He was already tanned, with crinkles at his eyes that were surely smile lines. His dark hair was long enough on top for the curls to show. But his smile was what made him such a good-looking man. Wide and genuine, with a dimple in his chin. While his handshake was firm, it was not overpowering.

“I’m glad to meet you too. You have a fine son, and I can see where he got his good looks.”

“Hey, a woman who speaks her mind. Come on, drinks are on the deck and umbrellas too. Loren, looks like the sun snuck up on you today. Nate said you two had a good bike ride. Roxie, are you a bike rider?”

“I am, but my bike doesn’t get used as often as Loren’s.”

“She’s off showing houses much of the time,” Loren explained.

“That’s what it takes to be good at what you do.” He motioned them up the steps, making sure Sophie didn’t mow them down. A smaller dog, obviously part Lab and probably shepherd of some kind, met them with wagging tail. “This is Abner, Nate’s old dog. He had to come live here when Nate moved into that apartment in Fond du Lac. Shame so many condos and apartments, well, most rentals, have a no-pet policy. Everybody needs a dog or a cat in their life. Nate said you have both a dog and a cat.”

Loren nodded. “The cat, Juno, rules the house, and Sir Charles, our dog, guards the house and the outside is his, or so he thinks.”

“Sounds about right. What can I get you to drink? We have lemonade, iced tea, Arnold Palmers, and sodas in the cooler.”

“An Arnold Palmer sounds good.” Roxie sat in the chair he pulled out for her, looking directly at the lake. “Oops.” She pointed out across the water. “A sailboarder just got dunked.” She watched, amused, as the fellow squirmed back aboard. He was amazingly nimble.

“What would you like, Loren?” Nate asked. “Oh, we have strawberry-flavored lemonade.”

“That sounds good.”

“You said you like strawberries.” Nate’s hand patted her shoulder as he gave her the glass.

Roxie made sure the chortle in her throat did not get heard.

“Is Mom coming?” Nate asked when they all had their drinks, chips, salsa, and guacamole in the center of the table and were seated.

“Nope, Norm had some family thing they were going to. I’m sure she would rather have come here, but you know your mother.” He spoke easily, as if they were good friends.

“How long have you lived here?” Roxie asked Rich.

“My father owned the property, and after Mom died, he decided he’d rather live in town, so I took this place and had this house built. And been working on it ever since. Kind of a home in progress. The view is enough to make me want to stay here.”