The lip retracted. “Okay, Mommy.”

Finding Miri unusually cooperative, Dena eyed her daughter with suspicion. Was her baby girl coming down with something? Dena felt Miri’s forehead. She seemed fine. Maybe she was on her best behavior for Alex. If so, “Unka Alex” would be asked for dinner more often. Dena beamed at Alex.

Alex smiled back, unexpectedly cheered. Dinner proceeded without either twin swimming in the soup or even getting messy. Alex found himself both surprised and impressed by Dena’s parenting skills. He’d been reading about the subject because he didn’t want to repeat the mistakes of his mother and father. He could tell that Dena did many things right. Maybe it wasn’t her fault that the twins occasionally acted up.

His thoughts strayed to Dena’s ex. Steve, whom Alex had considered a nice guy, had shocked everyone when he disappeared into the Arabian desert. How could he have left his family? Alex looked around the table at three happy faces. He’d wanted this all his life.

Miriam stabbed a carrot with her fork and held it up to the light. “Carrot,” she solemnly told her mother.

“That’s right, Miri. Tell Uncle Alex about the carrots you grew, honey.”

Miriam turned to him. “We grew carrots, Unka Alex. In preschool.”

Alex said, “Were they nice carrots?”

“No.” Miri shook her head in a decisive motion. “They was freaked.”

“They were forked. ” Dena’s girlish giggle blended with her daughter’s. “Do you remember why?”

“Mommy said the ground had rocks. The carrots grew around the rocks. They went weird.”

Jack thrust out his little chest. “My cokes was perfect.”

“Your cokes?” Alex was mystified.

“Cukes,” Dena said. “Miriam, are you going to eat those carrots?”

Miriam, who’d been toying with her food, dropped her fork with a clatter and a guilty expression. “No,” she said, sounding firm.

Alex wondered what Dena would do. Forbid dessert? Force Miriam to stay at the table until all her food was gone? He prepared to mentally take notes.

“Umm. Maybe I’ll eat your carrots, then.” Dena reached for Miriam’s plate.

Miri frantically waved her hands. “My carrots!”

“Maybe Jack wants some more carrots.” Dena looked at her son’s dinner. “He’s finished all of his.”

“No no no no no!” Dragging her plate closer to her, Miriam enthusiastically crunched a carrot.

“Nice job, Dena.” Alex swallowed a bite of the delicious chicken.

She winked at him, then put a finger to her lush lips in a hushing motion.

Was her sassy wink deliberately flirtatious?

No. It couldn’t be. Alex decided he was dreaming.

“I’m done, Mommy.” Jack took his plate over to the sink and carefully pushed it onto the counter, several inches higher than his head.

“Thank you, Jackson. You may go pick a book.” Dena glanced at Miriam.

“I’m done, too. See?” Miriam pointed.

Using her fork, Dena flipped a lettuce leaf away from a corner of Miriam’s plate. Beneath it hid a piece of chicken.

“Have you had enough to eat?”

“Uh-huh.” Miriam batted green eyes, very like Dena’s. She had Steve’s dark hair combined with her mother’s eyes and skin. One day, she’d break hearts. Did Dena break hearts? “I want to go now.”

Alex saw a frown crease Dena’s face. “Well, you had enough chicken and salad, and you drank your soup without making a mess. Okay, you can go. I’ll be in soon to help you brush your teeth.”

Miri left, and Alex asked, “Will they be all right wandering around unsupervised?”

Dena laughed. “They don’t generally get into much trouble inside the house. This place is child-proofed, and their routine is to look at books quietly after supper.” She adjusted the opening of her robe over the upper curves of her breasts.

The pink chenille robe warmly hugged her generous body. He bet Dena was a cozy, snuggly handful. He looked away. “Miriam didn’t eat all her food.” He hoped he didn’t sound critical, especially since he and Dena seemed to be getting along so well…as long as he didn’t ogle her. “Is that all right?”

“Yeah, it’s okay. I probably gave her too much.” She didn’t appear to be offended. “They eat what they need. They’re healthy. Eating lightly once or twice won’t hurt them.”

Alex picked up their now-empty plates and took them to the sink. “Can I wash up?” He figured that if he was a good guest, he’d be invited back. He wouldn’t dwell on his earlier risqué fantasies. They were an aberration, nothing more.

“Oh, just stack them in the dishwasher. I’ll turn it on later. Want to help me tuck them in?”

“Don’t they have to brush their teeth?”

“First we brush teeth, then they’re tucked in, then we read a book they choose. You take Jack, I’ll do Miri.” Dena left the kitchen.

“All right.” Alex decided the experience would be good practice for later, when he raised his own baby. His heart bounced at the thought.

“Just remember to be firm. They’ll play games and test you all night long if you let them.”

Alex followed Dena to the living room. Jack, curled up with a picture book, sat on an overstuffed, plump couch, upholstered in dark red leather. For reasons known only to her, Miriam rolled around on the floor in front of the TV set. Rugrats occupied the TV screen.

So much for routines.

“Pick a book, Miri, it’s time for bed.” Dena tapped the toe of her bunny-shaped bedroom slipper on the gray carpet.

Miri stood and staggered around the room until she regained her footing. “I want Cat in the Hat. ”

“I have it,” Jack said.

Her little face crumpled. Tears threatened. “I want Cat!”

Here it comes, Alex thought. How would Dena rise to this challenge? He watched intently.

“Your copy is in your room. Come on, honey.” Dena gave Miriam a little push. “We’re going to brush our teeth in my bathroom. Jack, go with Alex.” She flipped off the television.

Alex guided his nephew up the stairs, with Dena and Miriam behind him. He couldn’t see Dena, but his awareness of her had increased exponentially. Her flowery, feminine scent filled his nostrils while the rustle of her robe engendered wild fantasies. What kind of nightgown did Dena wear under that cozy pink chenille? Did white lace or black satin cling to her curvy body?

Every one of Alex’s muscles vibrated with a peculiarly sexual tension, new, different, and definitely unwanted.

After climbing the stairs, he followed Jack to the bathroom the twins shared. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw Dena and Miri head to a different room, presumably to use Dena’s bathroom for Miriam’s ablutions.

He relaxed. He feared these new feelings for Dena Randolph, and didn’t want to experience them with her around.

Jack entered the bathroom and neatly placed his copy of The Cat in the Hat on the beige Formica counter. Plucking a green toothbrush from a holder shaped like Donald Duck, he held it under the water, then began to brush his teeth.

“Hold on there, buddy.” Alex picked up the toothpaste. “You forgot something.”

“Mommy said I don’t have to use that.” Jack looked up at Alex, his brown eyes wide and innocent.

Alex hesitated. Dena had some far-out ideas about child-rearing, and she’d been short of cash. Maybe Jack was telling the truth.

Dena buzzed in. “Jackson, have you brushed? Miri wants the sparkle toothpaste.”

“He brushed, but he didn’t use this yet.” Alex brandished the tube.

“Oh, he’s gotta have his fluoride.” Dena applied paste to the green brush, then shot her son a pointed stare. “Don’t try to scam Uncle Alex. Don’t you want your teeth to be shiny and bright for the tooth fairy?”

Jack stared at the mirror. Leaning forward, he touched a finger to a front tooth and tried to wiggle it. “Tooth fairy’s never gonna come,” he grumbled.

“The tooth fairy’s going to come in about two years, Jack. Be ready.” Dena dropped a kiss onto her son’s dark head, then winked at Alex again before she bustled out.