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

mechanic, so their conversation is completely over my head.”
The other man laughed, the smile softening his face. He wasn’t weathered enough to have the whole carvedfrom-granite thing going on like Macklin did, but Chris figured he only needed another year or two to get there. Until he smiled. “I’m sure it is. I’m Jesse Harris. Nice to meet you.”
“Chris Simms. I’d offer to shake hands, but, well….” He lifted his cast to show Jesse his injury. “Not exactly in top form at the moment.”
“You’re Seth’s brother. He mentioned you’d been hurt, but I didn’t realize it was quite that dramatic. You’ve got a beautiful bruise on your cheek there.”
Chris lifted his hand self-consciously to his cheek. He hated looking less than his best at any time, but especially sitting next to someone as… potent as Jesse. He didn’t hold out any hope the other man was gay, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t look. “Does it look awful?”
“Not awful,” Jesse replied. “Painful, but it’ll heal. I’m sure the other guy looks worse.”
If only , Christ thought with a grimace. “There were five of them. If it weren’t for Macklin and the others, I’d be dead.”
“I heard Ian and Kyle bragging, but I figured they were talking shite. You were really bashed like that?”
“That’s what they said before they attacked me,” Chris said, “but I think we’ll be safe here.”
“Yeah, it would take quite a drongo to hassle someone for being gay when the boss and foreman are both gay too,” Jesse agreed. “Have you worked on a station before?”
Chris shook his head. “We’re city kids through and through, but we won’t let Caine and Macklin down.”
“They do seem to inspire that determination in people,” Jesse said. “I haven’t figured out what it is about them, but the year-rounders and the ones who’ve been here before all agree this is the best station around to work at. I figure that’s about the best recommendation you can get.”
“This is your first year too?” Chris asked.
“My first year at Lang Downs,” Jesse replied. “I’ve been working other stations since I was eighteen.”
“So not quite as much of a blow-in as I am,” Chris said.
“Stick with me, kid,” Jesse said with a grin, the expression making Chris’s stomach turn over with desire. He wondered how hard it would be to jerk off left-handed. “Well, when your arm gets better anyway. I’ll show you the ropes.”
“Thanks,” Chris said. “I’d really appreciate it. I’m feeling a little lost at the moment. I’m supposed to help in the kitchen starting tomorrow, but I don’t know much about cooking, and with my arm in a cast, I can’t even do the heavy lifting and leave the rest to Kami.”
“I’m sure Kami will teach you,” Jesse said. “He’ll be the one listening to the complaints if he doesn’t. I’ve eaten in a lot of canteens in the past ten years, and this is one of the best. He’s not going to let that suffer because his jackaroos are used to this quality. From what I heard in the bunkhouse, nobody’s shy about expressing their opinions.”
“I couldn’t believe they talked about Caine and Macklin like that,” Chris said, lowering his voice. “Can you imagine if one of them had walked in on that conversation?”
Jesse chuckled. “I wouldn’t have wanted to be in their shoes if that happened, that’s for sure. Macklin would hang them out by their balls for that kind of talk, but I can live with that.”
“Why would it be a problem for him to do that? I mean, he has the right to defend himself.”
“It’s the reason why,” Jesse explained. “Here, Macklin would do it because he’s the foreman and Caine’s the boss and it’s nobody’s business but theirs. Everywhere else I’ve worked, the foreman would’ve done it because someone implied he was a pillow biter. Same result, but entirely different feeling.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Chris replied. “Nobody seems to care