Read Online Ask Me to Stay by Elise K Ackers - Free Book Online Page A

and passed handfuls of the local newspaper around between them. As they scrunched, tore and tucked the pages into pockets between the logs, someone shouted, ‘That’s what they think of your paper, Brian!’
    People laughed. Many with their mouths full. The sausages had been handed out on bread rolls with sauce and onions. Kids gathered close, all holding sticks with marshmallows stuck on them.
    Rowan and Nina had collected kindling this afternoon, and the men used it now to pad out the base of the stack and give the fire some easy fuel. When Dean struck a match, the first lick of yellow flame coaxed a cheer from the crowd. He grinned and let the match fly. It fell into the pile, a moment passed, then smoke climbed skyward.
    After a few more well-aimed matches, the pile was ablaze.
    Cal laughed with his neighbours and joined in a goofy fire dance with the kids, but he wasn’t able to forget the time. Anna was late, if she was even coming at all. When he’d called her this morning to tell her about their plans for a bonfire, she’d sounded distracted and irritable.
    ‘Doesn’t it sound amazing?’ he’d prompted.
    ‘It sounds like every other party we’ve been to this year. It’s the same people talking about the same crap.’
    ‘It’s not the same people, Ethan will be here.’
    Which hadn’t seemed to impress her.
    Anna was originally from the city. She’d moved out here eighteen months ago with her then boyfriend. Things hadn’t worked out between them and he’d moved back to Sydney, stranding her here in a dead-end job in a town full of strangers. Cal had met her the way he met most new locals – they came into his pub needing a drink.
    Six months ago he’d talked her into dinner, and she’d enjoyed herself. They’d been together ever since, and they’d mostly been happy. He knew that she missed the city, and he planned to take her back there for a holiday when he had someone at the pub trained up enough to run it without him. But for now they had each other. He’d tried to foster a friendship between Anna and Sam, but it hadn’t gotten off the ground, which was a shame.
    Anna seemed to prefer to keep to herself, and she probably thought Cal spent too much time at Dean’s, but he couldn’t help that – he was drawn to this place. Especially now, when Dean needed a lot of help and support.
    He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he eased out of the crowd. It was a text message from her, saying she was out the front of Dean’s house. He jogged around to meet her, thrilled that she had come, after all.
    She was waiting by her car door, arms crossed, face shrouded in semi-darkness.
    He moved to close his arms around her but she shrugged away. He pocketed his hands. He could be too much, he reminded himself. He crowded her. Nevertheless, his body eased towards her when she spoke.
    ‘Sounds like some party.’
    ‘It’s great. Come round back. Dean’s saved that wine you like; I’ll pour you a glass.’
    She tightened her arms around herself. ‘That’s not a good idea.’
    ‘You won’t have to drive. We can stay, there’s plenty of rooms.’
    ‘I can’t drink at the moment. It makes me sick.’
    He frowned. ‘It makes you . . .’ He trailed off. His brows shot up.
    ‘I’m pregnant.’
    The flat, abrupt way she said it was jarring, but the words still had the same meaning. A thrill tripped up his spine. He’d seized her before she could dodge him, and with his arms tight around her, he lifted Anna from her feet and kissed her full on the mouth.
    ‘Baby, that’s amazing! Oh my God, this is amazing!’
    She thrashed and he released her. ‘Stop,’ she said. ‘Just stop for a minute. We need to talk.’
    Numb with joy and surprise, the warning bells in his head did not sound loudly enough. He made fists with his hands and pumped them towards the stars. ‘Yes!’ he cried. He looked down at her. ‘Baby, yes!’
    ‘Caleb, I’m leaving.’
    He jumped to action. ‘Okay, okay.