“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?”
Stu
dying 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.”
He nodded. “I can understand that. You told me you’re going to change the world. How?”
Kazlyn gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Well, hopefully change it for some children. I want to get a master’s in speech pathology, so I can help children with speech problems. Here and hopefully in some third-world nations.”
“Wow. That’s great.”
“What about you? You’re going into P.E.?”
“I’ll have a double bachelor’s in physical education and exercise science this spring. I want to coach, but I want to understand all the facets of the human body and exercise, so I can really help my students be successful. So many coaches made a difference in my life. I’d love to do that.” He took her cocoa cup, set it on the table, and wrapped both of his hands around hers. The heat from his fingers seemed to spread throughout her entire body. “After I play in Europe.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You’re playing in Europe?”
“I’ll start a month after I graduate. I’ve just got to decide which team.”
“Wow. That would be amazing.” But the thought of him being in Europe made her sad. Crazy. She didn’t even know him that well and next year she’d be in the middle of an intensive master’s program. “How long would you stay in Europe?”
“At least five years. It’s a big commitment, but the money’s amazing. I could help my mom pay the house off and setup college funds for my sisters. Then, hopefully, I could come back to the states and coach high school or college.”
He just kept impressing her. A double bachelor’s degree wasn’t easing through school like some of the other athletes she’d met. She loved that he wanted to make great money, so he could take care of his mom and sisters.
A slow song drifted to them from the ice-skating pond. Ty tugged her to her feet. “Will you dance with me?”
“Sure.” Dance. How she missed it.
She rested her face against his chest. His clean smell radiated through his coat. He was so well-built, making her feel safe and setting her heart thumping at the same time.
The dance ended all too soon and she started shivering the moment she left his arms. Ty must’ve thought it was because she was cold, the truth was she immediately missed being surrounded by his strength.
“I’d better get you home,” he said.
Kazlyn knew the night couldn’t last, but she didn’t want to leave his side.
The drive home was full of light-hearted banter and when he left her on the doorstep with one more gentle hug, Kazlyn thought she must be in heaven. It was the middle of the night before she realized he’d said nothing about seeing her again and hadn’t even asked for her cell number. Maybe he hadn’t enjoyed the date as much as she had.
Chapter Six
TY COULD’VE KICKED HIMSELF. He’d been so into the hug on the doorstep and arguing with himself whether he dared try for a brief kiss, he hadn’t stopped to think. Kazlyn had whispered goodbye in a husky voice that seemed to say she was as affected by the hug as he was. He’d walked away grinning. He was in his truck and driving home before he realized he hadn’t asked for her number or what her schedule was like the rest of the weekend. As serious as she was about school, he doubted she’d want to go out during finals week, and she was going home Wednesday. He was an idiot.
“Ty?”
His head snapped up and he realized he was daydreaming about Kazlyn during a time-out. Coach Anderson’s narrowed gaze told him he hadn’t fooled anyone.
“I’m here, Coach.”
“Well, stay here.”
They broke the huddle and Ty went into play mode. Basketball was such a part of him, he could initiate and respond without really thinking about it. The crowd’s raucous cheers just fueled the experience for him. He had three dunks, fifteen rebounds, and twenty-eight points before the night was over. He felt like he was on top of the world.
Running up the tunnel after the game ended, he heard the sweetest voice call his name. He glanced up, stopped dead, and one of the assistant coaches ran into him from behind. “Sorry, Coach.”
Coach Maughan shook his head and followed Ty’s gaze up. He smiled, slapped Ty on the shoulder, and walked around him.
Kazlyn leaned over the tunnel edge. A warm grin lit her beautiful face. Her green eyes sparkled like a Christmas tree, set off by a red sweater. “Great game.”
“Thanks.” He thought she’d probably say she needed to study, but he had to ask. “Will you wait for me?”
She nodded and he couldn’t hide his happy grin.
He pointed at the other tunnel. “I’ll come out of the locker room over there.”
“I’ll be there.”
Ty winked and ran up the tunnel. He was going to set a record for quickest shower. Hopefully the coach’s speech wouldn’t be long.
***
Kazlyn watched Ty go, then straightened and hugged herself. She’d only made it to the last half of the game, but she wished she’d seen it all. Ty was even more amazing to watch now that she was completely infatuated with him. It had been well worth taking a break from studying.
“You finally figured it out.”
Kazlyn turned around to face the same teenage girls from last week. “Thanks for setting me straight. I don’t want to miss out.”
“You’re so lucky,” the redhead gushed.
“Yes, I am.” Kazlyn gave them one more smile, and then made her way to the other tunnel.
Fans and some cheerleaders filtered past her to the exterior door. A burly guy with longish blond hair and an Aggiette dancer hanging off each arm leered at her as they walked past. Kazlyn wrapped her arms across her chest. The guy winked slyly before the girls tugged him from the tunnel. Kazlyn shivered.
“Hey,” an older gentleman’s voice pulled her from the fear of that wink. “You were with Ty last night at Takara.”
“Yes.” She recognized the couple from the restaurant. She suddenly felt awkward, maybe they thought she was just after Ty because of what an amazing athlete he was. “Um, thanks for dinner.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” The guy ducked his head, obviously hiding a smile.
The wife slapped him on the shoulder. “You’re so transparent.” She turned to Kazlyn and said kindly, “Ty’s a great guy. You must be something special if you’re dating him.”
Kazlyn smiled. “Thank you. He is a great guy.”
They said their goodbyes and proceeded out into the icy darkness. A few of the cheerleaders waited for the players with Kazlyn. She forced herself not to feel jealous. They were beautiful girls, flashing a lot of skin, and here she was in a turtleneck sweater and jeans, covered from neck to toe. Ty had said he was a Christian, too. Hopefully he appreciated modesty.
Ten minutes later, a few coaches came out of the locker room door. Kazlyn tried to be patient and not think about the studying she should be doing. It was worth it to be with Ty for a little while, and he’d acted so glad to see her.
When Ty finally burst out of the locker room door, several of the cheerleaders squealed his name. One rushed over to give him a hug. Ty smiled and said thanks, but his gaze was on Kazlyn.
He broke away and crossed the distance. “Kazzy.” He took her hand. “Thanks for coming.”
She gnawed on the inside of her cheek, suddenly sweating from the pressure of his hand and the look in his eyes. “It was great to watch you play.”
“Thanks. Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“I’m betting I could talk you into dessert.” He looked down at her with a lifted eyebrow.
“Sure.” Kazlyn blushed, for some reason picturing something different than sugar when he talked about dessert.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Kazlyn was over a foot shorter than him, but she felt beautiful and tall in his arm, even though she probably looked li
ke his little sister. They walked through a picturesque winter night, down the hill away from campus. Snow fell softly and it was much warmer without the wind. When Ty directed her into the Bull’s Head, Kazlyn hesitated. She’d never been in the restaurant; she just didn’t fit in with the typical college crowd. Ty gave her a gentle smile and enveloped her small hand in his palm. Kazlyn was pretty sure she’d follow him anywhere as he ushered her through the door.
They were accosted with cheers and congratulations the second they entered the restaurant. Ty asked for a booth in the back. Maybe he understood how uncomfortable she was with everyone watching her, wondering who the lucky girl was with the superstar. The hostess escorted them through the crowded restaurant. Ty bumped people’s fists and received a couple of hugs. He held onto her hand the entire time and introduced her to a few people who must’ve been actual friends, not just fans.
They settled into their seats and Kazlyn took off her coat and gloves. “Wow. You seem to deal with all the attention so well.”
Ty shrugged. “It’s only a pain when I want to be alone with a beautiful girl.”
“That’s why you requested the back booth.” She blushed, thrilled he wanted to be alone with her.
“We should’ve gone somewhere else, but I really like the food here. I didn’t think about it being so crowded right after a game.” He studied her. “Does being with me and all the attention bother you?”
She didn’t know how to answer him. She was proud to be with him, but didn’t like feeling every eye on her. She went for flippant. “Only when the girls hug you.”
He smirked. “You should know, I’d much rather be hugging you.”
“Good answer.” She loved his answer, but a part of her wondered if that was just how guys who dated a lot of girls talked. How would she know when she’d rarely dated anyone?
He ordered fried pickles and a pizza while Kazlyn got a frozen brownie sundae. She didn’t like the sound of frozen, but it was chocolate so she figured she couldn’t go wrong.
Ty reached across the table and took her cold hands in his warm grasp. Tingles spread up her arms. His touch was magical and the look in his eyes made her stomach flip.
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