Full Court Devotion

To my dad. Thank you for making
Christmas magical for me and for all the wonderful memories throughout the
years. If my children have half the childhood I had, I will be thrilled.

Thank you to Christina Dymock for
putting this boxed set together and being kind enough to include me. Thank you
to all the amazing authors in this group: Taylor Hart, Jeanette Lewis, Lucy
McConnell, Cindy Anderson, and Kimberley Montpetit.

Thank you to Sherry Gammon for my
beautiful cover, Sadie Anderson for formatting, and The Reading Fairy’s
Correction Cottage for editing.

This is a
work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the
product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales,
is entirely coincidental.

Full
Court Devotion: A Christmas in Snow Valley Novel

COPYRIGHT
©
2014
by Camille Coats Checketts

All
rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Cover artist: Sjlocke of
Depositphotos.com

Cover design: Sherry Gammon of
Wordpaintingcovers.blogspot.com

Cover
Copyright Camille Coats Checketts

Interior Design by Sadie
Anderson

Edited by The Reading Fairy’s
Correction Cottage

Birch
River Publishing

Smithfield,
Utah

Published
in the United States of America

Kazlyn
slung her
bag over one shoulder and dodged slower students. She wasn’t exactly late, but
being outside any longer than necessary on a winter’s day in Logan, Utah was
pure stupidity. Shivering in the vicious canyon breeze, she skirted a group of
slow-moving girls and ran directly into the back of an insanely tall guy. Her
bag flung from her fingers and books scattered in the crusty snow piled up next
to the sidewalk.

“Snot!”

Tall
dude turned and gave her a friendly smile. “No, it’s Tyrese.” His smile grew as
he looked her over, white teeth flashing against his smooth, dark skin. “Most
people call me Ty, but you can call me anything you want to.”

“Ugh!”
She ignored his flirtations and pretty-boy face. You’d think a man that large
would have a face like Andre the Giant. Grabbing at books, she shoved them into
her bag.

“Here,
let me get that for you.” Ty reached farther across the snow bank than she
could; with octopus arms it was probably easy.

“Thanks,”
she muttered.

He
retrieved a few more books and her peppermint lip gloss. Of course, he would
find the only feminine thing she had time for during school. His grin got even
bigger. “This looks…” He glanced over her face before focusing on her lips.
“Yummy.”

Could
the guy get any more arrogant? Kazlyn held out her hand. He surrendered the
books, but held onto the lip gloss. She sighed, shoved the books into her bag,
then held out her hand again. He placed the lip gloss into her palm and wrapped
his warm fingers around her freezing ones. She’d been so stressed this morning,
she’d forgotten her gloves—again. His warmth felt like the fireplace at
home in Snow Valley, Montana. If she could just survive finals in two weeks, she’d
be there. At the moment, she wanted to beg Ty to hold her hands and walk her to
class. She smiled to herself, like she’d ever do that.

“Wouldn’t
want you to lose that.” Ty squeezed her hand. “Maybe you’ll give me a sample
one day.”

Her
eyebrows shot up. She yanked her fingers from his and stomped around him. “No
free samples, buddy.” She tossed a challenging look over her shoulder, almost
hoping he’d call her bluff. He winked and grinned.

Kazlyn
whipped back around, smacking herself in the face with her long, blonde hair. First,
she ran into him. Then, she whacked herself with her own hair. How
embarrassing.

He
laughed. “Maybe I could be an exception.”

Kazlyn
kept walking. He caught up to her in four steps, though she’d taken ten.
Curse
his long legs
.

Ty
strode easily beside her as she huffed her way to the Education Building. Her
bag weighed her down, but she still bounced onto her toe with each step, too
many years en pointe.

Kazlyn
couldn’t resist looking at him and almost wished she could dislodge the
picture—fabulous smile, dark eyes surrounded with thick lashes she
couldn’t have achieved with heaps of mascara, and chocolate skin.

Every
few seconds, fellow students, mostly girls, raised their hand in greeting or
called out a friendly ‘hello’. He always responded kindly, but didn’t stop to
talk, even though many of the girls slowed their steps or even turned around to
watch him go by.

“Why
are you following me?” Kazlyn finally asked.

“I’m
not. I’m walking next to you.”

She
huffed. “That’s because you walk so stinking fast. If you didn’t have giraffe
legs, you’d be following me.”

He
laughed. “Come on. I have more muscle on my legs than most giraffes.”

She
allowed him a small smile. “Knobbly-kneed giraffe.”

“I
told you it’s Tyrese.” He pumped his eyebrows. “Now, you get to share your name
with me.”

“Not
happening. I don’t tell strange men my name.”

“Aw,
come on. You already gave me a hug from the back.”

“I
ran into you!”

“And
I forgave you immediately.” He winked. “I’m sure most people would forgive that
beautiful face of anything.”

Kazlyn
wanted to glare at him, but she couldn’t. Her dad used to say a similar line to
her. “Are you always a schmoozer?”

That
brought her another chuckle. “Didn’t your momma teach you not to call names?”

“Didn’t
your momma teach you not to follow people?”

He
laughed louder. “She said it was okay if the girl was really pretty.”

She
blushed, turned her back on him, and climbed the steps to the Education
Building. He took the steps two at a time and grabbed the glass front door,
swinging it wide for her.

“Do
you have a class in here?” she asked.

“My
class is next door at the HPER.”

“Figures.
Let me guess.” She strode down the hallway and up the stairs. “You’re a P.E.
major.”

“Something
like that.”

“And
probably the star of the basketball team.”

“Hi,
Ty,” a chorus of girls called out.

“Hi.”
He gave them a quick smile before turning back to her. “How’d you figure that
out?”

“Must
be the giraffe legs.”

“They
come in handy sometimes. Have you seen me play?”

She
stopped outside her classroom door and tilted her head back to meet his gaze.
“Do I look like the kind of person who would enjoy a basketball game?”

He
perused her slowly. “Sure. You look fit, and really, who doesn’t enjoy a
basketball game?”

“Me.”

“Honestly?”
His smooth brow wrinkled. “You don’t like sports?”

“I
like sports; I don’t like being a spectator.” She gestured into the classroom.
“I get enough of sitting on my rear.”

His
smile came back. “You definitely haven’t been to one of my games. Nobody sits;
they stand and cheer the entire time.”

Now
it was her turn to laugh out loud. “You need humility lessons.”

“You
offering to teach them?” He leaned against the door jamb and folded his arms
across his chest.

Kazlyn
had to swallow at the sudden dryness in her mouth. He looked really good. “If I
had the time, I think I could teach you a few things.”

“That’s
the best offer I’ve had today.”

She
flushed and fumbled unzipping her coat to try and cool off. A few of Kazlyn’s
classmates walked passed, eyeing Ty with undisguised admiration.

“Somehow,
I doubt that.” She brushed by him and took her seat in the class. When she
looked toward the open doorway he was gone.

All
throughout class, Kazlyn struggled to focus on anything the teacher said and
caught herself smiling remembering the interaction with Ty. When the lecture
finally ended, she left with another assignment to add to her growing list. She
said a quick prayer that she could keep up with everything. She had enough time
to choke down a granola bar and race across campus to work. Four hours at her
on-campus job and then she could focus on assignments and study all night.
Whoever said college life was fun must have signed up for a different
experience than her.

She
walked out the doorway of her class with her right shoulder bowing to the
pressure of her bag. Her backpack had broken last week and she didn’t have the
time or money to buy a new one. Hopefully one of her grandmas would send
Christmas money.

Tyrese
leaned against the wall with a smattering of beautiful girls surrounding him. He
should give up basketball and sign some modeling contracts. He was too handsome
for his own good.

She
forced herself to turn and walk away, though she was sorely tempted to join the
girls and sign up for the Tyrese Fan Club, or maybe start her own.

“Excuse
me,” his deep voice sounded behind her as he extricated himself from his
adoring groupies. Ty didn’t follow so much as leap next to Kazlyn. “Are you
ready to tell me your name yet? This is the second time we’ve met, so we aren’t
strangers anymore.”

She
shook her head. “I’m sure one of those girls would be thrilled to give you her
name, number, and anything else you want.” She blushed. Nothing like revealing
jealousy.

He
grinned. “But I don’t want their names or numbers. I want yours.”

She
failed at hiding her smile. “That’s very flattering, but I’m too busy to date
and if you keep talking to me I’m going to be late for work.” She descended the
stairs as fast as her shorter legs would allow.

“Will
you get in trouble if you’re late for work?” He effectively ignored her comment
about not dating, took her bag, and slung it over his broad shoulder.

Kazlyn
shouldn’t have let him take her bag, but the way his hand had brushed hers had
her grasping for words. “Um, I don’t know. I’ve never been late before.” She imagined
her boss, a sweet lady everyone called Momma Rue, would just tease her if she
was late, but it wasn’t in her makeup to not do everything she was supposed to
do.

“You’ve
never…” His steps faltered, but he caught up to her quickly. “Wow. You’re one
of those, huh?”

“A
contributing, responsible member of society? Yep. I’m one of those.” She cursed
herself; that came out really rude. But maybe it was for the best. She couldn’t
let herself fall for anyone right now, let alone a player who had women
following him like puppies.

“Ouch.
Just for the record, I’ve never been late for practice either.”

She
glanced up at him. “So basketball practice is your job?”

“For
now.” The sparkle left his eyes. “But I’ve been working since I was eight.”

She
stopped just inside the glass doors and turned to face him, trying to keep the
mood light. “No child labor laws where you come from?”

“Where
I come from, you grow up quick.”

“I’m
sorry.” Kazlyn knew not everyone could grow up on a ranch in Montana. She’d
done chores since she could walk, but her dad and brothers had always been
there to help her. It didn’t sound like Ty had experienced that kind of
childhood.

She
zipped up her coat and pushed through the door, a blast of wintry air biting
her exposed cheeks. Tyrese stepped next to her. He didn’t touch her, but stayed
in just the right spot for his large frame to block the wind coming from the
east.

They
walked across the road and through the parking lot. He held the door for her to
enter the student building. Once inside, she exhaled and turned to face him.
She didn’t want him following her into the office where she worked. The teasing
would be unbearable.

“Thank
you. That was really nice of you to protect me…from the wind.”

The
twinkle in his eyes turned to a smolder. “It was my pleasure to protect you.”

Dang,
this guy was good. Kazlyn licked her lips and held out her hand for her bag. He
gave it to her, brushing her fingers again.

“I’ll
see you later,” she managed to whisper.

He
reached out and stopped her, his brown hand searing warmth into her. “If you
won’t tell me your name, will you at least come watch me play tonight?”

“I
can’t. I’ve got a lot of homework.” She swung her bag onto her shoulder.

“So
you’re one of those?”

She
mimicked his nod. “Those contributing members of society who take far too many
credits so they can graduate early, get a master’s degree, and go change the
world. Yes, I am.”

His
deep chuckle came again, warming her almost as much as his touch. “If you won’t
tell me your name and you won’t come to my game, I’m going to have to make up a
name for you and stalk you.”

“Now
that sounds inviting.” She scowled at him. “No stalking, but I’d like to hear
what name you’d make up for me.”

“Natalya.”

“Natalya?”
She shook her head. “Why Natalya?”

“You
have an exotic look to you.”

“Dirty
blonde hair and green eyes are exotic?”

He
smiled down at her with a look that was already becoming familiar and something
inside her thawed more than just from coming in out of the cold. “Golden locks
like a princess, eyes of emerald, and skin so smooth, just aching to be
touched.” He brushed his long fingers down her cheek.

Kazlyn
caught a breath, tingling from his touch. “Okay, um, now I’m just,
like…disconcertiated.”
What did I just say?

“Disconcertiated?”
He laughed. “Didn’t know that was a word.”

“When
you spend your life in the library, you get to make up your own vocabulary.”

He
grinned.

“I’ve
got to go to work.” Kazlyn backed up a step. She had to get out of here before
she tripped over her own tongue again.

“Can
I walk you?”

She
shook her head. “Absolutely not, I don’t need to be teased.” She turned on her
heel and left. Of course, he was right by her side.

“Why
would they tease you, because I’m black?”

“No.”
She turned, wondering if he was being serious. Everywhere they’d walked other
students tried to get his attention and were over-the-top friendly with him.
Did he also have some who discriminated because of his ethnicity? Just the
thought made her want to go to battle for him. Like he needed her protection.
“They’d tease me because a man with giraffe legs tried to walk me to work.” The
truth was; they’d be shocked to see her with anyone of the male variety.