I’m not paying attention as I near Elfreth’s Alley. The snow’s coming down hard now and I’m rushing to stay dry. I’m digging my key out of my pocket when I turn the corner and bump right into someone.

“Oh! I’m sorry!” I think it’s one of my neighbors but whoever it is rushes past me without an apology or even an acknowledgement. I turn to watch him go. I know it’s a him because he’s pretty big. “Jerk.” I look down for my key, which slipped out of my hand. I need to get a keychain for it. It takes me a minute to find it in the rapidly accumulating snow and by the time I let myself into the house, my fingers are numb from the cold.

Pepper barks twice, lopes into the kitchen. “Hey Pepper.” I pet her, remember what Sergio asked about the locks, then force him from my mind. “Want dinner?” I ask Pepper as I take off my coat and boots. I drape my coat over the radiator, and leave my wet boots on the mat by the door. I’m just finishing scooping out her food when there’s a knock on my door.

I try to shove the first thought that pops into my head—the hope that it’s him—out. It takes me a moment to get to the door and the knocking comes again before I pull it open.

Sergio Benedetti is standing outside my door, handsome and formidable.

His smile fades when I don’t invite him in right away. “It’s snowing out here.”

I look around, let go of the doorknob and step back. The story Drew told me circles my brain.

I watch him stomp snow off his boots before stepping inside and closing the door to look me over. I look too. I’m wearing a sweater and an old pair of ripped jeans and thick wool socks.

“Weatherman was right for the first time in his career,” Sergio says. He’s studying me. He always seems to be doing that.

My mind is busy, too caught up processing what I learned today. “Are you going to keep showing up at my door like this?”

Pepper’s nails glide along the floor and I know she’ll go to him like she did last time.

He pets Pepper’s head, but his eyes are on me. “You should wear a hat,” he says, ignoring my remark.

I touch my hair, realize it’s wet from my walk home.

“Why are you here?”

“Coffee.”

“What?”

“Coffee. Remember?”

“Now?”

He looks at me like it’s the most normal thing in the world that he showed up here for coffee.

“What’s wrong with now? Besides, we never finished talking.”

“I didn’t realize we had anything to talk about. You said no strings, remember?”

“Make me some coffee, Natalie.”