It hadn't been his intention to startle her, but he was light on his feet and the dusting of snow on the ground wasn't enough to crunch.

He startled back a little himself at the display.

"Sorry," he told her, raising his free hand. His other hand had a cheap tote bag in it, about half full by the way it bulged. "Just. People get kind of spooked out by the bookshop. If you go inside, there's nobody there."