Christmas at Lilac Cottage - Holly Martin Page 0,10

that oversized hoodie over black leggings and her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail, she looked adorable. She was fascinating too, he could have chatted to her all night. But she didn’t seem to know what she wanted. Flirting with him one moment and completely back-pedalling the next. He didn’t need another complicated woman in his life, Daisy was his entire world. But as he lay down in bed, it was Penny’s smile and those intense green gold eyes that he thought of before he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Three

Henry strode along the steep, narrow winding lanes with his niece Bea on his hip. She was too little to keep up with his long-legged stride so it was easier to carry her. She didn’t seem to mind.

He passed cute little cottages that were jutting out onto the cobbled streets, their front doors opening right out onto the road. The homes were a higgledy-piggledy mess – there was no order, they just seemed to have one house piled almost on top of the next one. They were all brightly coloured, but none were the same style as the previous one he had passed; some were tiny bungalows whereas some were large three-storey houses. But it just sort of worked.

He stepped into a coffee shop and looked up at the board to see what was on offer. He had to smile when the limited choices ran to cappuccino, espresso and a few herbal teas. This was definitely not Starbucks.

‘Jesus, who is that fine piece of ass?’ said a voice behind him in a staged whisper.

‘Jade, keep your voice down. I’m sure he can hear you.’

‘But look at him, we never get men like that in White Cliff Bay.’

‘That’s Henry Travis, Anna Kent’s brother, and that’s his niece. He’s moved into Penny’s annexe.’

Henry winced that they were talking about him so openly, like he was a piece of meat.

There was a loud bark of a laugh from a third woman. ‘I bet Penny thinks all her Christmases have come at once.’

‘He’s not going to go out with Penny,’ Jade said. ‘A man like that only goes out with beautiful women. Besides, she wouldn’t have the first clue what to do with him. She wouldn’t know how to please him.’

‘And you would?’

‘Oh yes. I could make him cry with joy.’

‘You’re so full of yourself.’

‘Shut up, Beth, do you want to have a go?’

‘I could do better than you.’

‘Want to have a bet? A hundred pounds to whoever can get him into bed first.’

Henry stared at the counter, incredulously as he waited for his turn in the queue. How old were these girls, twelve? He glanced briefly in their direction, three bleached blondes with long manicured nails and completely overdressed for a coffee shop on a Saturday morning. Their type did nothing for him.

‘Deal,’ said one, holding out her hand for the other to shake.

‘Well, as I saw him first, I get the first go,’ Jade said, standing up. Henry quickly looked away.

He heard the click-clack of heels over the tiled floor as she came towards him.

‘Excuse me, you must be Henry Travis. I’m Jade Ambleside.’ She held out a manicured hand for him to shake, which he ignored.

‘Sorry, I’ve sort of got my hands full,’ he gestured with his head towards Bea.

‘Well, aren’t you the cutest thing ever?’ Jade said in a singsong voice. ‘What’s your name?’

Bea stared at her with unblinking eyes. She wouldn’t speak to Jade. She didn’t speak to anyone outside her home. It was a worry for Anna that Bea would chat non-stop inside the house to her family but as soon as she left the home she wouldn’t say a word.

‘Her name’s Bea, she’s very shy.’

‘Oh, you don’t have to be shy with me, sweetheart,’ Jade sang, trying to pull a cutesy face. Bea just stared at her as if she was stupid. ‘I love children so much, I love playing with them and talking to them, kids love me.’

Henry doubted that statement to be true. He looked to the front of the queue where the same person who had been at the front when he came in was still happily chatting to the owner of the coffee shop.

‘Henry, I think we should get together some time, for a date?’ Jade said, thrusting her chest towards him.

‘Like a play date; do you have children too?’ Henry said, deliberately misunderstanding her. ‘Anna would love to take Bea to a play date with you, there’s a kids’ indoor play area