He changed, attached the leash to Buttons’ collar, and headed out for a walk. Normally, he’d go for one of his punishing runs on Sunday mornings, but he was feeling far too content and relaxed to abuse himself.

Stacks of firewood were lined up under a small lean-to on the side of the house. He checked it to see if any was dry enough for a fire tonight. He was no campfire expert, but the wood seemed fireplace ready.

“Come on, buddy.”

Buttons went on a sniffing spree, the old dog’s dulled senses coming alive in the new environment. This was definitely going to be a slow amble. The beagle stopped every two feet to sniff around a tree or bush, lifting his leg to mark his territory They followed a slender trail, going deeper into the woods and away from the lake.

Was this a walking/hiking trail or a game trail? Andrew wasn’t sure. He knew that one was made by people and the other by passing animals. He did know he didn’t want to run into a moose. They were big and nasty and best avoided. He’d watched enough nature shows to understand that if he saw a moose, it was in his interest of self-preservation to skedaddle. He was pretty sure Buttons would have no problem beating a hasty retreat as well. The dog was no hero. Or maybe he was just old and wise.

Andrew recalled that their nearest neighbor was supposed to be a couple of acres away. Of course, he had no concept of how big an acre was, not in any real-world sense, but he assumed it was a lot.

Round Lake wasn’t large, nor was it deep, which discouraged most boaters and Jet Ski lunatics. The realtor said there were only about twenty houses built on the perimeter of Round Lake, the owners preferring the privacy and quiet that you didn’t find at most other lakes in the region.

He’d expected it to be too quiet to sleep last night, but the woods around the house had been alive with a riot of sound. The crickets up here must be the size of poodles for all the racket they made.

In the half hour he and Buttons were outside, they never strayed far from the house. Andrew could always spot at least a corner of it through the trees. Buttons barked, his signal that he was done, and padded back home.

“You sure you don’t want to explore a little further?”

Buttons barked again.

Nope.