Page 79 of Educating Arrogant Mr. Hunter

“I can’t.” Emotions swirled in the depths of her eyes. I had a hard time pinning down just one.

My thumb gently rubbed back and forth across her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into my touch, making me feel like I was on top of the world. “I know your job is an issue. But you won’t be Zoey’s teacher next year. What if we stayed quiet until then?”

“I don’t know. I hate having to choose between you and my job.” Her voice was fraught with tension.

“Then don’t. Let’s take it a day at a time.”

“Can I have time to think about it?”

I hated the uncertainty on her face. “Yes, but I don’t want you to pull away from me.” I was willing to keep things as they were until she saw it my way or we found a solution.

“I can do that. So we keep things as they are?” she asked.

“More or less.” I placed a light kiss on her lips. “Want to eat with me and watch TV? I need to get Zo in a few hours.”

She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me back. “Yes to the movie and no to the food. I had so much to eat today I might burst.”

I grabbed a plate and piled on all the goodies Rosalyn had sent while Wren got a glass of water. When we got to the living room, I stretched out on the couch and lifted my arm. She curled up next to me, and we flipped through the streaming services until we found a show we’d both wanted to watch,Ted Lasso.

Already the day was looking up. I glanced down at Wren, laughter spilling from her lips at a particularly funny part. We were going to make this work. I knew it.

Her smile lit up places within my soul that had sat cracked and shattered. The part of me that was afraid to let anyone in saw and recognized her as someone who would fill those chipped places with her innate goodness.

Today, we’d hang out until it was time to get Zoey. I’d show her that she was more to me than a sexcapade partner.

Chapter Nineteen

WREN

“Hey, Wren.” Ana popped into my classroom and approached the bulletin board I was decorating.

“Hey, can you grab that stack of letters for me?” It was only Zoey and myself since Beckett was running late. And she was coloring at her desk. We’d decided over the weekend to keep our potential relationship from her until we were sure where it was going.

“Sure.” She handed them to me one by one as I finished stapling the previous on to the board.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you forever.”

She chuckled. “Today has been crazy busy. And speaking of being busy, is there any chance you’re free tonight?”

“I don’t have anything planned.” It was a Monday night, and the only plans I had were to put on pajamas and have dinner while sitting on my couch watching television.

“If you’re interested, I have four tickets to see Princesses On Ice tonight.”

Zoey gasped. “Oh, Ms. Winter, could my dad and I go with you? Please, please, please?” She held up her hands in a prayer position.

Ana looked at me and then at Zoey. She knew about Principal Olsen’s threats and that he was suspicious of my involvement with Beckett. “It is a private box.”

“Those tickets had to have been expensive, Ana. If I take them, I’ll pay you back.”

An amused look entered her eyes. “I didn’t pay anything. My sister, Elsie, is the lead and was able to get me these tickets. I told her I would ask you to go in my place so they wouldn’t be wasted.”

“So what wouldn’t go to waste?” Beckett asked, entering the room.

“Daddy, Ms. Arendal is giving Ms. Winter tickets to see Princesses on Ice tonight. We need to convince her to let us go.”

“I didn’t know you liked ice skating so much, Zo,” he said, ruffling her hair.

She smoothed her hair and shot him an annoyed glare. “Grandma showed me Mommy’s old ice skates when I was there for Thanksgiving.”

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