Page 119 of Educating Arrogant Mr. Hunter

Beckett laughed. A bright sound that filled the room and made me smile too.

Zoey’s face lit up. “Are we ready?”

“I think we are. Get to it, kiddo.” Beckett swept his arm, encompassing all the presents on the floor.

Zoey squealed and began to rip open one present after the other. Each gift took the place of her new favorite toy the moment she held it. As she unwrapped, I picked up the discarded wrapping paper and stuffed it into a trash bag as Beckett recorded his daughter’s enthusiasm with his phone.

“So what do you think, kiddo? What was your favorite?” Beckett took the trash bag out of my hand and tugged me to sit down next to him on the couch.

I curled my feet under me as he placed an arm around my shoulders. Zoey sat on the floor, her face scrunched up. “Well, my best Christmas wish came true already. Ms. Winter moving in with us.” She wiggled excitedly. She still called me Ms. Winter, and I hoped one day she’d be comfortable enough to call me by my first name.

My heart leapt, and tears sprung to my eyes. “You’re the best little girl in the universe,” I whispered, my throat tight with unshed tears. After a lot of deliberation, and the desire to get something special for Zoey, I’d finally settled on the one thing that I hoped would let her know I wanted to keep her mother’s memory alive. I prayed she liked it. “I got you a little something.” I gently removed the box from my pocket.

Zoey jumped up and took it from me. Her eyes gleamed. “What is it?”

“You have to open it, silly.” I bit my lip, nervous that I’d made a terrible choice in presents. Part of me wanted to snatch it back and say just kidding, but she was already tearing into the glittery red wrapping paper.

She tossed the paper to the floor by her feet and opened the top of the plain, long white box. When she didn’t say anything, I grew even more worried. Slowly, she lifted the dainty silver chain out. The medium-sized round disk hanging off the end winked as the various facets caught the light.

I’m not even sure if she noticed Beckett lifting the box from her hand as she stared at the locket.

“It’s so pretty.” Her finger traced the tiny etched flowers on the front. “Does it open?”

I nodded. My heart pounded so loud, every other sound was muffled.

Zoey’s finger ran along the edge until she popped her thumbnail into it and pried it open. Her tiny gasp when she saw the pictures made my heart race even faster. I couldn’t tell if she loved it or hated it.

When her gaze snapped up to meet mine, tears shimmered in their depths. “It’s me and Mommy.”

“So she’ll always be close to your heart.” I couldn’t stop the tears that poured from my eyes.

Once I started crying, Zoey started crying. I wasn’t prepared when she threw herself at me and twined her tiny arms around my neck. “I love it.”

I let out a relieved breath. I hadn’t known how Zoey would take my gift, and I was thrilled she liked it.

I leaned back so I could look into Zoey’s eyes. “I want you to know that I will always do my best to make sure we keep your mom in our lives and in here.” I tapped at my heart. “You had the best mom in the world, and I want to honor her place with us.”

Zoey nodded and a fresh set of tears tracked down her cheeks.

“I will always love you like you’re my own, but I know I’m not your mom and I would never try to replace her. I just hope that someday we can find our own special relationship together.”

She nodded enthusiastically and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. “We already have one. Don’t we?”

I was quick to reassure her. “We do.”

We’d talked a lot this week about how Heather wasn’t here and ways we could make the day special and incorporate her in our Christmas celebration. Marjorie and Glen had a stack of presents Heather had picked out for Zoey before she died. We planned to go there after breakfast.

After their second mediation session last week, Beckett had grudgingly agreed that all three of us could spend time at their house as long as they realized we were heading to the Wolfe’s that night to spend it with them and his mother.

Zoey pulled away and wiped at her eyes. “I have something for you too.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” I meant it. Just being here with her and Beckett was enough for me.

She shrugged and let her hair swing forward to hide her face. “I made it.” Then she climbed off my lap and darted out of the room.

“Do you know anything about this?” I asked Beckett.

He shook his head and wrapped his arms around me. “That was really sweet.”

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