Christmas Escape

Chapter Nine

Peyton

It occurred to me halfway through my lunch, how relaxed I felt with Micah. I couldn’t remember a time I ever felt that way about Jason. Even when we were dating as teenagers, he had me on edge. But here I was not worrying about whether I got everything right. I didn’t have to be concerned if I dripped some mayonnaise on my shirt. Micah wouldn’t care. I didn’t know how I knew it, but I knew he wouldn’t.

“Tell me about you?” I asked him as I took my final bite of the chicken sandwich and washed it down with a mouthful of soda. The food had been delicious, and I’d practically inhaled the sandwich without breathing.

“Not much to tell really. I grew up in Badger Valley with my parents until I was twelve and then I went into the foster care system. I moved to Anchorage and lived with a few families until I was eighteen and came back here,” he said with a shrug.

I knew that there was more to the story that he was holding back. But it wasn’t my place to push. Micah would tell me if he wanted me to know. Delilah ambled her way over to the table and started to clear our empty plates.

“What did you think honey? Best chicken sandwich you’ve ever had?” she asked with a broad smile.

I nodded enthusiastically. It was no lie. The chicken had been moist and delicious. “I think I’m going to be back regularly,” I said with a grin.

Delilah tipped her head back and let out a big belly laugh that was contagious. I found myself smiling along with her.

“Make sure you do. You look like you could get some more meat on those bones of yours,” she said in a tone that had Mom all over it.

I smiled and nodded my head as Micah slid out of the booth and went to the counter where Delilah rang up our bills. I stood beside the table and watched as Micah and Delilah easily bantered between each other. Micah greeted a few of the people that sat at the counter with a smile and a handshake.

It seemed like I had walked into an alternate reality. I didn’t think there would ever be a place where everyone was so warm, friendly, and welcoming, but as I watched the way everyone interacted with Micah, I knew that he was definitely well liked and by association I was getting the same welcome.

The feeling was overwhelming, but strangely comforting at the same time. For the first time since before I met Jason, I felt like I could make a home. That I found my tribe. I had only been in Badger Valley for a day, but it felt like I had been there for much longer.

The bell above the door of the diner jingled and when I glanced over, I saw Maurice the moose rubbing his antlers against the door. Delilah rolled her eyes and chuckled. She reached down under the counter and pulled out a jelly filled donut and headed towards the door.

“Here you go Maurice, you know you’re going to get fat if you keep eating these,” Delilah said as she handed the huge moose his pastry treat. He snuffled it up and snorted against Delilah’s hand. Shaking his head, he turned and left down the street.

“You watch he will be next door looking for more pastries,” Micah said with a laugh. I went to the window and watched as Maurice knocked his antlers on the window next to the diner. A man came out and handed him what looked like a croissant. Once again Maurice snuffled it up in one bite and was on his way.

I turned back to Micah and shook my head. “I have never seen anything like it,” I said with astonishment.

Micah laughed. “The town has adopted him, or maybe Maurice adopted the town. But either way he is well loved and well fed here.”

“I wouldn’t leave either if I got pastries everywhere I went too,” I said with a giggle.

“I can arrange that,” Micah replied flirtatiously with a wink.

My eyes widened and my lips popped open in shock. No man would have dared to flirt with me when I was with Jason. He made sure that everyone knew that I was his property. But Jason wasn’t around here. I wasn’t his property. And it kind of felt nice to have someone pay attention to me.

I smiled shyly at Micah who smiled down at me and gently put his hand on my lower back. “How about we go and find you some warm clothes that actually fit you?”

I glanced down at the jacket that Micah had lent me. It was huge on me and hung down to my knees. No doubt I looked ridiculous in it, but I liked it. The jacket carried Micah’s sent of sugar and cinnamon.

“Would you mind if I just used this one for the winter?” I asked bringing the sleeve up to my nose and sniffing it.

I looked up at Micah through my eyelashes and watched his pupils dilate before he shook his head and licked his bottom lip. When he spoke, his voice was deeper and more husky. “Sure, that would be fine.”

Gently taking my hand that wasn’t in a cast he led me out of the diner and back towards the lodge. I didn’t know what was happening between us, but sometime between last night and finishing lunch at the diner I made the decision that I was going to let my life play out, and if that meant things happening with Micah, I was going to let it happen. I had wasted too much time with Jason. I didn’t want to lose any more time on misery.