Page 115 of Educating Arrogant Mr. Hunter

Ginny looked away from the reindeer Jen was petting. “Why, you have Dasher! You are incredibly lucky.”

“I am?” Zoey’s eyes widened.

“Yes, usually he’s so impatient to fly around the world for Christmas, he’s dashing all over the pen the few weeks before. But look at him with you. He’s so calm and content. I bet he can sense how loving you are.”

Zoey was practically hugging Dasher, she was so enamored by him.

“What about mine?” Jen asked, staring intently at the large animal in front of her.

He snorted, making Jen giggle as her hair puffed up.

“You have Prancer. He only lets incredibly kind children get close to him.”

Jen frowned. “I try to be, but it’s hard.”

“But I bet the times you tried outweigh the times you didn’t.” Ginny was amazing. We’d been incredibly lucky to find her reindeer petting farm online and that she agreed to attend our festival.

Jen nodded, a hopeful smile on her face.

A not so gentle nudge pushed against my shoulder. When I turned, the largest of all the reindeer stood before me, waiting expectantly for his treat. I held my hand out, palm flat, and waited for the closest reindeer to come closer. When his velvety smooth muzzle ran over my hand, a shot of excitement ran through me. As it was, Zoey and Jen barely contained themselves. I had no idea how cool this was going to be.

With Ginny’s gentle tutelage, she declared us experts by the time we were done and invited us to come back tomorrow to help.

After we exited the pen and washed our hands at the temporary station next to the pen, I high-fived Jen and Zoey. “What did you think, girls?”

“It was the best moment of my life,” Zoey responded reverently.

“Me too,” Jen said. “That was awesome!”

I shifted away from the two girls and opened my arm for Wren to slide in by my side. I gave the barest of sighs once she settled in next to me.

“What about you, Ms. Winter?” Zo asked Wren.

“Feeding Santa’s reindeer is easily one of the top five experiences of my life,” she answered with a smile.

“I bet I can guess at least one of the other four,” I whispered seductively into her ear.

I must not have been quiet enough because Zoey quickly piped up. “What is it?”

Wren flattened her lips and gave me a hard stare that I was sure she used on her student’s when they were misbehaving.

“Oh, I bet your dad means the day I met the both of you.”

I snorted, remembering that our first meeting was less than ideal. “Or the way you—”

She elbowed me in my stomach, likely knowing that anything else I had to say would not be appropriate for little ears. I couldn’t stop the loud chuckle that escaped my mouth. Wren’s look of exasperation only made me laugh harder.

“What do you two want to do next?” I asked the girls, quickly pivoting the conversation.

“What about the ride that smooshes us against the side of the car we’re in?” Jen replied, already starting in that direction.

Zoey nodded, and the two ran ahead of us.

“Stay where we can see you,” I called out.

Zoey lifted a hand and waved back at me in acknowledgement while continuing to barrel her way to the ride.

Wren slid her arm around my waist and snuggled in under my arm. “Today is perfect.”

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