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I shook"Tosser"

As carefully as I could, I unhooked the carrier behind my neck and let it fall so I could lay Anna down on the couch beside Will She startled--both ar out in a spasm--but then immediately fell back asleep

For his part, Will looked like I’d just put a giant hollow eggshell near him His hands were clasped in his lap and his eyes were trained on the baby as if she ht suddenly roll and explode He’d been around Anna nearly every weekend since she’d been born and still looked at her like breathing too heavily near her ht cause her to shatter

"Since when are you an idiot around children?" I asked

"I love kids," he said, looking up at me "But she’s just so little"

"She’s not," I assured him "She’s enor down in a chair near my desk "I need to ask a favor I want to take Sare out for dinner this Friday--"

Bennett interrupted: "You’re finally going to let so, I explained, "It’s a lot easier said than done, right? Anyway, Mu for Leeds tomorrow so she can’t watch her this weekend Can one of you?"

They both stared at me with terrified eyes

"Aw coo out for a few hours You and your better half give her a couple of bottles, change a couple of diapers, she sleeps, we get hoy "Chloe and I are headed up to the Hudson Valley"

"This weekend?" Will asked, nodding several times in quick succession as if to talk himself into it "I could probably do it"

"Brilliant," I said "Thanks, ed a diaper Or fed a baby Hanna jokes that the only girl I’ve ever failed to char, he added, "But I’ht?" He ticked the rules off on his fingers: "Don’t scald Anna in the bath, don’t leave the " He paused and seemed to continue to draft aout of the office right now and leaving Annabel in Will’s hands for even a minute; my sto Hanna?"

"She’s got so my hand across my chin, I asked, "You knowht to watch and learn?"

He nodded, but sed heavily To be fair, I knehat I was asking was a big deal It was one thing to hang out with us e had Annabel, and quite another to iirl

"Can’t you just take it to the restaurant with you?" Bennett asked

"That sort of defeats the purpose Also, Annabel isn’t an ‘it’ "

"I didn’t call her an ‘it’ "

Will and I replied in unison, "Yeah, you did"

Scrubbing my face, I muttered, "Fuck it Just come over for dinner and we’ll have some beers"