“How’d you get here if you boarded up the fence?” She felt like she was dreaming. Biscuit was jumping up on her and trying to lick her. The smell of wet furry dog seemed quite real. And her heart was racing again—a sure sign she was in the proximity of Jake. Plus, he was dripping on her floor, and the small puddle on the welcome mat seemed quite tangible.

He took a step closer. “I just un-boarded it.” He took a deep breath. “But I didn’t think I’d be this snow-covered when I was pleading my case.” He unzipped his jacket. “I should’ve supported your career instead of behaving like an asshole and breaking up with you when you couldn’t go to Costa Rica. I’m really sorry. Can you forgive me?” He looked at her, seeming nervous.

“Yes.” She didn’t pause to think. She didn’t need to. She drank in his face as a warmth at odds with the cold air from outside filled her. “Yes! I hate that I had to cancel—especially when you didn’t want to date a lawyer for precisely that reason. I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. We can always go some other time, whenever you’re free. And you can cancel it, but I won’t throw our relationship away again. And I’m hoping you want to go sledding today. I bought two sleds while walking Biscuit. You do have snow pants, don’t you?”

“I do …”

“It’s a snow day! And I want to spend it with you.” He slid off his backpack. More snow fell into the puddle pooling on the floor. He kept talking. “But let me take off my snow pants before I get any more of your house wet.” He took off his snow pants and left them drying by the door. He was dressed in his jeans and a long underwear top that outlined his muscular chest and stomach. “Sorry about Biscuit, but he wanted to see you. He’s missed you too. He keeps bringing your slippers to me.”

She hugged him. “You’ve kept my slippers?”

“I couldn’t throw them out.” He raised an eyebrow. “Not when Biscuit was so attached to them.”

“Biscuit has good taste.”

“He does. I should trust his vetting more than my own.”

She petted Biscuit. “I’ll change into my snow pants.” She looked into her closet. They were deep inside her closet, but luckily still there. She was so happy Jake was back.

He said, “There are a bunch of good hills I want to try.”

“Are you sure they’re for the thirty-and-over crowd?”

“They’re for the kids at heart, no ageism allowed.”