Page 40 of Bear My Heart

"What did you expect?" The idea that even a shifter had been taken by surprise when fate struck seemed both funny and wonderful to Shanti, and also, just maybe, a little bit of a relief.

Peter went quiet for a few moments, clearly considering the question. "Now that you're asking, I'm not even sure I know the answer. Thunderbolts and lightning, maybe? But I kind of got that. I've never been struck by anybody the way I was with you. Confidence that this was right? Yeah, I got that too. But…it's you," he finally murmured. "I could never have imagined you. My dream girl, the one fate was going to find for me…she was just that. A dream. I guess she liked trains," he said with a laugh. "But I got that with you, didn't I? And the rest…yeah. A vague idea of 'perfect.' And lookit that, here you are, perfect."

"And here you are," she whispered back. "Perfect, too. I think…" She held her breath a moment, then let it out in a deep sigh. "I think I feel a lot better now. I couldn't really figure out how to tell you all of this and I didn't want to not tell you and just. Ugh. So much."

"I'm glad you did. Now we're really on the same page. Not that I thought we weren't, but it turns out…" They were already speaking softly, but Peter managed to lower his voice dramatically anyway. "…communication is important!"

A giggle burst from Shanti's chest. "Who knew! Who could have guessed?"

"Therapists around the world have been keeping this secret for years!" Peter grinned and stole a kiss, then murmured, "Time to sleep. Busy day tomorrow."

"It is?"

"Oh yeah. Definitely." He made a face that suggested a total lack of knowing what would happen and absolute confidence in his comment, all at once. "So busy. Better sleep."

Shanti giggled again, rolled over in his arms, and went to sleep.

CHAPTER 20

In the end it didn't matter that they didn't really have big plans: a day together was all that mattered. Most of it was spent on the couch watching movies, though they went out to visit the market now that everything was really open, and mindful of the fact he might not have another chance, Pete bought things to bring home to Shkalnik for Christmas. He was over-burdened by the time they left, but Shanti helped him carry things and they laughed all the way back to her place, where he stored his gifts, rather than risk leaving them at the bunk house.

He barely had a chance to see her that week. The railroad was done within a few more days, but everyone was focused on inspecting the track for the weekend's grand opening. When he did see her, Shanti was nearly beside herself with excitement, which filled Pete with even more excitement of his own. Friday evening, almost shivering with delight, she presented him with a train ticket for the steam train that would be opening the tracks on Sunday.

Pete actually gasped as she slid the ticket across the booth table at the gastropub. "How did you get this? I thought the literal first train was reserved for bigwigs and rich people."

"I bought mine the day they went on sale." Shanti was practically whispering, like she had to keep her voice down to stop herself from shouting. "Because even if I had to turn around and come back I was going to be on the first train out of here. And…I've spent so much time at the station as the railroad is being built. I asked if anybody had a line on spare tickets, and they knew how important it was to me, so when a spare became available…" She took a deep, shaking breath. "So we can leave together. Even if we do turn around and come right back."

"No way," Pete said firmly. "Now that I know what time we're getting into the city, I'll book plane tickets home. I mean, to Shkalnik."

"Shkalnik is your home," Shanti pointed out with a smile almost as shaky as her breath had been. "Even if you don't live there most of the time."

"Yeah." He smiled at her. "But I want you to remember that if it doesn't work for you, I'm happy to move to Virtue. So I don't want to lean too hard into home sweet home." Then, like a kid bubbling with joy, he said, "A steam train, Shanti!"

Her nerves seemed to melt away into a knee-weakening smile. "I know, right? I mean, I'm excited about it, but I thought you, if you've always loved trains, I thought what a treat that would be for you?"

"It is," he said, heart-felt. "I've been on a couple, but not for a trip as long as this one. Thank you. I honestly can't imagine a more exciting holiday gift, and you're giving me two. This and coming to Shkalnik to visit. I'm spoiled!"

"As if you're not giving me what I wanted, too," Shanti murmured. "A destination. I needed somewhere to go, after I got off that steam train. I couldn't ask for more."

"It's almost like we're perfect," Pete said with a grin, and the last of her jitteriness fell away into a laugh.

"Almost like it's fate, even?"

"Almost! We're done early tomorrow," Pete added with relief. "The last of the inspections are done. There are cargo trains scheduled for tonight, and we're going over any reports they've got, but then…Sunday's the big day."

"The last time I flew anywhere was to Nepal for my grandmother's funeral," Shanti said with a sigh. "Well. And back again, obviously, but…"

"You've had a rough go of it, haven't you?" Pete asked sympathetically, and she sighed again, this time turning it into a groan.

"I don't really like to think of it that way, but sometimes if I take a step back and look at everything…yeah, kind of. At least—it sounds bad when I say it this way, but at least it was several years between my Nepalese grandparents dying and my American grandparents dying. I'm not sure how I would have handled it otherwise."

"Apparently with grace and dignity," Peter murmured. "It seems to be how you handle everything."

"That's because you haven't seen me having an exhausted meltdown over paperwork or the washing machine giving up the ghost or a hundred other things."

"I'd like to think that next time something like that happens, you can wail, 'Pete!' and I'll be there to rescue you."

"Oh, God, that sounds amazing. I think I'll marry you." Shanti's eyes popped round and she clapped both hands over her mouth as Peter let out a delighted half-laughing shout.