And that was why Dee hadn’t simply found out from the girl where she’d picked up the Callahan kid and let her go. That sort of information took time to pull from a person. “Thanks for the warning.” Dee handed the girl a business card.

Sophie turned it over in her hand. “It’s just a number.”

“It’s my number. You need me, you call. Understand?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Good.” Dee started the car. “Now, let’s see if we can track down a White Castle before I let you go.”

“You want to track down a White Castle in the Hamptons?”

Dee grinned. “I believe in livin’ large.”

“Yeah. I can see that.”

Cella stood outside the locker room staring up at a bear-canine hybrid who could barely look her in the eye.

“You don’t have to make any decisions now, Hannah. But you should at least think about it.”

“Yeah, it’s just ...”

“Just what?”

“If I say yes, will they continue to follow me everywhere?”

Cella glanced over at the twin She-foxes. They waved, identical bright grins on their pretty faces.

“As it is, I can’t get rid of this one.”

She pointed at Abby, who’d been hanging out at the Sports Center all day, begging food off people.

“I don’t know. No one follows me anywhere.” Cella shrugged. “I’m a cat. This sounds like a bear issue. Ask Crush, I think he’s getting coffee.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“But you’ll think about it, right? Maybe go to a few practices just to see?”

“I’ll think about it.”

Cella nodded and watched the girl walk off, stop, glare at the foxes now following her, along with Abby, walk, stop, glare. Assuming it would go on all the way down the hall, Cella walked into the locker room to change her clothes and clean out her stuff.

This had been a good way to end it all. A good way for her to move on. What did they call that? Closure or something? Whatever. It worked out well.

But as Cella came around the corner, she found Ric Van Holtz standing there, waiting for her.

“What’s up?” she asked, hoping he wasn’t here to give her some pathetic hug good-bye. Cella hated the hug good-bye unless it was from her kid or her father. Otherwise, it just annoyed.

“I’ve got your final player payout.”

“Oh. Okay.”

She took the manila envelope, opening the flap enough to look inside. She didn’t let her eyes bug out at the size of the check, but honestly, she wanted to.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. You earned it.”

“I’ll miss you guys,” she admitted, opening her locker for the last time.

“Yeah, about that ... I have a job offer.”

“I don’t need your pity job, Van Holtz. Thanks, but no—”

“For head coach.”

Cella froze, eyes wide. “What?”

“Eventually,” Van Holtz quickly added. “I mean ...” He took a breath. “Coach Reynolds is retiring in a year. We haven’t announced it to the team, but I’d already put out the word to a few agents I know and had gotten in some ré-sumés from a few interested parties, including the coach for the Alaskan Bears. And he was my first choice, really. I mean, he handles a team full of bears and two foxes. There’s gotta be skill there. But I’d forget him in a heartbeat if I could get you.”

Cella ran her hands through her still sweat-drenched hair and slowly faced the wolf. “You want me to be coach?”

“Assistant to start and when Reynolds retires ... head coach.”

Cella just had to ask, “Why?”

“There’s lots of reasons. I can sit here and rhapsodize about your skill on the ice, your ability to train and get the best out of the rookies, your amazing eye for talent ... I mean, I love Hannah, but I would have never thought of her for the team. But really, it comes down to one thing ...”

Cella couldn’t help but smile a little. “Novikov?”

“You handle Novikov and he lets you. That alone is worth its weight in gold. Because if you can handle that man, you can handle anyone.”

“That’s true. I can handle anyone.”

“And Novikov isn’t going anywhere. Blayne wants to stay in New York and whether he disgusts me or not, he loves her. So he’s not going anywhere. And even if I wanted to fire him, I can’t because he flippin’ wins.”

“Yeah, but we’re probably not going to quite hit the play-offs this year.”

“I know, which means he’s going to be hell to deal with next year. Which is the reason I’m sure Reynolds is getting out while the gettin’ is good. You can’t desert me, Cella. You can’t. We’re friends. You’re friends with my mate. I’m a nice guy. And unless Bert’s around, I have trouble separating that idiot and Lock. So you can’t go. You might not be able to play on the team with your knee, but you can coach and you are probably the only thing that will keep us from ganging up on Novikov and beating him like they did to Vincent D’Onofrio’s character in Full Metal Jacket.”

Cella laughed, her body relaxing against her locker, her hand covering her mouth.

“Yeah. Sure. Funny to you. You’re the only one I know, besides Blayne, who gets along with Novikov. And no matter what other offer you get, I’ll beat it.”