Ember Island Read Online Free PDF Page A

tea?”
    “Coffee?”
    “I don’t have any. Sorry.”
    “I thought all writers drank coffee. And scotch.” He smiled. He had a lovely smile, earthy and knowing, and I felt an embarrassing stirring of desire. Luckily, I’m not a blusher.
    “I never drink either of those things,” I laughed. “I will have to get some coffee.”
    “Tea will be fine. Julian’s outside climbing the tree. I hope that’s okay.”
    “Of course. Is it safe?”
    “Yes, the lower branches are all fine. As long as we don’t get another storm like the last one, it will still be standing there when we’re all dead and gone. And Julian’s like a monkey. He climbs everything.”
    He followed me into the kitchen, and I switched on the kettle. “So, Julian’s mother . . .” I started.
    “You want the story?”
    “I don’t mean to be nosy.”
    “No, it’s fine. I have no idea where she is. She skipped out before he turned two. Found another man, went off backpacking around the world. Motherhood wasn’t for her.”
    “That must have been very sad.”
    “I was just focused on Julian. He cried every night for months . . .” He trailed off and I realized that his eyes were glazed, so I didn’t push him further. He collected himself. “But that was six years ago and we’re really happy now, and that’s all that counts. She contacts me from time to time, but has never asked about seeing us again. And that suits me fine.”
    I concentrated on making tea, wondering if I’d overstepped politeness by asking him about her, but curious nonetheless. I was intrigued by him. Being in his presence set off all of those deep, primal stirrings I’d been repressing since my split from Cameron. “I wonder why motherhood was not for her. I mean, if she chose to have a child and—”
    “She didn’t choose. I chose for her. Julian wasn’t planned and . . . I talked her into keeping the baby.” He went quiet.
    “Well,” I said, not quite sure what to say.
    “I love kids. I would have liked more. I was an only child and I didn’t want Julian to be as well. But then she was gone.”
    I would have liked more . In a way, I was glad he’d said it. Because it reminded me that I had no place trying to form a relationship with Joe, as kind and attractive as he was. I wouldn’t put myself through that again.
    “This must a lovely place to raise a child,” I said breezily.
    “It is. My parents live here on the island. They have a farm down at the south point. We live in a converted shed on the farm and we’re happy, and I’m nearly finished with my PhD and then things might be different. We won’t be struggling so much for money.”
    I handed him his tea and he leaned his back against the kitchen bench and sipped it carefully. I watched him a few moments, considering the worry on his brow, on his shoulders. And then I said, “I have a proposition for you. While I’m here,the next two months, I want you to work for me a few days a week.”
    “Doing what?”
    “Running errands. Managing the roof and chimney repairs. Getting my shopping from the mainland. I am so far over deadline . . . I can’t set foot off this island now.” The real world would come rushing back in and crush me. “I’ll pay you really well.”
    He put his mug down and spread his hands. “I accept. I accept, so so gratefully.”
    Julian slammed the screen door behind him then and called out, “Daddy?”
    “In here, champ.”
    The child entered shyly. He held out his hand. In it was a gecko. I tried not to recoil.
    “He’s a beauty,” Joe said, kneeling to look at the lizard. Its little heart beat visibly beneath its velvet skin. “But you’d better put him back. He probably wants to be near his dad.”
    Julian ran off, the screen door slammed again. Joe said, “Sorry.”
    “It’s fine. It slams behind me too.”
    “Okay, well, I’m going to get started in the lounge room pulling off the plasterboard on the chimney wall. That’ll save you some