Full Court Devotion (3 page)

Ty
loved traveling
to the warmer climate of Las Vegas and playing at UNLV, especially when they
won. Church on Sunday was both inspiring and comforting, but all he could think
about was what he would say to Natalya on Monday and what he would do for their
date. She looked like an angel with her shiny, blonde hair and the way she
seemed to dance as she walked. He loved making her smile. He didn’t know many
students who took their studies that seriously. She radiated stress and worry,
but she could still be fun and feisty. He wanted to be the one to help her
relax and learn how to take a break.

Ty
leaned against the wall across from her classroom. Students spilled out. He responded
to all of the friendly greetings, but could hardly wait to see Natalya. She was
in the middle of the crowd and searching the hallway until she spotted him. Her
green eyes lit up and Ty knew he was in trouble—he could fall hard for
this girl.

“Ty.”
She rushed toward him and gave him a quick hug.

Ty’s
world started spinning. He wanted to hold on and never let go, but he didn’t
want to scare her away.

“How
was the game?” she asked, moving a respectable distance away.
Dangit.

“It
was great. We won.”

“Congrats!
Will you walk with me?”

Ty
grinned. “Did you really have to ask?”

“No.”
Her rosebud lips turned up. “But I wanted to.”

Oh,
he liked that answer. He relieved her of her heavy bag and hung it over his
shoulder. “I take it you don’t usually ask men to walk with you?”

She
shook her head. “Never any time for men.”

“And
why am I so lucky?”

“I
don’t know, you’re just special. Maybe I have a thing for giraffe legs.”

He
chuckled and opened the door for her, moving into position to shield her from
the wind. The cold rushed down his collar and made his hair stand on end, but
it was worth it to protect her. “Special as in there’s something wrong with me
and you don’t want to make me feel bad, or special as in you might kind of like
me?”

She
tilted her head up and her smile made his steps falter. He had to move quickly
to stay by her side.

“Maybe
the latter, but I wouldn’t want it to go to your head.”

“Ah,
there is that problem.” He laughed.

“Yes,
but I’m going to work with you, remember?”

He
wrapped his hand around hers. “I can’t wait.”

She
didn’t pull her hand away and Ty was pretty sure, life couldn’t get any better.
Maybe warmer, but not better. They climbed the stairs, entered the student
center, and she still had her hand in his. Ty ignored the looks from other
students. He’d dated a lot the first couple of years of college, letting the
fame and all the female interest go to his head. But he had eventually realized
most women didn’t care about getting to know him or developing more than a
superficial relationship, they only wanted to be with him because he was a
basketball star. He hadn’t gone out very often the past year and a half,
focusing on his schooling and basketball. But Natalya was different, he hoped.

“Do
you think you could tell me your name now?” he asked.

“Full
name or just first name?” Natalya tilted her head up to look at him.

“Full
name would be nice. We
are
going out on Friday.”

“About
that…”

The
pause about did Ty in. She was going to back out. Panic filled him as he
started organizing arguments to convince her to go.

She
grinned. “I can’t wait.”

Ty
caught a full breath again and pulled her next to the wall away from the flow
of students. “That was cruel. Now you have to tell me everything—first,
middle, and last name. Names of parents, siblings, I want it all.”

She
tapped her hand playfully on his chest. “If I tell all what will we talk about
on our date?”

“We’ll
think of something,” he growled at her, trying to remain stern when being so
close to her made him feel like he’d just run sprints.

“Kazlyn
Jane Schmidt. Parents are Blake and Rebecca. Two brothers, Luke and Porter.”

Ty
squeezed her hand, wishing he could pull her closer, but aware there were
people watching them. “Kazlyn. I like it. Can I call you Kazzy?”

She
shrugged. “You can call me anything you want to.”

“Hey.”
He chuckled. “I’ve heard that line before.”

“Was
it just a line?” She looked up at him shyly and if they’d been alone he
would’ve kissed her right then.

“Definitely
not. I’d never seen anyone as beautiful as you. I was trying anything I could
think of to get you to like me.”

“It
almost backfired.”

“But
it didn’t?” His chest tightened at the thought.

“I
don’t know. We’ll see how Friday goes.” She smiled coyly, took her bag from his
shoulder, and walked away from him.

“I’ll
see you tomorrow, Kazzy,” he called.

“I’d
be sad if you didn’t.”

Ty
couldn’t help tapping his own chest with his fist as he watched her walk away.
He was in a lot of trouble.

***

He
walked her to work every day that week, but on Friday he noticed she wasn’t
teasing and laughing like usual. They were almost to their usual parting spot
when he asked, “Is everything okay?”

She
gave him a small smile. “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to pull it off
this semester.”

“Pull
what off?”

“I
have an interesting scholarship. It’s privately funded and to keep it I have to
be above a three-eight. If I didn’t have so many classes per semester it
wouldn’t be so hard. I took a lot of A.P. classes in high school and planned it
out so I can cram the rest of my bachelor’s degree into two years. The
scholarship lasts for four years so my master’s program would be covered.
If
I can keep my grades up.”

Ty
nodded his understanding. “That’s a lot to worry about. How can I help?”

She
tilted her head to the side and studied him. “Thanks for not just reassuring me
that it will all work out, telling me I’m smart or something empty like that.”

“Sure.”

“I
just need to do it myself. Next week is finals, so I guess we’ll see then.”

“Are
you still okay to go tonight?” He held his breath. If she said no, he’d have to
respect that, but he’d been looking forward to this all week. He wanted more
time with her than a short walk from class.

She
smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

“I’ll
pick you up at your apartment at six.”

“Okay.”
She took her bag and turned to go, looking less burdened.

“Kazzy.”

“Yeah?”
She glanced over her shoulder at him.

“You’re
smart, it’ll all work out.”

She
laughed so loud, she snorted. Ty chuckled with her. Several students eyed them
strangely, but more smiled along with them.

“See
you tonight,” she said, walking away with her shoulders still shaking from
laughter.

Ty
watched her go, wishing he could take away her stress, but understanding how it
was to know that all your dreams of success were determined by scholarships
that may or may not be there the next semester.

Complete
and utter
silence welcomed Kazlyn into the living area of her apartment a few minutes
before six, Friday night.

Finally
one of her roommate’s boyfriends whistled and then everybody started talking
and exclaiming at once.

“Kazlyn,
you look gorgeous!”

“Kazlyn,
I’ve never seen you with lipstick on.”

“Who’s
the lucky guy?”

“Please
tell me it’s a guy, you’ve got to wonder.”

Kazlyn
smoothed the silky, floral-patterned shirt that topped her favorite skinny
jeans. Jeans she hadn’t worn in a year because she rarely dressed up. “Okay,
whoever wondered if it’s a guy is going to get their butt kicked.”

Everyone
started laughing. Kazlyn really did enjoy her roommates, but they were in a
different world than her. All five of them had various boys over almost every
night. It was always a party. Only Sheryl had a part-time job, the rest of them
were completely financed by mom and dad. Kazlyn never participated in their fun
as she spent most of her life at the library, only taking occasional breaks to
exercise or eat.

A
knock sounded at the door and Kazlyn’s palms started sweating. What would her
roommates and their guys think of the school hero taking her out? What would Ty
think of her all dolled up?

Jaileen
rushed to open the door. Her jaw dropped and for the first time since Kazlyn
had met her, Jaileen was speechless. Kazlyn looked around her roommate to see
Ty dressed in a grey button-down shirt and jeans that really worked for him.
With his characteristic grin decorating his face and his dark eyes sparkling,
she was speechless, as well.

The
rest of the room erupted into sound.

“Tyrese,
Kazlyn is going out with
Tyrese
.”

“Holy
crap, girl, when you decide to date, you do it right!”

The
boys were more subtle, a couple of them shaking Ty’s hand and congratulating
him on his latest game. Kazlyn quickly grabbed her coat and hurried to the
door. “We’ll see you all later,” she said as she reached for Ty’s hand.

Ty’s
large hand engulfed hers. “Nice to see y’all,” he said.

“You,
too.”

“We
won’t wait up.”

“Have
fun!”

Kazlyn
speed-walked away from the open door, dragging him with her.

“It
was nice to meet all of your roommates.”

Kazlyn
laughed. “I would
not
have done that to you.”

“Are
they crazies?”

“No,
they’re great. There are just so many of them and they would’ve kept you there
all night drooling over you.”

“Speaking
of drooling.” He squeezed her hand. “You look amazing.”

Kazlyn
glanced all the way up to his handsome face. “You, too.”

He
helped her into her coat. His hands brushed her arms, sending tingles
throughout her body. He held open the exterior door and gestured to the parking
lot. Parked in the visitor space was the ugliest Toyota pickup Kazlyn had ever
seen. The rust spots had overtaken the blue paint and the front bumper sagged
in the middle like a sad smile. Ty walked her to it and opened the passenger
door. Kazlyn stared at the truck, then at him. “How in the world do you fit in
this thing?”

“Ha!
I’m not that big, you’re just teeny-tiny.”

“Five-six
is not teeny-tiny. You just think I’m small because you’re enormous.”

“Once
again, glad I’m so attractive to you.”

If
you only knew.
“That
wasn’t what I meant. Seriously, how do you fit?”

“Watch
and learn, darlin’,” he drawled.

Kazlyn
scooted inside the beat-up, but surprisingly clean, truck. Ty shut her door,
rushed around the front, and folded his body into the driver’s side. His head
brushed the roof and his knees were in his chest. Kazlyn couldn’t help but
laugh. “I hope you never drive this more than a few miles.”

He
grinned. “I drove it all the way from Alabama four years ago and will be taking
it back there after I graduate.”

“How
did you survive that drive?”

“I
was shorter then.”

She
chortled. “Really?”

“No,
and it was miserable, but I made it.”

“Maybe
you better fly home.”

“Naw.
I couldn’t desert the old girl now. My younger sisters need to drive this
beauty when they turn sixteen.” He adjusted some knobs and moldy-smelling heat
poured out of the vents. “Even the heater works.”

“My
condolences to your sisters.”

“Ha!
Do you like sushi?” Ty asked.

“I
do, but…”

“What?”
He stopped at the light on Tenth North and Main Street and turned to look at her.

“I
like mine deep-fried.”

Ty
arched his eyebrow. “And here I thought you were a healthy eater. Maybe we
should just go to A&W and get you some real grease.”

Kazlyn
laughed. “I do try to eat healthy. Sushi is one of the few things I eat
deep-fried, I can’t gag down raw fish.”

“Wuss!”
The light turned and Ty punched on the gas, but the truck still crawled
through.

“Who’s
calling names now?”

Ty
chuckled. “Sorry. Raw fish is scary, eh?”

“Scariest
thing ever.”

They
reached a strip mall with a restaurant called Takara. They’d barely entered the
restaurant and were being escorted to their table when a group of middle-aged
couples intercepted them, excited to talk to Ty about basketball. Ty wrapped an
arm around Kazlyn and introduced her. The couples were all friendly to her and after
a few minutes said their goodbyes. Ty and Kazlyn followed the hostess to their
seats.

“You
can’t go anywhere without being stopped, can you?”

Ty
nodded. “Not in this town.”

“Do
you ever get sick of it?”

He
shrugged. “Sometimes, but they’re all so nice. They just want to feel like they
know me a little bit.”

Kazlyn
loved that he was so considerate of everyone. Having fans would be annoying to
her, she liked her privacy.

“And
those three guys are some of the biggest boosters for Aggie athletics.”

Kazlyn
glanced over at the couples who had stopped them. The ladies were dolled up and
beautiful, but they didn’t look extremely wealthy.

“They’re
impressive to me,” Ty said. “You wouldn’t know they have money, but they donate
a lot to the program. If it wasn’t for people like that, I wouldn’t have my
scholarship.”

“It’s
great they give so much.”

“Yeah.”

They
placed their orders, Ty teasing her the entire time about choosing a deep-fried
roll. Kazlyn was grateful when she saw that the sushi was half-priced. She
didn’t want Ty spending a lot of money on her. From the looks of his truck,
money was sparse.

“Are
you going home for Christmas?” Ty asked as they waited for their dinners.

“Yes!
My last final is Wednesday. I’ll take off right after I get done.”

“That’s
great.” He toyed with his water glass.

“What
about you?”

He
exhaled slowly and leaned back in his chair. “No. I’m going with one of my
buddies to his house.”

“Oh.
I’m sorry you aren’t going home.”

“Me,
too. We usually play in a tournament, The Gossner Classic, every Christmas, but
this year Coach Anderson decided not to host it. I was so excited to go home,
but…things are tight.” He shifted in his seat and looked away.

Kazlyn’s
heart felt like it cracked reading the sorrow in his dark eyes. She understood
financial trouble all too well. “Tell me about your family.”

His
face lit up. “My mom is the best. She’s five-foot nothing and full of it.
Always laughing, teasing, and smiling. I have two little sisters, Jezebel and
Sheree. They’re twins, but look nothing alike. Jezebel’s tall, almost six feet,
but her face is beautiful like my mom’s. Sheree is teeny, but her face looks
like my dad and me. But she’s still pretty, not manly, you know?”

Kazlyn
glanced at his handsome face. “You’d make a beautiful girl.”

He
laughed.

“So
you get your height from your dad?”

“Yeah.”

He
paused. Kazlyn sensed something was off, but was still surprised when he said, “My
dad died when I was eight.”

“Oh.
Wow.” She understood how that felt, as well. She almost told him about her dad,
but figured it would come out later, if they kept seeing each other. “I’m so
sorry.”

He
shrugged. “Me too.”

“What
happened?”

“Stroke.”
He took a long drink of his water. “He tore his ACL and had surgery to repair
it. They think that’s why a blood clot went to his brain.”

She
reached over and squeezed his hand. “I bet you miss him.”

“Yeah.”
He stared at their hands. “But sometimes I have a hard time remembering
everything about him. My mom talks about him a lot though, keeps us laughing
with all the stories.”

“I’d
love to meet your mom someday.”

“She’d
love you.”

“How
do you know that?”

“She
appreciates a smart-aleck.”

She
straightened in the hard chair, pulling her hand back. “I am
not
a
smart-aleck.”

“You
gave me a hard time the second I met you.”

“That’s
because you acted so sure of yourself, like you were the womanizer of the
year.”

“Maybe
I am.”

“Maybe.”
She rubbed her hand along the wooden table. Her stomach clenched at the thought
of him being charming with other girls like he had been with her.

“Kazlyn.”
His gentle touch on her arm brought her head up. “I’m not.” He cleared his
throat. “I dated a lot the first couple years of college, and then I realized
that wasn’t who I was and the girls who chased me weren’t the kind of girl I
was looking for.”

“What
are you looking for?”
Oh, man, did I just ask him that?

He
tilted his head to the side and studied her. “Beautiful blonde, about five-six,
green eyes, likes to tease me.”

Kazlyn’s
heart raced from his look, words, and the feel of his fingers caressing hers.
The waitress brought their sushi and saved her from having to reply. Dinner
passed quickly as they laughed and talked. Kazlyn refused to eat his raw sushi
and he teased her about it.

The
waitress came to clear their dishes and told them their bill had been taken
care of by some other patrons. Ty looked frustrated.

“Does
that happen a lot?” Kazlyn asked, standing and shrugging into the coat Ty held
for her.

“Yeah.
But you’d think they would realize a man wants to pay for his own date.” He
glanced apologetically at her. “Sorry. Sometimes being well-known isn’t much
fun.”

Kazlyn
laughed. “You’re such a nutso. Most college students would be thrilled to get a
free meal.”

He
smiled with her. “You’re right. I just wanted to spoil you tonight.”

“I
haven’t had dessert, yet.”

Chuckling,
he put his arm around her shoulder. “I think I know the perfect thing.”

He
drove to 7-Eleven and helped her make hot cocoa, complete with Irish Cream
flavoring. Then, he drove through Kneaders and ordered a chocolate dome and a
turtle cheesecake.

“When
you say dessert, you mean dessert,” Kazlyn said.

Ty
laughed. “You have to share with me.”

“We’ll
see.”

Their
final stop was a park in the center of town. Large trees sheltered them from a
light snow as they sat at a picnic table and ate their treat. Ice skaters laughed
while spinning circles on the man-made pond across the bridge.

“Why
isn’t the wind blowing here?” Kazlyn asked.

“The
wind mostly blows on campus. It’s the breeze coming out of Logan Canyon.”

“Huh.”

“I
take it you don’t leave campus much.”

Kazlyn
shook her head. “Only to grab some groceries.” She glanced around at the snow,
the trees, and up the hill at the Latter-day Saint temple perched in all its
splendor. “This is beautiful.”

“Maybe
you should get away from campus more often.”

She
savored another delectable bite of the velvety chocolate dome and wrapped her
cold hands around her cocoa cup. “Too busy.”

Ty
tilted his head to the side. He turned and straddled the bench, closing the
distance between them. She knew she was imagining it, but she felt his warmth
permeating the air.

“What
drives you so hard, Kazlyn?”

Studying
the castle-like temple up on the hill, she swallowed a sip of creamy cocoa before
answering, “I have to get through school with my scholarship. I could never
afford it on my own.”