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camera, and carried her boots out the door to pull them on outside in the hall.
    She used the stairs rather than the moaning elevator. On the second floor, she passed a young man on his way up. She dipped her head as she passed him and mumbled a greeting. She looked as though she could have been visiting any artist in the building and hoped he wouldn’t ask questions Alejandro would be embarrassed to answer.
    Walking home at a near sprint, she didn’t slow to a stately walk until she reached her condo. As she came through the door, she saw the pet carrier at the security desk. She blamed herself for not being empathic with Juan the day before, but if he’d accepted something for her, she wasn’t going to be happy. “Please tell me whatever is in the pet carrier isn’t for me.”
    Juan leaped to his feet. “The man who brought them said they’d been chosen especially for you. They came with everything, feeding bowls, cat box, litter, food, a little bed. They’re a brother and sister. Don’t you want them?”
    Ana bent down to look into the kittens’ sweet little faces. One was black and the other white. They were pressed close to the grid in the carrier door and begging for attention with faint high-pitched meows. Her heart fell. “Was there a note with them?”
    “Instructions you mean? No, I guess he thought you’d know how to care for them.”
    “Can you describe the man?”
    “He was just an ordinary sort of guy, not too tall, and had a few extra pounds. I thought you knew him. I should have asked him to sign in.”
    “Someone’s been sending me gifts—roses, plants, the chocolates yesterday. Now kittens? I’m afraid he’ll send me a horse tomorrow.”
    Juan panicked. “Don’t you want the kittens? They’re awfully cute.”
    “They’re adorable, but I’m not always home and can’t keep them.” She leaned close and looked him in the eye. “You accepted the delivery of something I didn’t order, so it looks as though you’re the new owner of these delightful pets.”
    He swallowed hard. “Pets aren’t allowed in my building, or I’d take them.”
    “Sure you would. Help me get everything into the elevator, and we’ll worry about finding them a home tomorrow.”
    He came out from behind his post, grabbed the carrier and made a second trip for the bags of accessories. “Oh, I forgot to tell you they’re named Romeo and Juliet.”
    “Perfect. I’ll bet Juliet is the black one.”
    “How did you know?”
    She shook her head. “Does it really matter? Thank you. If anyone brings anything else for me, tell them I am not accepting gifts unless I know the person, and they’ve called to let me know it’s coming.”
    “Don’t you think that’s dangerous, Miss Santillan? They’d go out and come back the next day and say they’d called you.”
    “Fine. Just say I’m not accepting gifts period.” She pressed the elevator button and rode up to her floor. “Come on, little darlings, there has to be someone who wants kittens.” It took her three trips down the hall to carry everything inside. She didn’t think it was a good idea to allow Romeo and Juliet to run free, but she didn’t want to shut them in the bathroom, or her home dance studio either.
    She sat down on the floor and unlatched the carrier door. The kittens bounded out and climbed into her lap. “Affection won’t work. This is your home for a few days, not forever.”
    Romeo jumped off her knee and ran under the couch, but Juliet curled up and began to lick herself clean. “I should have showed you two the cat box first.” She scratched Juliet’s ears and wondered if Alejandro would like a pair of cats.
    She’d left him in an exhausted dream and wouldn’t disturb him now, but it was nice to think he’d welcome her call.
    Libby had sent her number, and there was another good reason to call her. “Hi, this is Ana Santillan. Someone just gave me two really cute kittens, and I need to find them a home. Do you like