I hummed a chorus of a tune I’d been working on.

“What’s that?” Nancy asked.

“Nothing. A Bix Beiderbecke number I’m doing a little chart on.” I set down the pitcher. “Linney’s playing around here?”

“At the Butrams’.”

“Who are the Butrams?”

“They moved in next door to the O’Lunneys.”

I poured myself a glass of water and drank it empty without taking a breath. I slapped the glass down on the table. “Think I’ll go over there and tell her to come home. It’s not often we get to have supper together.”

Nancy smiled. “Hate to tell you but she’s already had her supper. We usually eat by five-thirty around here, or didn’t you know that?”

“Gee, what time is it now?”

She looked at the wall clock. “Six-thirty exactly.”

“Isn’t that late for Linney to be out?” I asked, grabbing two eggs from the icebox and closing it with a satisfying clunk.

Nancy reassured me, “It’s July, the sun won’t set for hours, she’s having fun. I think she can stay out till seven. I mean, she’s with all the other kids.”

“Okay. I guess I can wait a couple of minutes. I don’t mean to be selfish. It’s just that I can’t get enough of being around her.”

I heard a boy’s voice calling out, “Home-free-all!”

“What are you making?” Nancy asked.

“I’m making myself breakfast.”

She closed the ledger and laughed. “You never eat breakfast.”

I took out a pot from under the sink and started filling it with tap water. “That’s why I’m having it now. You want some?”

She shook her head. “I ate with Linney. I made you up a plate. Didn’t you see it in the icebox?”

“I’ll have it for breakfast,” I said with a laugh. “Right now, I’m going to have me two soft-boiled eggs with toast and marmalade. And coffee.”

She said, “You want me to make the coffee?”

“I sure don’t want to have mine. Where’s the egg timer?”

She got up, pulled open a drawer and handed me the miniature hourglass. “Flip it when you put the eggs in.”

I was insulted. “You think I don’t grasp the premise?”

She smiled at me. “Twice now you’ve flipped it over when you turned on the gas below the water. And then you’ve wondered why your eggs were underdone.”

I put the pot of water on the flame.

“Hey,” I said. Her head turned quickly as she recognized a specific tone in my voice.

“Ray . . .” she said.

We kissed and tussled with each other for a few moments. She broke away from my embrace and, catching her breath, said, “Your water is boiling.”

I dropped the two eggs neatly into the pot and flipped the timer. Nancy was by the door. “Where are you going?” I asked.