Dating: One on One: Eastridge Heights Basketball Book 1 Page 3

  What are you smiling about?

  “Nothing.” Had I been smiling?

  You were smiling.

  “I was not.”

  Who else did you meet today?

  “Nobody, I told you I was playing basketball.”

  All you ever do is play basketball. Kittie’s expressive face as she signed showed disapproval.

  “I do not.” I pointed to myself sitting in my recliner and then to the television as if to make my point.

  Kittie blew a raspberry with her lips. What about friends?

  I waved off her question. Kittie didn’t get it. Wait, that wasn’t fair. Kittie had her own issues to deal with that I had no clue about, but her deafness had kept her from being aware of some of the undertones going on in our family. And if there was ever anything good to come of her not hearing, it was that. I worked my damnedest to keep her from the rest of it. Not that it always did any good. There were some things that were too big to hide.

  “Just watch the movie, Kit.”

  Chapter 4

  Piper

  A lawn mower sprang to life just outside my window. Dang Luke. Groaning, I buried my head under my pillow.

  “Piper, get up. You’re going to help me in the yard.” Mom’s too cheerful voice added to the sound of the lawn mower to ruin any thoughts I might have had about sleeping longer.

  “Mom!” I complained, my voice muffled by the pillow still covering my face. I hated mornings. I hated early afternoons, for that matter. School was going to start soon and I didn’t have many more days to sleep in

  “Let’s go, I’ve got to get all the work out of you two I can before school starts.” She pounded twice on my open door. “Up and at ‘em!”

  I was ridiculously tired. Last night, like every night since the new guy at the basketball court kissed me, I hadn’t slept well. I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t everyday a girl got kissed by the tallest, hottest man of her dreams. And Drew, Luke had supplied the new guy’s name, was definitely the man of my dreams. Tall, dark, handsome, and with a mysterious bad boy persona I couldn’t deny piqued my interest.

  Piqued my interest. Ha. I was more than interested. I was obsessed. I hadn’t been able to think of anything else. The feel of his lips, his hands, his solid body- it was imprinted on my brain and I couldn’t escape it. I’d tried.

  It had been almost a week since that night and I hadn’t been to the basketball court once. I never went a whole week without playing ball. Basketball was what I did. It defined me as a person. Okay, maybe that was going a bit far, but not playing for a week was a big enough departure from my regular routine that my mom had noticed and Luke was giving me weird looks when I declined his daily invitations to go play. Yesterday he’d even yelled at me, asking me what my problem was.

  My problem was a six-six hunk of a man who’d kissed me and then hadn’t said a word. I didn’t need that kind of drama in my life.

  Nope.

  I was doing just fine avoiding anything to do with basketball or Drew.

  “Piper!”

  “I’m up, jeez,” I shouted. I appreciated that my mom was so present. I really was. My best friend Dannika’s mom was never home long enough to know if Danni was sleeping all day, or getting enough food to eat, or if she was even still in the state.

  Rolling out of bed, I thought about Danni. We’d been best friends since we traded sandwiches from our cold lunches in third grade. Her lunchbox contained my favorite, turkey on wheat, while mine had her favorite, tuna on white. We traded sandwiches, names, and the rest was history. We’ve been inseparable ever since.

  Except when she went to her dad’s house for the summer. Every year as soon as school let out, Danni hopped a plane to spend two months with her dad in California. She returned every fall a week before school started with a nice beach tan and a renewed optimism that things at home would get better. But they never did. It’s not that her mom was a bad lady, she was just a workaholic and it had only gotten worse the older Danni got. I used to ask her if she would rather live with her dad, but I guess spending two months in the summer and two weeks at Christmas was enough to have to deal with a step-mom and step and half siblings in California.

  After brushing my hair and my teeth, I grabbed a granola bar and made my way into the back yard. It was barely bigger than a postage stamp. Luke was already more than half done with the mowing by the time I arrived. Mom was elbow deep in her flower bed, pulling weeds. Beside her on the grass were four fall colored plants.

  “Isn’t it kinda late for planting, Mom,” I teased, pulling on a pair of gardening gloves and making my way to the raised garden box where I inspected the vegetable plants. She ignored me while I grabbed a small handful of raspberries and ate them, dreaming about eating Mom’s homemade bread this winter with raspberry preserves made from our own raspberries while I pulled weeds and harvested ripe vegetables. Glancing at the plants, I decided everything needed a good soak. Including Luke.

  “Wooo, that feels good,” Luke yelled over the sound of the weed whacker as I sprayed him with the garden hose.

  I stuck my tongue out at him and grinned. We switched off every week. Last Saturday I had to mow the lawn and trim while he took care of the garden and he sprayed me with the hose. I was a lot nicer, though, and stopped with a sprinkle. He’d soaked me completely.

  We worked in the yard for another hour before mom sent us inside.

  “Want some cereal,” I asked Luke. He nodded and I pulled down a box of Lucky Charms for him and Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries for me.

  “You gonna come play today? Mateo went boating with his family at the reservoir so we’re a man down,” Luke said as he placed two sets of bowls and spoons on the table.

  “I’m a woman, Luke,” I responded, handing him his cereal box.

  “You know what I mean. Come on. You haven’t played in a long time. You’re gonna get rusty.” Luke knew how to push my buttons and poking at my competitive nature was a sure way to get a rise out of me.

  “I’m not going to get rusty. I’ve been shooting around in the driveway.” It wasn’t the same as playing a game. Especially against the guys. No offense to my own gender, but the boys tended to be a bigger challenge on the court and I knew playing with them had made me a more competitive player.

  “Since when are you too good to play with us? Rotating in is such a pain. Just come play.”

  I was being silly. I knew I was. Avoiding Drew when we’d be going to the same school and he’d become friends with my brother was going to be next to impossible. And even though he’d said he wouldn’t be playing on the team, I didn’t believe him. Why would a guy as good as he obviously was not play on the high school team? Didn’t he want to go on to play at the next level? Or at least try? I knew I did. My ultimate goal was the WNBA. But first I had to make it onto a college team. And that meant getting noticed. The best way to do that was to win games. Win championships. That’s what I intended to do.

  But he kissed me! And not just a little kiss, either. That kiss had been all encompassing. Life altering. Mind blowing. I’d never been kissed like that in all my life and then he’d just walked away. Or maybe I was the one who walked away.

  I should have slapped him. Or at least brushed it off like it was no big deal. Like I got kissed by tall, gorgeous basketball players all the time. But I didn’t do any of those things. Instead, I’d stood there gaping at him trying to remember how to use my legs.

  It didn’t matter. It wasn’t like it meant anything. He hadn’t asked for my phone number or for a date. I had no idea what he’d been thinking kissing me like that, but I had a feeling he’d been just as surprised by it as me. As crazy as that sounded. I doubted I was his type. He probably dated tiny little cheerleaders or dance team girls. Not Neander-talls who could dunk a basketball.

  I was overthinking this. Being a stupid girl. I wasn’t like that, that wasn’t me! Fine. I’d do it.

  “Okay. Yeah, I’ll play. What time are you guys meetin
g up?”

  Luke glanced up from his phone, probably reading the group text he had going with the guys about the game. “In an hour.”

  That would give me enough time to shower- and gear myself up for facing Drew.

  Drew

  I hadn’t seen Piper at the basketball court since that night I kissed her. Not when I played with the other guys and not when I showed up at the court at night. It was just as well. I wasn’t interested in relationships right now. I had enough on my plate. But that didn’t mean I hadn’t been plagued with thoughts of that kiss or what her strong, athletic body had felt like in my arms. Because I had been. Day and night.

  It also didn’t mean I wasn’t watching every time her brother walked onto the court to see if Piper wasn’t far behind. But every time she hadn’t been. Until today.

  Seeing her again was like a sucker punch. Who knew I could get so ramped up over a girl like her? I’d dated a lot. Had a few girlfriends. They all fit the same tiny mold.

  Short.

  Perky.

  Brunette.

  Curvy, little, high maintenance chicks.

  Piper wasn’t any of those things.

  But kissing her had turned my crank tighter than anything I’d ever experienced. It didn’t matter, though, right? I wasn’t going there. No girls. Just basketball. Good grades. And looking after Kittie. I didn’t need to add Piper to my list.

  “Piper! Long time, no see. What’s wrong? You been sick or something?” Grayson held up a hand for a high five. Piper obliged with a roll of her eyes.

  “I have to be sick to not play ball with you idiots,” she asked.

  “Yes!” They all said. In stereo.

  Piper just shook her head. “I’m not sick.” Did I imagine it, or did her eyes flicker in my direction when she said that? “I just didn’t feel like playing.”

  The guys gaped at her. Jared walked over and placed his hand on her forehead. I had an irrational urge to slap it away even as I wondered if I was the reason she’d stayed away.

  “Luke, are you sure she’s okay,” Jared asked with mock concern.

  “Get away from me, Jed.” I didn’t have to worry about punching Jared because Piper took care of it herself.

  Of course, she did.

  “Let’s play,” Noah called out. He’d been impatiently spinning the ball on his finger. “School yard picks. Piper against Luke.”

  Luke tugged off his shirt and tossed it to the side. “I’ll be skins.” He smirked at his sister.

  “So mature, Luke.” Piper cocked a hip and crossed her arms over her chest. “Girls pick first.”

  “Whatever.”

  It was interesting to see this group together. They acted like they were best friends and the worst of enemies- like siblings. It made it a challenge to play with them because they knew each other so well. And Piper fit in like she’d been right there all along. She probably had.

  “Grayson,” Piper called out with authority, not even glancing in the direction of all the guys and studiously avoiding my gaze.

  “Drew,” Luke said, a grin on his face.

  I stripped off my shirt and added it to the pile, fighting feelings self-consciousness. Good thing it was already warm and my skin was dark from hours playing without my shirt because a hot flush burned across my skin when I noticed Piper’s gaze flick over my bare chest.

  “Will.”

  “Jared.”

  Piper stuck out her tongue at her brother and I wondered what that was about. Did she have a thing for her brother’s best friend? Did she have a boyfriend? What if she had a boyfriend? The thought hadn’t even occurred to me when I kissed her. Why hadn’t it occurred to me?

  Good hell. I was losing it.

  “A.J.” was Piper’s next selection. Zeke and A.J. were the only other guys that came even close to my height. A.J. was a better bet than Zeke, but he was also a douche.

  “Zeke.” Zeke added his shirt to the growing pile. He really needed to hit the weight room.

  “Noah.”

  “That means we get Adam.” Luke held out his fist for Adam to bump.

  “You picked first, so we get the ball.” Luke held his hand out for the ball and Noah passed it to him.

  These guys trashed talked like pros but when it came to rules, they never argued. Luke dribbled the ball down the court. Even though I was tallest, Zeke and A.J. always assumed the center position. That was fine by me. One of the reasons I didn’t want to play on the team was that the coach always put me at center when I preferred to play power forward. I worked hard to be more versatile than a rebound man that just played under the basket.

  Piper avoided guarding me, trailing Adam instead. When he moved to get open, she was right there. Luke and Jared passed the ball back and forth. I tried to focus, sidestepping Grayson. Jared passed the ball in my direction. I caught it and dribbled once before shooting.

  “Yes! Drew’s the man,” Luke pumped his fist in the air as we made our way to the other end of the court after I made the shot.

  Noah dribbled the ball, waiting for his team to set up. Adam moved to chase down Piper but I beat him to it. Nobody ever said you had to guard the guy- or girl- that guarded you. Adam shrugged and went to defend Grayson.

  “Hey.” I talked softly, so only she could hear me.

  Piper glanced at me out of the corner of her eye but didn’t respond. She moved inside the three-point arc. Noah passed her the ball and she got a shot off before I could get there.

  Damn.

  “Dude, Drew. Where were you?” Jared shook his head as we made our way back down the court after Piper’s basket.

  “Yeah, Drew,” Piper emphasized my name as she abandoned Adam to guard me, pushing Grayson out of the way. “Where were you?”

  “Damn it, Piper, make up your mind,” Grayson complained when Adam drove past all of them for an easy layup.

  “Yeah, Piper, make up your mind.” I spoke low again. Just for her to hear.

  “Me? I’m the one who doesn’t know what they want?” Piper stopped and pivoted in the opposite direction, leaving me scrambling to catch up. This girl had me off my game. And what did she mean? Did she know what she wanted? Did she want me?

  I was letting this chick distract me. I’d spent the last week convincing myself I didn’t want anything to do with Piper. Or any other girl. What was I doing trying to flirt with her?

  I didn’t know, but that’s exactly what I did for the next hour. I took every opportunity to brush up against her, in the name of basketball, of course. I bumped up my physical game to a whole new level. Not to hurt her or even to win, much to my teammates annoyance, but to get to her. To throw her off.

  But Piper just laughed and gave as good as she got. More than once, she backed into me, using her bottom to push me away. Little did she know, all that made me want to do was pull her closer. Or maybe she did know.

  “Good game, string bean,” Jared teased after we’d finished playing and everyone was sprawled out under a shade tree guzzling water and trying to catch their breath.

  “Shut up,” Piper jerked her water bottle at him, spraying him.

  “Ah, do that again.” Jared closed his eyes as Piper emptied the contents of her water bottle on his head. Piper giggled when he shook his head causing drops of water to spray all over.

  My stomach twisted. And all rational thought left my brain. That was the only explanation for the words that left my mouth.

  “Hey, you guys want to swim in my pool?”

  All nine of their heads snapped toward me.

  “You have a pool? And you’ve been holding out all this time?” Luke glared at me but a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

  “I do. And I have.” It amazed me with how hot and muggy Indiana was that more people didn’t have pools.

  “Hell, yes! Let’s swim.” Jared leapt up and swung the shirt he still hadn’t put on above his head like a lasso.

  Everyone jumped to their feet.

  “Swimming party at Drew�
��s,” Will called out with a whoop.

  “Everybody, get your stuff and meet at my house,” Luke instructed as he walked backwards to collect his t-shirt from the pile. They guys spread out, each gathering their stuff from around the grass.

  Piper began walking away, distancing herself from the group as though the invitation to swim didn’t include her. It did. It especially included her.

  “You can come, too,” I called to her before she could get away completely.

  “Oh, no-” she shook her head avoiding my gaze.

  “Come on, Pipe,” Luke cajoled.

  “I don’t want to. Swimming with you guys is annoying and I’ll be outnumbered.” Piper continued to edge away from the group.

  “Don’t worry about being the only girl, Pipe. We’ve all seen you swim in your shorts and t-shirt,” Grayson teased, yanking on her ponytail.

  “Shut it, Gray,” Piper growled through clenched teeth as she dead legged Grayson with all the familiarity of an annoyed sibling.

  “Invite Dannika,” Luke told her as we all moved away from the basketball court.

  Piper shook her head. “She doesn’t get home until next week. You guys have fun. I’ll see you later.”

  I couldn’t let this happen. Half the reason I’d said anything in the first place was because the thought of Piper in a swimsuit had short circuited my brain when she’d dumped her water on Jared. Impulsively, I grabbed her hand and tried not to think about my motivation for doing so or the fact that I didn’t want to get involved with this girl. I really didn’t.

  “Come swim.” She tried to pull her hand from mine but I held it firmly, not ready to let her go.

  “You guys don’t need me there to entertain you.” Her eyes were guarded and I knew she didn’t want to go because she wanted to avoid me. The thought irritated me.

  “No, but it’s hot. Don’t you want to cool off?”

  The other guys had continued to walk while Piper and I stopped. She studied me through her lashes and I couldn’t help but remember our kiss. My gaze dropped to her lips.

  Piper gasped a little, pulling harder at the hand I still held. I let her go this time.