Full Court Devotion (6 page)

“Ty
is
my friend. I met him at Utah State a few weeks ago. He’s here with
Jamison and not a stranger. In fact, he protected me from some guy who attacked
me Tuesday night.”

They
exploded at that. Kazlyn had to reassure them and give them explicit details about
the attack. Then, she had to promise to start carrying her bear spray with her
at all times. Pepper spray just wasn’t good enough for these two.

“Now,
can you both calm down and trust that I’m not just going to go after some guy I
don’t know. Ty is an amazing person. Can you give him a chance?”

Porter’s
green eyes had softened a bit. “We’ll try.”

Luke
glared at him. “Speak for yourself. You can count on me getting to know him, and
he’d better watch his back if he thinks he’s going to be macking with my little
sister.”

“There
has been no macking!” Kazlyn blushed, remembering Ty’s kiss. But that wasn’t
macking—it was innocent and wonderful. “And I am old enough to decide who
and when I mack.”

“You’re
still my little sister. I’ll be watching him.” Luke stalked off, smacking into
the mistletoe hanging in the doorway. He shoved it aside.

Kazlyn
laughed.

Luke
turned back for one more glare before striding away.

Porter
chuckled with her and slung his arm around her shoulder. “If he’s as great a
guy as you say, Luke will soften up. Maybe you should invite Ty over, so we can
get to know him. Does he play ball?”

Kazlyn
giggled. “A bit.”

“Great.
Nothing better than roughing a guy up on the court to get to know him.”

Kazlyn’s
smile broadened. Introducing Ty to her brothers could be a lot more fun than
she originally thought.

Ty
knocked on
her door right at five the next night. Kazlyn waited in the front entry, so she
could beat her brothers to the door. She swung it open to a whiff of Ty’s clean
scent and cold air and couldn’t resist hugging him. She backed up and gestured
him into the house.

“Come
in.” She didn’t really want him to face her brothers again, but if she wanted
this relationship to go anywhere, she couldn’t deny them. Also, her mom hadn’t
had a chance to meet Ty.

“You
look beautiful.” Ty’s eyes swept over her fitted knee-length sweater dress,
tights, and boots. “I didn’t realize I was supposed to dress up.”

Kazlyn
did a quick pirouette. “It’s just comfy and warm.”

Ty
placed his hand on her waist. The look in his eyes made her feel special and
made her want to do more than just hug him. “The way you move is…beautiful.
Like everything is a dance.”

Kazlyn
understood why women swooned.

“And
the schmoozer decided to knock on our front door.” Luke strode into the
entryway, followed closely by Porter.

Tension
filled the room. Kazlyn debated which name to call Luke first.

Porter
extended his hand. “Porter Wilson.”

“Tyrese
Hamilton. It’s nice to meet you.” Relief swept across Ty’s features. He grinned
and Kazlyn wondered how anyone could resist him.

“You,
too,” Porter said.

Kazlyn
arched an eyebrow at Luke. He sighed loudly and extended his hand. “Luke.”

“Nice
to meet you, Luke.” Ty stood so confident with his characteristic grin on his
face. If he worried about Luke throwing another punch, he didn’t show it.

Kazlyn’s
mom rushed into the entryway and saved Luke from replying. “Oh, Ty, oh, my,
you’re just so handsome and tall. You’re taller than Luke.”

Ty
laughed and extended his hand. Rebecca brushed it away and gave him a hug. She
was so short her head didn’t clear his chest.

“I
understand you couldn’t go home for Christmas,” Rebecca said. “I’m so sorry.”

“Thank
you, ma’am.”

“None
of this ma’aming nonsense. Will you come to church and dinner with us
tomorrow?”

“I’d
love to.”

Luke
scowled, but Porter smiled as he watched the interaction. Kazlyn tugged on Ty’s
arm. “We’re going to go now.”

Ty
held the door open for her. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Luke
stepped up to the door and delivered his parting shot, “Take as good of care of
her as you’d want someone to take of your little sisters.”

Ty
nodded solemnly. “You can count on it.”

Luke
cracked a brief smile before closing the door.

“You
can breathe now.” Kazlyn bumped him with her shoulder.

Ty
wrapped his arm around her and laughed. “Was I that obvious?”

“No,
but I know Luke can be scary.”

“It’s
a good big brother quality.”

They
drove to the open town square crowded with carnival rides, games, and food
vendors. The night was wonderful, as they laughed through corn dogs, fried pickles,
hot cocoa, looks from all the locals, and introductions and hugs from old
friends and neighbors.

They
got whiplash and the giggles on the bumper cars and Kazlyn almost lost her
fried pickles on the Tilt-a-Whirl. It was fun but Kazlyn just wanted to be
alone with him and the loud Christmas music was enough to give her a headache.

“C’mere.”
She tugged on his hand and they tromped through some deep snow down to the
stream that was still gurgling despite the cold. The stars reflected in the ice
dotting the banks. Ty wrapped his arms around her and they started swaying to
the music. She loved the feel of his strong body close to hers and his clean,
fresh scent.

“You’re
a dancer?” Ty asked.

Kazlyn
looked up at him. “Used to be. How did you know?”

“Just
the way you move. Why not anymore?”

She
glanced across the snow at the party going on and children screaming on
carnival rides.
The night was clear and the stars were out, though the
golden glow from the carnival made it harder to see them.
“Too busy.”

“You
miss it?”

She
nodded.

Ty
pulled away from her and stomped around in the snow until he’d created a flat
area. “Dance for me.”

Kazlyn
shook her head. “I wouldn’t know what to do.”

Ty
came closer and she had to remind herself to breathe as a grin split his handsome
face. He gently touched her eyelids. “Close your eyes.” She obeyed, savoring
the feel of his fingertips on her face and wishing he’d kiss her. He directed
her toward the spot he’d flattened, then let her go. “Just move with the
music.”

Kazlyn
listened, recognizing the Nutcracker. How ironic. One of her favorite
performances. She shed her coat and started moving. She couldn’t do the dance
accurately—she usually would’ve been en pointe—but she danced
through the song, enjoying every second, even if she didn’t have the Snow King
lifting her and couldn’t do her normal leaps. She got to the part where the
Snow King would’ve boosted her up for the finale and Ty was suddenly there. He
wrapped his hands around her waist and easily lifted her above his head. Kazlyn
laughed, looking down at him. He held her there, chuckling along with her and
spun a slow circle. Suddenly, his eyes darkened, smoldering as they studied her.
He lowered her, his strong body brushing against hers as he held her close.

“You’re
an amazing dancer,” Ty whispered.

“Thank
you.”

She
shyly looked away from him. Ty didn’t say anything, but she could feel his gaze
on her. Kazlyn’s eyes were drawn back to him like a moth to the light. His eyes
lowered to her lips, then met hers again. She went on tiptoes and wrapped her
arms around his neck. Ty came down to meet her. His lips overtook hers and her
heart raced for reasons other than the exertion of dancing.

His
mouth and body in contact with hers was the purest joy she’d felt. It was
better than Christmas morning as a child.

Ty
released her mouth, but continued to hold her close. Even without her coat, she
was warm when she was with him. “Kazlyn.” His voice was husky. “You’re the most
beautiful Christmas angel I’ve ever met.”

She
blushed, feeling beautiful to him. “I’m no angel.”

“Oh,
I know, you’ve called me all kinds of awful names.”

“Ha!
You deserved them.”

“I’m
sure.” He trailed strong fingers down her cheek. “Do you still think I’m a
schmoozer?”

She
tilted her head to the side, appraising him. “Yes.”

“
What
?”

“But…”
She laughed. “I love it. You can schmooze me with your pretty words any time.”

He
winked, bowed his head to hers, and schmoozed her without any words at all.

Ty
felt more
nervous than he had at last year’s championship game as he climbed Kazlyn’s
porch steps Sunday morning. Her mom was great and Porter seemed to be warming
up, but Luke was a different story. He was still semi-shocked the guy had tried
to hit him.

He
glanced around at the house that looked more like a cabin. It fit perfectly in
the rustic setting. He raised his hand to knock just as the tall wooden door
swung open. Kazlyn launched herself into his arms and gave him a quick kiss. “I
missed you.”

Ty
savored her soft form in his arms before leaning back to admire how beautiful
she looked in the flowing red dress. “Not as much as I missed you.” He pulled
her close, and almost went for another kiss when a throat cleared in the open
doorway behind them.

Luke
stood glaring at them. “Mom wants him to ride with us.”

Kazlyn
took his hand and they walked together through the house. She lifted a
knee-length tan coat off the couch. He helped her into it, then reached for her
hand again, earning another scowl from Luke. Would the guy ever ease up?

“You
look amazing.” Kazlyn squeezed his hand and smiled up at him.

“So
do you.” Dealing with her brother was more than worth it if he could be with
Kazlyn.

Porter
and Rebecca greeted him warmly and the question and answer period driving to church
was bearable. Kazlyn squeezed between him and Porter in the backseat of an
older Ford Explorer. With his arm around her shoulder and her hand resting on
his knee, he would’ve answered anything her mom wanted to know. Luke focused on
driving, not speaking to anyone.

Ty
thoroughly enjoyed the church service—songs from the choir and
congregation, and a brief message on loving as the Savior would love this
Christmas season. He especially liked singing with Kazlyn. Her voice was as
sweet as the rest of her. After the service she introduced him to Pastor John,
a tall, middle-aged man.

“Pastor
John was there for me after my dad died,” Kazlyn explained without preamble.

The
pastor patted her arm. “This angel is an easy one to be there for.”

“She
is definitely an angel,” Ty agreed.

The
pastor sized him up. “I see the light in your eyes, Son. Promise me you’ll
treat Kazlyn the way the Lord would want you to.”

Ty
reached out and solemnly shook the older man’s hand. “I promise.”

Pastor
John smiled. “I see good things for you two.”

Ty
hoped the preacher was right, but he knew how driven Kazlyn was. Even if they
did become a couple, he was leaving for Europe and she would want to finish her
schooling here. Would she want a long-distance relationship? As much as he
craved being with her, could he handle years apart? It was too early to even be
wondering, but he couldn’t help himself.

They
said their goodbyes, headed toward the huge wooden doors, and exited into the
brisk mountain air.

“Hey,
April,” Kazlyn said to a pretty blonde hurrying toward the church. “How are
you?”

The
girl’s eyes were red-rimmed. “Okay. You?”

“Wonderful.”
Kazlyn smiled up at Ty and his heart thumped faster.

“Are
you home for a bit?” April asked.

“Two
weeks.”

“Me,
too. Can we chat later? I need to talk to Pastor John quick.”

“Sure.”
Kazlyn gave the girl a quick hug and they walked away without her introducing
Ty. “I hope everything’s okay.” Kazlyn stared after her friend. She finally
glanced up at Ty. “At least she’s meeting with Pastor John. He always helped
all of us when we were upset.”

Ty
smiled, grateful she’d had a spiritual leader like that in her life.

Throughout
the drive home and a dinner of delicious roast beef, potatoes, corn, and
homemade rolls, Ty continued to get drilled with questions from Porter and
Rebecca. Luke kept pretty quiet, seeming to appraise every response and
inflection of Ty’s voice.

“How
old were you when your dad died?” Porter asked quietly after Ty had shared a
bit about his family.

“Eight.”
Ty set his napkin on his plate.

Rebecca
inhaled sharply. “Young.”

“Yeah.”
He nodded.

Luke’s
utensils clanked against his plate as he set them down and stared at Ty.

“Is
that why you said you grew up quick?” Kazlyn asked.

Ty
turned in his seat toward her. “Yeah.”

“Did
you have to provide for your family?”

He
shook his head. The gravy and rolls that had smelled so enticing now turned his
stomach. He needed to explain to Kazlyn. “My dad had a good job and my mom is a
school teacher, but we couldn’t get on top of the medical bills after dad died and
my mom would never accept governmental help or family handouts. We had to move
to a small apartment in downtown Huntsville. My uncle owned a grocery store. He
had me stock shelves and run errands for him. Between that and basketball
practice, things were busy, but we were able to pay off the medical bills the
year before I started college.”

Everyone
stared at him.

Kazlyn
reached over and took his hand. “You’re an impressive man, you know that?”

He
smiled.

Rebecca
nodded. “Have you always had to work?”

“Until
I got the scholarship to USU and couldn’t fit it in. I saved most of my money
the last year of high school, so at least I’m able to eat now.”

Luke
appraised him. “USU doesn’t cover everything?”

“They
do. I just like to have extra money to help my sisters. When they need a prom
dress or want to go to a volleyball camp or something like that…” He shifted,
embarrassed to be telling all of them about his financial situation.

“That’s
really sweet of you,” Kazlyn gazed up at him with such admiration in her eyes.
He wished he could kiss her.

“Will
your mom approve of you dating a white girl?” Luke interrupted and changed the
subject.

Ty’s
eyes widened. He wasn’t sure it was a good change.

“Luke,”
Rebecca and Kazlyn exclaimed together.

“No,
it’s okay.” Ty leaned back and stared at Luke. “My mom is an amazing lady and
she told me years ago that she would approve of anyone I brought home, as long
as they were a believer and treated me well.”

Luke
grunted.

Kazlyn
swallowed and smiled. “So, I guess I’ll need to stop calling you names?”

Ty
chuckled. “At least around my mom.”

“I
hope I get to meet her someday.”

“Me,
too.”

They
sat there smiling at each other until Luke jumped to his feet. “Clean up time.”

Ty
didn’t love the interruption of their moment, but he had fun teasing with
Porter and Kazlyn as everyone pitched in to do dishes.

“Before
dessert do you want to shoot some hoops?” Luke asked.

Ty
glanced down at his white dress shirt and dark grey slacks.

“Don’t
worry,” Luke said with a smirk. “I won’t mess you up.”

Ty
grinned. “I’ll get over it if you do.” He took his tie off, rolled up his
sleeves, and unbuttoned his top button. Kazlyn and Rebecca wrapped in quilts,
and watched the action in the driveway from the porch swing.

They
started shooting and rebounding, nothing too serious or competitive until Luke
sprang in front of Ty to grab a rebound then elbowed him in the gut. “How about
some one on one?”

Porter
stood off to the side of the cleared concrete. “I might have to be ref.”

Luke
laughed. “Yeah, keep the professional in line.”

Ty
tried to go easy on him. Besides Luke pushing and fouling him, the game stayed
pretty light and fun. Ty won 20-14. Luke didn’t seem to like it, but he acted
all right.

They
went back inside, enjoyed pumpkin pie, and watched
A Christmas Story
. Ty
was just about to say he should go, though he had no desire to leave Kazlyn’s
side, when she asked, “Do you want to watch the fireworks with me or is Jamison
expecting you?”

“Jamison
won’t care. I didn’t know they did fireworks, but I’d love to watch them with
you.”

Rebecca
helped them put together a picnic dinner of roast beef sandwiches, sliced
apples, cookies, and a thermos of hot cocoa. They piled blankets in the back of
Ty’s truck and drove to a good spot by the hospital to watch the fireworks.

Settled
into the back of his truck, with Kazlyn cuddled against his side, Ty thought
this was as close to heaven as he’d ever been. “It’s been a great day.”

“It
has.” She smiled up at him. It was dark enough he could barely make out the
sparkle in her emerald eyes. “Thanks for putting up with Luke.”

He
chuckled. “He’s fine. I actually can’t wait to give my little sisters’
boyfriends a hard time.”

She
pushed against him. “I can’t believe you would do that.”

“Hey,
you go after someone’s little sister and you’re fair game.”

She
arched her eyebrows. “Are you ‘going after me’?”

“You’d
better believe I am.” He wrapped one arm around her waist and entangled the
other in her soft hair.

The
fireworks started exploding above them, but neither of them even turned to
look. Ty bent his head and showed her exactly how he was going after her.