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.