  Penny flushed again at the compliment.

  ‘Right, start picking your feet up a little like this, so you can practise distributing your weight onto your different feet.’ He demonstrated lifting each of his feet off the ice ever so slightly and repeating it several times.

  Penny blocked out the stares and studied his feet and attempted to do the same. It was surprisingly easy.

  He gave her a few more pointers about pushing her legs back so that soon she was propelling herself across the ice. Even though he was still holding her hands, she felt like she was doing most of the work. He was a great teacher, so patient and demonstrative.

  He stopped her and moved to her side, still holding one of her hands. ‘Let’s try it like this for a while, I won’t let you fall.’

  She knew he wouldn’t. She tentatively pushed off and was pleased that she seemed to have the hang of it, though her legs felt like they were shaking under the strain. Her feet were still hurting and there were muscles screaming in her legs that she never knew she had. She caught sight of Daisy, staring at them. The last thing she wanted was for Daisy to feel left out so she pulled to a stop, clinging on to the side.

  ‘I’m just going to have a rest for a little while. Why don’t you skate with Daisy for a bit and I’ll get back on in a few minutes?’

  Henry nodded and escorted her safely off the ice, befo
re tearing after Daisy and chasing her round the rink.

  Penny sat down on a bench, took her skates off and leaned back against the sea wall. The waves were crashing onto the rocks about twenty metres below and she looked out at the little red and white striped lighthouse warning ships of the rocky islets that surrounded the bay.

  Over the sound of the waves, she heard a shout of laughter come from the other side of the sea wall.

  Penny knelt up and peered over the wall. The slipway behind her, used for the launch of boats, looked empty, but suddenly movement at the very bottom of the slip where it joined the water caught her eye.

  She squinted against the bright lights of the ice rink to see two boys, Sam and Alex, playing just a few feet from the water’s edge. The waves were crashing theatrically against the sea wall, mere inches from where they were standing, and the boys didn’t seem fazed at all.

  Where were Mike and Pippa, the kids’ parents?

  Loads of kids played on the slip during the day, but normally only when the tide was out. Three big shipwrecks had happened in the cove over the years and wonderful little treasures like cups, plates, coins, jewellery and various sailing paraphernalia washed up on the slip on an almost weekly basis. Most of it was completely worthless, but for the children of the town it was like a little treasure trove down there. She watched Sam and Alex now, filling their buckets up with bits of sea glass, and other wondrous delights.

  She looked around for Mike and Pippa. Surely they hadn’t let them go and play down there when the tide was in?

  Suddenly a huge wave crashed against the slip, covering the boys completely, and to Penny’s horror, when the water receded, there was only one boy left on the slipway.

  Chapter Eight

  She was on her feet before she even knew what she was doing, leaping over the small barrier separating the ice rink from the public and running to the top of the slipway.

  She spotted Daniel, Maggie’s husband, with his two small boys in tow and he looked at her in horror as she ran past.