“Yeah, I suppose. You seem almost passionate about it. But you’re not?”
She shook her head and faced him. “Oh, I am. Believe me, I really love the kids. You asked why I chose it. At one time, the hours and work fit into what I wanted to study and pursue. It was more of a calling when I first started. Now? Now, it’s just a job. It keeps me busy and mentally productive. But as we expand the curriculum some of the kids get hurt by it. That’s hard to accept. I prefer not to be the one employing methods that might alienate entire groups of kids from doing well in schools. But the ones who can succeed, need the boost, and our entire educational system needs to be more comprehensive. I just wish the funding were there to increase their opportunities while supporting more effectively those that are hindered in any way.”
Shane blinked. She explained her subject and spoke in a rapid exhalation of words. “What the Sam-hell does that mean?”
She laughed as she combed her fingers through her hair and tidied up the stray hairs that escaped her thick ponytail. “It means globally speaking, our students rate far below most other students in public schools for industrialized countries. So pushing them farther gets even harder and is all the more needed for that reason. But in our efforts to achieve that, a fairly large minority of students fail to grasp the work or keep up, which makes their lives a living hell. Those are the things that keep me awake at night. On a larger scale? Many kids tend to fall through the cracks. And once they fall further behind, there is no longer any safety net to rescue them.”
“People like Erin?” he said quietly.
She nodded. “I thought you’d say like yourself.”
“No. I could have done the work if I wanted to. I sometimes did, so I did the assignments. When I didn’t…”
“You didn’t,” she finished with a small smile of understanding.
He shrugged and smiled back. “Exactly. But Erin could not physically do the work.”
Erin had confessed she could not read a few months after she showed up at the ranch. That was three years ago and she still did nothing to change it. Why she refused to learn to read completely puzzled Shane. Why the hell wouldn’t she? Jack often tried to encourage her, but she always refused. It was hard for anyone to understand.
“Erin’s the kind of student I sometimes hate my job over.”
He stretched his legs out and crossed them. “I would have never guessed you could hate anything.”
“Just because I don’t always mention it, doesn’t mean my negative opinions of things don’t exist.”
Chagrinned, he nodded. “Yeah, I might have stereotyped you.”
“No? Really? I never assumed that. Just because one teacher bugged you, that makes us all stupid.” She snorted as she blew out a breath and admitted, “But I stereotyped you too.”
“And… I’m not what you thought?” he asked as he peeked at her from the corners of his eyes.
She smiled. “Oh, yes. You’re exactly what I thought. But there’s also something, kind of, I don’t know, something very likeable about you.”
A grin spread over his face. “Likeable? I’ve had worse accusations to work with.”
She shook her head as a little smile flirted on her lips. She had nice lips. Kind of bow-shaped with a soft, pearly-pink shine on them. He liked it much better than the fuck-me red of her nails. Pink fit her. Soft, sophisticated, subtle, and pretty. He shook his head. A little lip gloss now had him romanticizing Allison Gray?
“So how was your day? I’m sorry. I guess I don’t know what you actually do.”
“I got a shop,” he said squirming around until he found his wallet, which he flipped open. Removing one of his business cards, he handed it to her just to prove he wasn’t lying.
She took it and read, “Rydell Rides” before setting it on the glass table. “Really? I had no idea you did anything.” Then she clapped a hand over her mouth as she shut
She shook her head and faced him. “Oh, I am. Believe me, I really love the kids. You asked why I chose it. At one time, the hours and work fit into what I wanted to study and pursue. It was more of a calling when I first started. Now? Now, it’s just a job. It keeps me busy and mentally productive. But as we expand the curriculum some of the kids get hurt by it. That’s hard to accept. I prefer not to be the one employing methods that might alienate entire groups of kids from doing well in schools. But the ones who can succeed, need the boost, and our entire educational system needs to be more comprehensive. I just wish the funding were there to increase their opportunities while supporting more effectively those that are hindered in any way.”
Shane blinked. She explained her subject and spoke in a rapid exhalation of words. “What the Sam-hell does that mean?”
She laughed as she combed her fingers through her hair and tidied up the stray hairs that escaped her thick ponytail. “It means globally speaking, our students rate far below most other students in public schools for industrialized countries. So pushing them farther gets even harder and is all the more needed for that reason. But in our efforts to achieve that, a fairly large minority of students fail to grasp the work or keep up, which makes their lives a living hell. Those are the things that keep me awake at night. On a larger scale? Many kids tend to fall through the cracks. And once they fall further behind, there is no longer any safety net to rescue them.”
“People like Erin?” he said quietly.
She nodded. “I thought you’d say like yourself.”
“No. I could have done the work if I wanted to. I sometimes did, so I did the assignments. When I didn’t…”
“You didn’t,” she finished with a small smile of understanding.
He shrugged and smiled back. “Exactly. But Erin could not physically do the work.”
Erin had confessed she could not read a few months after she showed up at the ranch. That was three years ago and she still did nothing to change it. Why she refused to learn to read completely puzzled Shane. Why the hell wouldn’t she? Jack often tried to encourage her, but she always refused. It was hard for anyone to understand.
“Erin’s the kind of student I sometimes hate my job over.”
He stretched his legs out and crossed them. “I would have never guessed you could hate anything.”
“Just because I don’t always mention it, doesn’t mean my negative opinions of things don’t exist.”
Chagrinned, he nodded. “Yeah, I might have stereotyped you.”
“No? Really? I never assumed that. Just because one teacher bugged you, that makes us all stupid.” She snorted as she blew out a breath and admitted, “But I stereotyped you too.”
“And… I’m not what you thought?” he asked as he peeked at her from the corners of his eyes.
She smiled. “Oh, yes. You’re exactly what I thought. But there’s also something, kind of, I don’t know, something very likeable about you.”
A grin spread over his face. “Likeable? I’ve had worse accusations to work with.”
She shook her head as a little smile flirted on her lips. She had nice lips. Kind of bow-shaped with a soft, pearly-pink shine on them. He liked it much better than the fuck-me red of her nails. Pink fit her. Soft, sophisticated, subtle, and pretty. He shook his head. A little lip gloss now had him romanticizing Allison Gray?
“So how was your day? I’m sorry. I guess I don’t know what you actually do.”
“I got a shop,” he said squirming around until he found his wallet, which he flipped open. Removing one of his business cards, he handed it to her just to prove he wasn’t lying.
She took it and read, “Rydell Rides” before setting it on the glass table. “Really? I had no idea you did anything.” Then she clapped a hand over her mouth as she shut
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