Henry tapped the handle of his paddle, thinking. “Yes, Ides, you’re right. That was the Harrelsons. Uh-huh. The Harrelsons bought it from Fred, but they only stayed a year. His job transferred him somewhere and the commute was just too much. They’ve been renting it out ever since.”

It looked like they wanted to go, Ida resting a paddle in the water, but Andrew had one last thing he wanted to ask.

“Are there any kids living around here? Like teenagers?”

Ida shook her head. “No kids that I know of. You and your wife are the youngest people out here right about now. Of course, there may be grandchildren popping in for a visit.”

It wasn’t the answer he was hoping for.

“Why do you ask?” she said.

“It’s nothing. We’ve been hearing strange noises and someone was throwing rocks at the house last night. I’m sure it’s just someone messing with us.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible. Everyone up here pretty much keeps to themselves. I’m sure you’ve noticed this isn’t exactly a hotbed of activity. I can’t see the Hensons or D’Angelos harassing you and your wife.”

“Who are the Hensons and D’Angelos?”

Henry pointed to the left and right of the property. “Your neighbors, though I doubt you’ll see much of them. And I’m sure you’ve seen how much they’ve spaced out the parcels of land. Hard to run into someone, unless you catch them up by the main road when they’re coming to check the mail or heading out.”

Andrew forced a laugh. “My wife thinks it’s animals. There was a deer the other night that woke us right up. It was making some awful noises.”

Ida smiled. “They will at that, especially if they get scared, which isn’t too hard to do to a deer. You’ll get used to everything soon enough. It takes some adjusting. Trust me, when Henry and I moved here from Connecticut forty-three years ago, we jumped at every sound. Ours was only the second house built on the lake. We felt like Mother Nature wanted us out.”

That made Andrew feel better. It was almost as if she knew exactly what he needed to hear and was delighted to give him comfort. Maybe Kate was right.

Never question the wisdom and kindness of the wrinklies.

“I won’t hold you up anymore,” Andrew said. “It was very nice meeting you. Hopefully when my wife is feeling up to it, we can have you over for lunch.”

“I never turn down a free meal,” Henry said.

“Take care of your Kate. We want to see her real soon,” Ida said, and the pair paddled away.

“Let ’er rip, Ides,” Henry said, chuckling as his paddle skipped the water’s surface.

Andrew watched them sail away, Henry raising his hand in a final farewell.