Read Chase the Stars (Lang Downs 2 ) for Free Online

old man happened to me,” Kami replied. “I’d say Caine’s uncle was one of a kind except Caine seems determined to follow in his footsteps.”
“Macklin said the same thing,” Chris commented.
“Macklin told you about the old man?”
“About Michael Lang? Yes. Why?”
“Because as far as I know, Macklin’s never told anyone that story, except maybe Caine,” Kami said. “I wonder why he told you now.”
To get me to trust him.
“I don’t know. I was in the hospital trying to figure out what to do next, and he told me he’d been where I was and that Michael Lang made him see sense. He said he wanted to do the same for me,” Chris explained.
Kami hummed an acknowledgment softly as he bustled around the kitchen, putting the final touches on what Chris thought might be pad thai of some variety, although he wasn’t completely sure. “He must have thought it was really important to have you here if he told you about himself. I know none of the other jackaroos have the slightest idea he was ever a kid with nowhere to go.”
“You know.”
“I was already here when he arrived. The old man took me in the year before he took Macklin in.”
“Why don’t you say his name?”
“It hasn’t been a year since he died,” Kami replied. “It’s not respectful to say his name.”
“I’m sorry,” Chris said. “I didn’t know.”
Kami smiled. “It’s not your culture to avoid the names of the dead. It doesn’t grieve me to hear it spoken, but I’ll pay him the respect he was due in my own way, the same way he always paid me respect when he was alive.”
“He must have been an amazing man,” Chris marveled. “I wish I could have met him.”
“You know Caine, and that’s close enough,” Kami said. “They don’t look all that much alike, but Caine has his uncle’s spirit. There’s no doubt about that.”
“How long has Caine been here?”
“Since March,” Kami replied. “He came a few months after his uncle passed.”
“He seems so… settled, but that’s only six months ago.”
“He belongs here,” Kami said. “Give yourself six months and see how you feel. I think you’ll be surprised.”
Four
     
    C HRIS finished his tea, thanked Kami, and used his injuries as an excuse to retreat to his room for an hour or two before dinner. The bed was surprisingly comfortable despite his sore ribs, far more comfortable than the hospital bed had been. Chris lay down and closed his eyes, consciously relaxing his muscles starting with his feet and working his way up. It was a game he’d played with his mother when he was younger and had trouble sleeping. They’d put each part of his body to sleep until they reached his head, although most nights they didn’t get that far before he fell asleep. He smiled at the memory of the days before she’d married Tony, when everything had been simple, or so it had seemed to him at the time.
    He was nearly asleep when the door to his room burst open. “Chris! Guess what?”
The jolt of adrenaline from waking so quickly left Chris’s hands tingling and his heart pounding. It took a moment to realize what he heard in Seth’s voice was excitement, not anger or fear or worry. He had gotten so used to a shout being cause for concern that he’d forgotten what joy sounded like. “What?” he said, opening his eyes and smiling at his brother without trying to sit up.
“I met the awesomest kid today. His name’s Jason. He’s fourteen, but he’s been here forever. Since he was two. He has his own sheepdog and everything! He lives here on the station all year and goes to school on the Internet, which means he can do his schoolwork on his own schedule and help around the station when he’s needed. He said he’d teach me all the commands for the dogs and show me everything I need to know around the station and maybe even help me with my schoolwork. Oh, and his dad’s one of the mechanics here. Do you think he’d let me help him a bit too? I could learn so much from