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“Your father is so right Maybe it’s our hu I tend to think that poor folks like us know s in life than rich folks,” Abbi said

Poor folks like us? She really believes I’m poor, doesn’t she? “Now, that’s not true”

“Well, I’m sure there are exceptions to the rule”

“Well…” Chase had to stop hi Abbi the truth about hiht, because he didn’t want to blow his cover

“Your dad is really wise”

“He is,” Chase agreed, a lu in his throat He didn’t knohis cancer “When I look at the world around us and the stars above, it’s great to take the focus off me and enjoy the sense of wonder”

“You said it It’s a great way to reconnect with your soul That’s why every chance I get, I coaze and breathe in the air and appreciate life around me…”

Chase looked at her surprised “Precisely” He was amazed at howEven his brothers thought he was odd for keeping up their oldout at the stars and constellations in the night sky

“You know I’ve never met any other man who shared my appreciation of the natural world and how delicate the balance of life is like you, Chad Here I was thinking you’d be tooto like this stuff”

“Now, that’s a stereotype, isn’t it?” he teased her

“You’re right Who a class folks like us who s in life that are free”

Chase was about to open his mouth to correct her, but he’d be damned

“Astronohed “My dad was the one who taught me about it, too”

“Really? Sounds like you and I have a lot in common”

“I guess we do,” she said softly “He used to tell ’s possible He said one day I’d reach them” Her mellow voice was laced with a hint of sarcasm

“You sound like you don’t believe it”

“I don’t believe much he told me now”

“Why’s that?”

She seemed hesitant at first “Well, I don’t knohy I feel so co to you about this, but e found outa…double life”

Chase felt his heart squeeze “Oh, no Sorry to hear that” He truly felt gutted about her pain and that h his body even uilty conscience knowing he was deceiving her, too

“It’s okay He’d been lying to my mom and the family all these years, and well, he had this whole other faure”

“Really sorry to hear about…what he did to you Must’ve been rough” God, it would kill him if she ever found out about his deception Self-reproach ate away at Chase as he listened to Abbi

“It was But, oh, well, I guess I learned earlier on that men…well, people lie That’s why I-”

“Why what?”

“Oh, nothing Look, I said toothat up…it’s just that well, you said your father taught you about stargazing and I think it’s a coincidence that mine did, too”

Chase sht about you reaching for the stars I think you’ll go far in life” His voice was s

“You do? How do you know that?”