by Ariel Tachna
Kit flushed a bit. “Am I that obvious?”
“Nah, but you sound excited. It was a good game, but it’s not like we won the championship yet. What’s got you all hyped?”
The idea that Linc could already sense Kit’s mood even over the phone warmed him through. All but bouncing on the mattress, he said, “I got the job! My supervisor at Alltech called me into his office today and gave me a formal offer for an environmental tech position starting June 1.”
“Wow, congratulations! That’s gotta feel good.”
“The best,” Kit replied, basking in the glow of success. “Phillip and Uncle Thane and everyone, they all said some variation of ‘of course you got the job,’ and I appreciate their support, but there’s no of course to it. I worked my ass off for this.”
Linc laughed. “I know you did, although I hope you saved a little of your ass for me.”
Kit couldn’t help himself. He laughed so hard he choked on it. When he could get words out again, he replied, “Don’t worry, babe. What’s left of my ass is all yours.”
“Good. Now, what should we do to celebrate when I get back? We only have two days before the Duke game, but we can squeeze something in there.”
“We could wait and celebrate beating Duke and my job at the same time,” Kit offered.
“We could, but then the focus wouldn’t just be on you, and that ain’t fair. I get all this attention for hitting a few baskets, but what you done, that’s something special. You worked hard for it.”
“And you didn’t work hard to be good at basketball?” Kit retorted even as he squirmed a little at Linc’s consideration. “I know how many hours you spend practicing.”
“I get plenty of celebrating when we win,” Linc repeated. “I want this to be just for you.”
“Then we’ll figure something out.” He’d find something quirky and fun for them to do that wouldn’t be too expensive. Linc wouldn’t say it, but Kit had put two and two together to figure out that Linc’s finances were a bit tight, and if they were celebrating Kit’s job, Linc wouldn’t want Kit to pay, no matter how much he insisted. Better to find something that wouldn’t break the bank.
Chapter Thirteen
86–86 with fifteen seconds left to play against Duke, the biggest regular season game.
“Come on, Cats!” Kit shouted as Linc stole the ball from a Duke player and tore down the court. The Duke point guard hounded him all the way down, stopping him from making a clean dunk to tip the game in UK’s favor, but Linc didn’t let up.
The shouts from the crowd grew deafening as Linc feinted right, then left, looking for an opening for a shot or someone to pass the ball to, but the vicious terrier of a point guard didn’t give him any openings, and the clock was running down fast.
“Take the shot, Linc,” Kit yelled, though he had no illusions Linc could hear him over the roar that filled Rupp Arena.
With two seconds left on the clock, Linc dribbled once, bunched his legs beneath him, and jumped, his height lifting him above the point guard’s range. The ball flew from his fingers toward the basket. Kit held his breath along with every fan in the arena.
The ball hit the rim, bounced once, twice, and went in.
The crowd went wild as the buzzer sounded to end the game.
Logan and Ethan practically tackled Kit as they hugged him, joining in the thunderous cheers. They’d done it! They’d beaten Duke for the fourth year in a row, giving Linc a clean sweep against them in regular season games.
Take that, Duke, Kit thought viciously as he laughed at the guys in the eRUPPtion Zone who had pulled off their shirts and were waving them around victoriously.
Why the hell not? Kit tugged on his own shirt and swirled it over his head. When the UK players strutted, because Kit didn’t care what anyone else said, Linc was strutting, over to the stands, Kit threw caution to the wind and tossed his shirt in Linc’s direction. Linc caught it with a grin and a wave and tied it around his head.
“Subtle, Parkins,” Ethan muttered next to him.
“Nobody gives a fuck,” Kit replied as dozens of other T-shirts rained down from the stands. “And it’s not like we’re hiding. Besides they’re too focused on them to care about me.”
“Uh-huh. You keep telling yourself that.”
Kit flipped him off and went back to celebrating with the rest of the fans. He wasn’t in a rush. He was meeting Linc to go out with the whole team, which meant he had to wait through whatever time the press demanded, the coach’s postgame talk, and the team taking showers. He only hoped Linc kept his shirt so he could get it back. He didn’t stand out shirtless in the stands, but he’d be a little more obvious in Tolly-Ho.
He lingered in the stands as long as he could, but eventually Rupp started to empty out. Kit put his coat on to hide the fact that his T-shirt hadn’t been one of the ones recovered from the court after the players had retreated to the locker room, and he made a mental note to bring a backup shirt to any future games. Sure, there was no game quite like the Duke game, unless it was an NCAA championship game against Duke, but the crowd got hyped up during tournament games, no matter who UK was playing. He might even make it a tradition, tossing his shirt to Linc after a win. He scoffed to himself at the thought.
“Can I help you?” one of the arena staff asked as Kit loitered outside the locker room.
“No, I’m waiting on the team to finish up,” Kit said. “We’re going out after the game.”
The man looked like he’d been sucking on a lemon, but before he could tell Kit to clear out or anything similar, Pete stuck his head out. “Hey, good, you’re here. Come on in. We’re waiting on Joyner to get his sorry ass out of the shower, and then we’ll be ready to go.”
“You sure it’s okay?” Kit asked, hoping he wasn’t drooling at the thought of Linc coming out of the shower naked or in just a towel.
“Yeah, Coach is done with us and already left. It’s just the team, and we’re shooting the shit until we’re all ready to go.”
Kit’s inner fanboy squealed at the thought of shooting the shit with the team. He ruthlessly silenced it. He would not make a fool of himself in front of Linc’s teammates. “Sounds great.” He nodded to the staffer and followed Pete into the locker room. The smell of stinky shoes and sweat assaulted Kit’s nose as he walked in, but he ignored it. He was in the UK locker room at Rupp with the players. He could ignore a lot worse than the smell if it meant he got to stay.
“Guys, this is Kit, Linc’s new obsession. Kit, these are the guys. You probably know everyone’s names, but if you need any introductions, let me know.”
Kit waved, a little nervous. “No, I know everyone’s names. Great game tonight, y’all. And thanks for letting me tag along.”
“Ain’t no letting about it,” Jayden replied with a smirk. “Linc hasn’t shut up about you in weeks. Then again, he ain’t never played like he has the past few weeks, so we sure as hell ain’t complaining.”
Heat rose up Kit’s neck to his cheeks, but he ignored it. He couldn’t help the blush at the compliment, but he didn’t have to let it change the way he acted. “All I’ve done is cheer him on,” Kit demurred.
“Yeah, well, keep doing it. If he plays like that during the tournament, nobody else stands a chance,” Pete said from next to him. “Take a load off. Linc’s the world’s biggest prima donna. He’ll be out eventually.”
Kit sat on the bench next to Pete.
“You can take your jacket off, you know.”
“Sure, when Linc gives me my shirt back,” Kit said. “I’m not sitting around shirtless while you’re all dressed to go out.”
“Should’ve thought about that before you threw it to Linc,” Kyle, one of the forwards, said. “He tucked it into his locker like a damn trophy.”
“Well shit. That’s gonna make going out tonight interesting.”
“Shoulda thought about that—”
“Yeah, yeah. Heat of the moment. I wasn’t thinking. Next time I’ll be better prep
ared.”
“Better prepared for what?” Linc asked from behind him. Kit’s jaw dropped as he turned around. Linc was wearing Kit’s T-shirt. The T-shirt that was already snug on Kit. Currently stretched obscenely over Linc’s chest and shoulders and stretched around his arms.
“Oh fuck me,” Kit breathed softly.
“He’d be glad to, I’m sure,” Pete replied with a snort. “But we’ve got a party to go to first.”
Kit flushed and buried his face in his hands. Pete patted him on the shoulder. “I think you broke him,” he said to Linc.
“No, you broke him,” Linc said. “No breaking my boyfriend. We talked about this.”
The others hooted with laughter and started pulling on coats and grabbing bags. Kit took advantage of their relative inattention to walk over to Linc. “You’re wearing my shirt.”
“I am,” Linc said. “You gave it to me. What else was I supposed to do with it?”
“Give it back so I could wear it?” Kit replied.
“Nuh-uh, it’s mine now,” Linc said. “It smells like you.”
Kit leaned his forehead against Linc’s chest. “How am I supposed to walk out of here when you’ve got me hard as a rock? Not to mention shirtless.”
“You can wear my shirt,” Linc offered. “It’s clean. I was going to wear it out, but then I got a better option.”
“Not helping,” Kit muttered, looking up at Linc.
“It wasn’t supposed to help.” Linc bent down and kissed him lightly. “But I really like the idea of you wearing my clothes.”
Kit liked it too. Way too much. It was better than being shirtless, he supposed. “Fine. Give me your shirt.”
Linc opened a locker and produced a long-sleeved T-shirt similar to the ones the other players were wearing. He handed it to Kit with a smirk. Kit took off his jacket, meeting Linc’s gaze brazenly as he did. Linc’s eyes darkened immediately as Kit pulled the shirt on over his head. Glancing down, he saw Linc’s number on the front. Of course Linc had given him a shirt with his number on it. Proclaim who he was to anyone paying attention. Of course.
“Ready?” Pete asked from behind him, breaking the moment.
“As I’ll ever be,” Kit said brightly. He might be torn somewhere between amusement and mortification at the thought of the team having heard the entire exchange with Linc, but he wasn’t going to back out now. This was the same kind of test as Phillip hazing Linc at dinner. Linc had passed Phillip’s test. Kit was determined to get the team’s approval as well.
The minute they stepped outside of Rupp Arena to walk the ten minutes to Tolly-Ho, they were mobbed by a crowd of fans wanting pictures, autographs, or simply to shake their hands. Kit hung back, not wanting to get in the way. He hadn’t exactly expected the scene, but he wasn’t surprised either. He’d waited outside after one of the games when he was a freshman to get Luke Bishop’s signature, so it made perfect sense other people would want the signatures of the current players.
“Hey, Linc, can we get a picture of you with your boyfriend?” one of the fans called.
Linc looked back at Kit, a frown on his face. Kit shrugged. It didn’t matter to him one way or another. Linc nodded and Kit moved forward to stand next to Linc. The pose, his arm around Linc’s waist while Linc put his arm over Kit’s shoulders, felt awkward, but Kit smiled for the fan, glad he’d buttoned up his coat when he came outside and that his T-shirt—that Linc was wearing, he wasn’t getting over that anytime soon—didn’t have any marks to identify it as his.
“Thanks, guys,” the fan said and moved out of the way for the next person to take his place.
Linc dropped his arm, but when Kit would have stepped back again, Linc caught his hand. “You don’t have to hide unless you want to,” he murmured.
“Didn’t want to be in the way,” Kit replied just as softly.
“Never in my way,” Linc promised.
Kit squeezed his hand and stayed right where he was the rest of the time the team spent signing autographs and mugging for photos.
Eventually the crowd broke up, leaving them free to walk the ten minutes to the bar. “Is it always like that after a game?” Kit asked.
“Pretty much,” Linc said. “Not quite as much if we lose or if it’s an early game in the season, but for any big home game, that’s pretty normal.”
They’d walked half a block when a car honked and someone leaned out the window to yell, “Great game, guys!”
The team waved and called back their thanks.
“That’s pretty normal too,” Linc said before Kit could ask.
Three more fans had congratulated them from passing cars in the time it took them to reach Tolly-Ho. As soon as they walked into the bar, everyone cheered. Kit hovered by the door as the crowd swamped Linc and the others, patting their backs, shaking their hands—slapping their asses?—offering to buy them drinks, and generally celebrating the win.
Kit had gone into the evening figuring it would be a chance to get to know the team, but now he wondered if he’d even get to talk to them outside the conversation in the locker room.
Finally, though, the crowd seemed to get enough of rushing the players and Kit made his way back to Linc’s side.
“Sorry ’bout that,” Linc said, “but if we don’t let them congratulate us when we first come in, we don’t get a chance to celebrate among ourselves later.”
“It’s fine,” Kit said. “You deserve the accolades, and I can have your attention anytime. I don’t mind sharing now.”
Linc looked like he wanted to kiss Kit, but he didn’t bend down.
“Hey,” Kit said. “I don’t mind. Really.”
Linc leaned in, but Jayden jostled them before Linc could actually kiss him. “You doing okay there, Kit?”
“A little surprised by it all, but I’m doing fine.”
“Good to hear. Come on. First round’s on the house if we win. I can’t get anything stronger than a soda, so you can have mine.”
Kit laughed and followed Jayden to the bar. “Not sure what I’ve done to deserve a drink on the house, but why not?”
“Hey, Nate,” Jayden called to the bartender.
“Good game, Jay.” Nate offered Jay a fist bump. “Where’s the man of the hour?”
“Can’t get away from his adoring fans.”
Kit looked back to see that Linc was once again surrounded by well-wishers.
“He’ll get over here when he can,” Jayden continued. “This is Kit. He’s our sixth man. Anyone wants to buy me something stronger than a soda, give it to Kit.”
“Nice to meet you, Kit,” Nate said. “Whatcha drinking?”
“Just a beer,” Kit said. “What do you have on tap that’s local?”
“We got Blue Stallion lager or Ethereal IPA. If you want a bottle, we’ve got a much larger local selection.”
“The Blue Stallion lager is fine,” Kit replied. He handed Nate his credit card. “And the team’s second round is on me.”
“You don’t gotta do that,” Jayden protested.
“Can’t a guy buy a round for his friends?” Kit asked.
“Well, yeah, but save it for a time when the crowd isn’t buying. We never finish all the drinks people want to buy for us after a game anyway.”
“All right,” Kit said putting his card back in his wallet, “but next time we go out, I’m buying a round of drinks.”
“Deal.” Jayden lifted a hand. Kit returned the fist bump, feeling like he’d made it.
Chapter Fourteen
“DINNER is at Derek and Owen’s place this week,” Kit said when he picked Linc up outside the Wildcat Coal Lodge on Sunday afternoon for dinner. It reminded Linc of home, where Sunday dinner happened around one in the afternoon when everyone got home from church rather than in the evening. Linc appreciated the guy who cooked for them there in the cafeteria, but he was looking forward to eating somewhere else for a change. “Do you need a rundown of who’s who again?”
Linc shook his head. They’d ta
lked about it several times over the week, and he thought he had it all straight. “If I get confused, I’ll ask. Does it make a difference whose house it’s at?”
“Only in terms of what we eat,” Kit replied. “If we’re really lucky, we’ll get Derek’s spaghetti recipe. Otherwise it’ll be a roast of some sort probably. Owen’s a decent cook, but he tends to stick to the same things instead of branching out.”
“That sounds good to me.”
Kit drove them to a part of town Linc wasn’t familiar with and parked on a neighborhood street in front of an older-style, two-story home.
“You ready for this?” Kit asked as they got out of the car.
“I was born ready,” Linc said to cover his nerves.
Kit laughed, which helped. “Phillip approves. He told me so after you had dinner with us the first time. That may not stop him from teasing us, but you know he’s on our side. And really, everyone else just wants me to be happy. You make me happy, so it’ll be fine.”
Linc couldn’t help the warmth that brought. He wanted to make Kit happy. Lord knew Kit made him happy.
“Kit!” A tiny bundle of winter clothes and energy came barreling down the freshly shoveled steps to throw its arms around Kit’s legs. The snow had started that morning, and while it wasn’t heavy, it had been steady, enough to make the roads and sidewalks slippery.
“Slow down there, peanut. You’ll knock me over,” Kit said, picking the kid up. “Patty, this is my friend Linc. Linc, my cousin Patty.”
Linc smiled and offered Patty a high five. “You’s tall,” she said.
“Yes, he is,” Kit agreed.
“Down.” She petted Kit’s arms until he put her back on the ground. Then she reached up for his hand. “Inside.” She tugged him toward the steps. Kit reached back and caught Linc’s hand so he followed along as well.
“Daddy! Unca Derek!” Patty screeched as they walked inside. She turned back to Kit and Linc. “Shoes,” she said imperatively.
Kit chuckled. “Miss Bossy,” he teased as he slid his shoes off. Linc followed Kit’s lead and bent down to take off his boots.