Chapter 17 #2
"It's great. I think more of us should go analog." Shanti tucked the card into her pocket. "Thanks. And happy holidays!"
"You too." Jake smiled at her, nodded at Peter, and followed his family into the crowd.
"That was weirdly easy," Shanti mumbled as Jake headed away from them. "Why had I made it into this huge thing in my mind?"
Peter slipped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair. "Because you spent years doing what had to be done when it had to be done and when that finally let up and you had a chance to breathe, doing anything started to feel impossible because it was for yourself, not someone else."
Shanti tilted her chin up, studying him. "Why are you so wise?"
"It's my Native spirit, in the form of the bear within me, speaking the wisdom of my ancestors through me.
" Peter kept a very straight face through all of that while Shanti stared at him, uncertain as to whether she should take him seriously.
Then his facade cracked, first in the hint of a smile and then in an out-loud guffaw that made her begin to laugh, too.
"That was really good. You had me there. Not that I doubt your Native ancestors!"
Peter grinned and ducked his head to kiss her properly.
"I don't doubt them either, but in this case I think it's just easier to see what other people are going through than to see it ourselves.
If I was paralyzed with indecision I don't know that I'd recognize it either.
I'd just think everything I was facing was impossible.
What is that smell?" He lifted his nose and sniffed the air.
Shanti copied him without entirely meaning to.
There was a sharp sweet scent floating through the crowd, tinged with spices, and after a couple of breaths she recognized it.
"It's the cider. Somebody makes an amazing non-alcoholic apple cider for the holiday bazaar and goes through gallons of it every day. More than gallons. Kegs!"
"I think we should go help them get through their first keg," Peter suggested.
"I agree, but the doors don't open until after the tree lights go on." Shanti waved both at the tree in the gazebo and at the entrance to the bazaar, which was closed off with a shining satin ribbon. "We could go stand over there, though, and stampede through when the ribbon is cut."
"It's a whole ceremony?" Peter sounded both mystified and delighted. "Ribbon-cutting and all? What even is this town?"
Shanti looked around thoughtfully at the gathering crowds, at the cheerful faces, at the kids running everywhere, at the people trying to start a countdown for lighting the tree, and finally smiled.
"It's trying, I think. It's trying to be a community.
When I was growing up, a lot of this wasn't…
here. Not like this. We had a little holiday market, and there was a library, but most of the businesses along the square were closed up.
I didn't really notice it then, because I was a kid, but when I came back from college things were just starting to come back to life and then I could see the difference, you know?
And since then…yeah. It's like the town and the people are trying to reconnect and rebuild.
It's part of why the railroad really is a good thing, even if… "
She trailed off, not wanting to mention shifters aloud in such a busy, public place, but Peter understood and nodded.
"Even if there are things here that still need to be kept private and protected.
I feel like maybe Virtue is doing what Shkalnik is talking about doing.
We're more remote, so it's harder, but…it's a tiny town trying to make itself a good place to live.
I kind of want to send half the town planners here for a visit. "
Shanti laughed. "How about we start by us going there first? Who knows, maybe my sparkling presence will be everything Shkalnik needs to become an Alaskan version of Virtue."
"You're joking, but I think you'd be good for Shkalnik." Peter took a deep breath and shook his head. "No, l don't want to get ahead of myself. Let's start with focusing on now. The tree lighting looks like it's about to start?"
"Excellent," Shanti said, deadpan. "We'll run into the bazaar and be first in line for cider while everybody else is distracted.
" Then she laughed as Peter made a show of nudging her sideways until her hip was almost against the ribbon barrier, and shrieked as he suddenly picked her up and put her down on its other side.
"Hey! Oh my God! You're going to get me in trouble!
" She ducked back out and he threatened to do it again, making her laugh and knock her shoulder into his arm.
He caught her in a bear hug and she wriggled, not really trying to get free, then wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to kiss him.
A moment later a cheer went up and she broke away from the kiss, face hot, only to realize they were cheering the lighting of the tree, not her kissing Peter. "Well, it was worth celebrating," she mumbled, and Pete ducked his head to press his forehead against hers.
"It sure was," he murmured. "Every moment with you is."