"All right, that's it. Coats and boots on."
"You mean wellies," piped up Riley. Or I think it was Riley.
"Yes. Wellies. Do you have rain hats?"
"No, but we've got brollies," Reece piped up. At least I thought it was Reece. I was going to have to start dressing them differently or get them name tags.
"Brollies?"
They pointed chubby fingers in the direction of the wardrobe. There, hanging next to the raincoats, were two clear plastic umbrellas: brollies.
I grabbed the bright yellow raincoats and handed them to the boys. "Fantastic," I said. "Let's get ready."
"Those aren't coats," one of them said. Riley, I thought. "Those are macs."
"Okay, macs. Get your macs on."
"Where are we going?" Reece asked.
"The Natural History Museum."
They gave me blank looks.
"We're going to see the dinosaurs."
With whoops and shrieks of excitement, they ran around the room. I finally got them corralled so I could get their coats and boots on. Then I dashed upstairs to get my own. They followed me, yelling and cheering and chanting, "Dinosaur! Dinosaur!" Finally ready, I herded them out onto the street, suddenly realizing I had no idea where to go next.
"Lost?" a voice rumbled near my ear.
I jumped about a foot. "Mr. Cartwright."
"You can call me Evander. Or Evan, if you like."
"Uncle Evan!" More shrieks from the boys as they launched themselves at what was clearly one of their favorite people.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Don't you have to work?"
"Took the day off. The boys can be a handful, and I thought it might help having a familiar face around." The way he looked at me, his green eyes so intense, I got the distinct impression he wasn't just there for the boys.
I swallowed. "Sure. That would be great. I was about to take them to the Natural History Museum. You know, dinosaurs." That started up the chanting again.
Evander chuckled. "A child's paradise. Smart thinking. I'll come with you."
"Sure, okay."
"Tube station's this way." He guided us down the street and around the corner to the Notting Hill Gate tube station.
The place was a madhouse, hordes of people, tourists and locals alike, crowding in and out of the station. The stiles made a slapping sound as the gates opened and shut, letting one person through at a time. It was noisy and stank of mildewed coats and greasy motors. I tried not to wrinkle my nose. The chaos was overwhelming.
I grabbed hold of the boys tightly. Just my luck I'd lose them in here and have to explain to the uptight Bella I'd misplaced her nephews. They whined at my tight grip, but I refused to let go.
"Hey," Evander said softly, guiding me to the edge of the crowd. He squeezed my upper arm gently, his hand lingering a little longer than necessary. "It's okay. This is totally normal. The boys will be fine. You wait here, I'll get tickets."
I nodded, fighting back the blush that he'd caught me at a weak moment. Evander disappeared into the crowd, returning a few minutes later, tickets in hand.
We each took charge of a boy and squeezed our way through the stiles and onto the escalators. In typical American fashion, I stood on the left, but Evander gently nudged me to the right and nodded toward the signs politely requesting everyone stand to the right. I soon realized why as impatient travelers sans small children charged down the escalator on the left.
Along the edge of the tube platform was painted the iconic "Mind the Gap." The boys danced excitedly on the edge of the white safety line. Evander and I snagged them by the hoods and held them back as the tube whooshed into the station.
The tube was crowded, and we were forced to stand, the boys clinging to our legs and looking about excitedly. They didn't seem nearly as overwhelmed by the sea of humanity as I was, but they stayed close. Maybe because their uncle was there. The train lurched and I staggered a bit, grabbing for the yellow pole in the center of the carriage. Evander steadied me, his palm warm on my back even through my coat.
"Thanks," I muttered.
"Just hang on," he said. "It can be a bit bumpy when you're not used it."
Someone jostled me, and Evander wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me tightly against him, the twins sandwiched safely between us. I fought down another, fiercer blush. His scent drew me like a moth to flame. Something heady with a touch of spice. Sandalwood, maybe. A little cinnamon and…vanilla? Whatever it was, he smelled delicious. I tried to ignore the fact we were plastered against each other and my heart was beating faster than a hummingbird's wings.
The tube spat us out at South Kensington Station. I wasn't sure whether to be relieved we were out of the crush or disappointed there was no longer an excuse for Evander to touch me. Until he opened his large, black umbrella and pulled me beneath it. We were pressed against each other from hip to shoulder. I barely repressed a happy shiver.
We tromped along like one big happy family, the twins chattering under their brollies about the forthcoming dinosaurs. The museum came into sight, and they dashed ahead, pausing long enough to stomp in a few rain puddles. Evander and I said nothing, but the silence wasn't awkward. It was warm and fuzzy, like walking along together was the most natural thing in the world.
The dinosaurs were a hit. They roared, and the boys roared back. Evander and I took turns reading aloud from plaques and lifting the boys so they could see the exhibits more clearly. We also swung by the Volcanoes and Earthquakes gallery, which resulted in a lot of five-year-old explosions as they mimicked the sounds of volcanoes.
"Time for
