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A kid?
He'd known there was something different about her the instant that she'd walked in, but damn if he would have guessed that.
Hodges watched Wendy easily slip the baby from the frantic technician's arms, easing the crying form into her ready arms, automatically rocking her body from side to side as the baby began to settle.
Wonder who the lucky guy is? his mind wondered. "You left a baby with Andrews?" his mouth said.
Wendy winced as the screams became whimpers. "I couldn't find Catherine."
When the baby's cries became full-grown howls once again, Wendy's softly spoken words not working, Henry covered his ears with his hands and ran from the room. "I can't take this anymore."
Far from doing the same as his one-time love rival – though if he had, he would have managed it with a little more grace than a girly skip – Hodges found he was concerned.
"Give him here," he said before realising what he was saying, yet again. Damn, his mouth was no longer connected to his brain.
He and kids did not get along. Sure he had a niece – one girl – that he tolerated, remembering birthdays and a book at Christmas, but he knew he had no patience for teenagers, and couldn't even begin to imagine what they were like in this baby stage.
He couldn't back out of it now though, as Wendy was coming toward him. He quickly shifted his test tube and pipette to the bench before the baby was summarily dropped into his arms.
He vaguely registered Wendy slipping her arms free as he looked down into the red, scrunched up face of the baby in his arms. "Oh stop crying," he said impatiently, but not without a degree of softness.
Hodges wasn't the only one surprised when the squalling bundle fell silent instantly, and man and baby eyed each other warily.
"It's a boy," offered Wendy voluntarily soon after, shattering the quiet. "He's nine weeks old."
Hodges didn't need to look at her to know that she'd thrust her hands into her back jean pockets once again. She only did that when she was nervous or worried about something, he vaguely recalled, but ignored for now.
His eyes were still locked on the baby's when he acknowledged her once again. "What's his name?"
"Reuben."
Hodges was stunned for a moment. "Oh."
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