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“How long have you been teaching kindergarten?” Spencer asked.
“Six years. All of them here in Divine.”
Cody looked closely at her. “Is that the only grade you’ve ever taught?”
Maizy nodded. “That’s been my dream all my life, to teach young children. I was offered the position of Elementary Principal a couple of years ago but I didn’t have any interest in it. My dad was very upset I didn’t at least take it.”
“‘At least?’” What did he mean by that?” Cody asked with a frown furrowing his dark, arched eyebrows. He looked fierce when he did that.
“I have a master’s degree in education. My father had aspirations for me teaching at the college level. He was very disappointed I took a low-level teaching job. He considered the offer for the elementary principal position to be a step up.”
“Low level?”
“He sees kindergarten as glorified daycare. He doesn’t understand that it’s now where the foundational reading and writing skills are taught, at least it is here in Divine.”
“Your dad sounds hard to please.”
Maizy smiled. “He would tell you he has high standards. He thinks all I do is help kids glue pinto beans onto construction paper and watch them play on the playground.”
“Ow,” Heath said. “It doesn’t seem like his opinion bothers you very much.”
“It did at first. But I know my own worth as a teacher. He doesn’t understand that I’m helping them develop muscle memory for writing and keyboarding, and teaching them to be able to break down and read most words. I could teach at whatever level I want to because of my degree but I’m already doing exactly what I was called to do. The master’s degree just gives me more options. If for some reason I left this job, I wouldn’t have to rely on him for anything because I know I could support myself. I had a full scholarship to go to school so I didn’t have to rely on him for much while I was in college, either. I loved learning almost as much as I love teaching so I excelled. I grew up watching him push my older sisters, who are now in high-level positions, but neither of them seems very happy. Conversely, he’s very pleased with them for their choices. Patrick and I seem to be the mavericks in our family.”
“Are you still belly dancing?” Spencer asked and she felt her cheeks go a little warm at his unwavering gaze.
Maizy shook her head negatively. “No. That night at the Dancing Pony was the last time.”
“Why?” Heath asked, sounding surprised. That fact warmed her heart. She wished she’d known them back in October.
“It was your ex, right?” Cody asked with a knowing look in his eyes.
Maizy nodded. “Chaz was worried that people might talk about it. He has aspirations for a seat on the school board. Last month, when word got out about Lucy, Patrick, and Beck, he got wind of it and that was…”
Spencer had been leaning on his elbows, his attention on her, but then he sat up and growled, “You’re kidding.” She shook her head and he continued. “He broke up with you because of the lifestyle your brother chose?”
“I think it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He was disappointed I wasn’t planning to work my way up the school district ladder, plus I was belly dancing, and then Patrick’s engagement came up. When you combined all those…He broke up with me shortly after he found out about the engagement.” She was just grateful the breakup had occurred during summer vacation so she had time to grieve the relationship in private.
“Did you love him?” Cody asked softly, stroking the top of her hand with the backs of his fingers.
Maizy watched his hand, cognizant of how gentle and comforting his touch was. Her body responded with a deep, growing ache. She nodded. “For my part I did…or thought I did. It still hurts to think about it but I’m okay with it. I wouldn’t want to be married to him if my brother’s lifestyle made that big a deal to him. Lucy thinks he’s a jackass. Actually, I think she thought that even before we broke up. And I know Patrick never cared for Chaz.”
“Chaz?” Heath asked with a bit of a sneer. “Chaz Edwards?”
