Chapter 16
Pete had never thought needing to go to work on the railroad, his actual dream job, was the absolute worst, before.
The work day crept by, made bearable only by the knowledge he would get to see Shanti again in the evening.
They were making great progress on the rail line, and he didn't want any mistakes, so he made himself pay attention, but he'd never been so happy to clock out, run for a shower, and meet Shanti earlier than they'd originally planned.
They went to The Italian Place for dinner, and Pete laughed as they walked into the cul-de-sac it sat in. "It's actually called The Italian Place?"
"My grandparents said it used to be Il Corvi, but nobody ever called it anything but The Italian Place so the family gave in to social pressure and changed the name before I was even born."
Corvi was an Italian nickname for crow. Peter wondered if the family were crow shifters.
Given that it was Virtue, it seemed likely, though the host who met them at the door looked about as Italian as Pete himself did, and wasn't a shifter.
Of course, the same family might not own it anymore, or they might own it but not work there.
It didn't matter, because the food smelled terrific and from the glimpses at other peoples' plates as they were brought to a table, it looked even better.
The restaurant itself was a big, homey kind of place with a wall opened into an area where they were making their own pasta.
A handful of bar stools were set up there, and a kid, attended by her parent, was sitting on one of the stools watching in fascination as one of the employees created rows and rows of ravioli.
Pete watched almost as curiously as the kid did while he and Shanti followed the host to their table, and as soon as they sat down, forgot about the fresh pasta entirely, because Shanti, sat across from him, and Pete could have sworn she was glowing.
He'd thought she was staggeringly beautiful from the moment they'd met, of course, but her eyes were happier now, and her smile less shy.
She'd done something to her hair that gave the short, soft curls better definition, and there was pink warmth in her cheeks.
Like she had been holding back a secret, she blurted, "I did it!
" as soon as he sat down. "I called Shane! "
"Amazing," Pete said, grinning. "Who's Shane?"
"Oh." Shanti's cheeks shone even more warmly.
"The vintage repair guy. Honestly, he's vintage himself at this point.
But I called and asked if there was any kind of market for old electronics, and he said I'd be surprised.
It's not a lot of money, but he said that because he knows my grandparents' stuff is in top condition he can find buyers.
It makes me feel a lot better than just throwing everything out.
He also said there's a market for the furniture, if I want to sell it. "
"That's great. And congratulations for making the call!"
"Thank you. It didn't seem so overwhelming today.
" Shanti sighed and picked up her menu, making a decision before exhaling again and letting her eyes close a moment.
"It's funny how knowing you're there is helpful, even if you're not there.
I even actually managed to go through some of their clothes today to try to decide what to do with them.
Talk about vintage," she said with half a smile, now meeting Pete's eyes.
"There's stuff going back to the sixties in there! "
"There's definitely a market for that, if you want to sell them."
Shanti nodded. "Shane doesn't deal with clothes, but he said he knows a vintage store in Syracuse that would sell them on consignment. Or I can just donate them. I don't need to make money." She made a sudden face. "Well."
Alarm spiked in Pete's chest. "Is there something I can help with?"
"No, it's fine. It's…" Shanti fell silent, studying the table, then glanced up at him.
"It's funny how hard it is to say things are tough, isn't it?
I haven't really had an official job since graduating nursing school.
All my skills were being used for my grandparents.
The house is paid off, so it was just monthly bills and the cost of their care, which was affordable because I could do it…
at cost, basically. I lived with them, so they didn't need outside care, and I didn't have to pay rent so I could get by without an income.
But that's over now, and…there are jobs available. "
She shook her head. "There almost always are, for nurses.
But I keep imagining that soon I'll be able to leave and find work somewhere else, so I don't want to commit to something local, and then I also don't want to start working until I've finished dealing with the house because I'm afraid I just won't ever do it if I have any excuse not to. "
Pete offered a careful smile. "So is there something I can help with?"
To his relief, Shanti let out a breath of quiet amusement and smiled back at him.
"I don't think there is, really. Not right now.
The reality is that no matter how much I want to get on a train and leave Virtue, the estate isn't out of probate until next April.
I can sell it then if that's what I decide to do, and in the meantime I just have to figure out how to make it work.
I should get a temp job," she said as if she'd told herself that hundreds of times already.
"On one hand, I selfishly want to say, wait until after Christmas because what's a few more weeks going to hurt.
On the other, I imagine there's plenty of nursing work available in the lead-up to the holidays.
And on the third…I want you to be able to get on that train," Pete said quietly.
"I want to get on it with you and go somewhere.
Anywhere, even if it's not for very long.
So…well, here's the thing. I make a decent salary and I don't spend much of it because the railway puts me up and I'm always working. "
Shanti gave an amused snort and nodded. "I know contract nurses like that."
"So I'd like you to consider letting me help you through the next few months. Financially, emotionally, whatever you need. I can afford it, and if it'd make you feel better, you could keep track of the finances and repay me."
She eyed him. "I could keep track, huh?"
Pete grinned sheepishly. "Well, I wouldn't, because from where I'm sitting, I wouldn't care about being repaid."
Shanti laughed. "You're honest, anyway. Um." She held her breath a moment, then nodded. "Let me think about it, okay? It's taking everything I've got to not just yell 'no!' and run away right now, so that's the best I can do."
"I totally get that. How about in the meantime I insist on paying for dinners out? You did buy doughnuts yesterday," he reminded her as she began a protest. "That was the next meal."
Shanti squinted. "I think I've been bamboozled."
"You totally have," he agreed cheerfully. "Not to change the subject, but our waiter is on his way over. Do you think the lasagne is good?"
"Probably, but I'm sticking with my mushroom and ricotta ravioli.
" The plate that eventually arrived in front of her held eight or so substantial raviolis in a cream sauce, and although the lasagne placed in front of Pete himself smelled heavenly, he couldn't help but look enviously at her filled pasta.
"Those look great. Who knew the food scene in Virtue was so solid?"
Shanti leaned over to slip one of the raviolis onto the side of his plate. "Honestly, not me. What's it like in Shkalnik?"
"Lots of salmon and halibut," Pete said a bit wistfully. "I miss it."
"You should bring me there," Shanti said, clearly impulsively. "Let's take the train to the city and the next flight to Alaska, when the line's up."
Pete fumbled his fork as he tried to pick it up.
It landed in his lap and he grabbed it and laid it on the table with a precise motion, but his gaze had locked on his mate and he couldn't have loosened it if he'd tried.
His heart was suddenly in triple-time, and his bear had come to full, hopeful alert. "Really?"
"Really." Shanti's eyes were shining. "Really, yes, absolutely. If you want to."
"I'd love to. Although it's December. It's a little colder there than here."
"'A little,'" Shanti echoed. "I bet."
"No, really, it's only a little colder, most of the time. It's just grey a lot, instead of really cold."
"Right. Rain forest. Really, only a little colder? Then I'll be fine in all my layers." Shanti gestured at herself almost shyly, and Pete found himself beaming at her.
"You'll be perfect. I'd love to bring you. I'll look into plane tickets?"
Shanti took a deep breath, held it, then smiled and nodded.
"And I'll work with Shane and his friend in Syracuse on going through some of my grandparents' stuff.
I'm really not sure if I want to sell the house," she added more softly.
"But even if I only decide to rent it, it needs to be updated.
Jake Rowly's a carpenter. He might know who to talk to for a renovation.
I don't want to go crazy with it, but…I get the idea that even a little bit of an update would increase its resale value by quite a lot. Or make it more appealing to renters."
"What's the rental market like here?"
"A lot better than it used to be, I guess. A lot of people have moved into Virtue the past few years. And then there's me, wanting to leave." Shanti glanced down at her meal, then turned her attention to it like she was embarrassed at her determination.
"And leave we will," Peter said firmly. "To Shkalnik for the new year, if nothing else. Assuming the rail line gets done on time."
"It will, won't it?" Shanti asked, startled. "I know there was the setback with the train station earlier this year, but that didn't affect the line itself, did it? And the station's been finished in time anyway."
"No, there's no reason it won't be done. Everything's going according to plan, except the part where I want to bail on work and come hang out with you all day."
"Well, hurry it up so you can," Shanti said almost impishly. "Except I don't think it works that way."
"Not really, no. Did you say the holiday market opens this next weekend? I'd like to see that."
"That's our Sunday plans, then. And maybe Thursday evening, because that's usually when they do the tree lighting, and before that there's a kid's choir that does a performance in the church, and then the bazaar is officially open, and…
" Shanti trailed off like she was hearing herself for the first time.
"This is actually a pretty great little town, isn't it? "
Pete laughed. "Yeah, it kind of is. Don't sell your house," he said as impulsively as she'd spoken earlier.
"Not right away, anyway. Just in case you decide Shkalnik isn't the place for you.
Because I could live here. I know I've only been here a few days, and I don't know, maybe it's horrible in the summer—"
Shanti grinned. "It's not, though. Humid, but not horrible.
There's a huge Fourth of July celebration, and at the end of the summer there's a big local fair, and the town goes all-out for Halloween and Easter, and…
and I haven't really done any of that at all, not since I was a kid.
And I'm only just realizing it as I say it all out loud. "
"So Shkalnik for the new year, and back here to renovate and finish the probate period and to take some time to enjoy Virtue," Pete suggested. "And if there's any time here that's boring, we can go back to Shkalnik so you can see it in the summer, too."
"I don't really understand how you can be so perfect," Shanti said after a quiet moment of studying him.
"Fate, I know, but…you're everything I need and it's…
confusing. I don't know what to do with…
" She trailed off again and finally took a deep breath.
"With not being alone or having to rely just on myself, I guess. "
Pete's heart hurt for his mate. "That makes sense.
I think it's easier for me. I knew about the possibility of fate to begin with, and I've been able to live for myself my whole adulthood.
You've been so focused on other people's needs that having someone focused on yours must be really strange.
I'm not in any hurry," he said as gently as he could.
"We have all the time in the world to get used to this. You have all the time you need. Okay?"
"I know. I really do believe you. It's just a hard idea to get used to."
"We met less than a week ago," Pete pointed out wryly. "It's not very long to have gotten used to it."
Shanti paused in taking a bite and stared at him a moment, blinking slowly, until she finally shook her head incredulously. "I feel like I've known you forever, in the best way. But it's Monday, and we met on Thursday."
"And you only found out about the magic behind all of this yesterday," Pete murmured, and Shanti flashed a smile.
"Right. Well. Okay. I don't feel so bad about being slow, then."
"I don't want you to ever feel bad about anything," Pete said entirely seriously, then eyed his lasagne and the little bit of cream sauce left on his plate from the ravioli Shanti had given him.
"Except maybe letting me order the lasagne instead of the ravioli.
The lasagne's good and everything, but that ravioli, wow. "
Shanti tossed her head, making her short curls bounce just a little. "Sorry, I don't feel badly about that at all."
"No." Pete grinned across the table at her. "I didn't think you would. Is it wrong that I want to fast-forward to Sunday, so we can spend the day together again?"
"Not at all," Shanti said with a little smiling sigh. "But I'd settle for Thursday, because that'll be fun too."
Pete pretended to push a fast-forward button on an imaginary remote, then shook his head and clucked his tongue. "Didn't work. Guess we'll have to take the long way around."
Shanti met his eyes with a dark warmth that sent shivers of anticipation through him as she murmured, "That sounds good, too."