“What am I supposed to do with this, Livy?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I needed team pictures for the fans. For the kids. Not boudoir pictures for their wives.”

“Come on, these are—”

“Useless to me!” Toni leaned in closer. “I don’t even know who this is. He’s headless!”

“He has kind of a ‘butta’ face.”

Barinov snorted a laugh at Livy and walked back to his chair. “What’s so funny?” Livy snarled at him.

“Do I really have to tell you?”

Toni stood up and she did something she’d never done before. She made demands.

“Fix this,” she ordered her friend.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean”—Toni faced Livy—“fix. This. I don’t want your bullshit art. I don’t want moody lighting. I want amazing, useful pictures of the team. That’s what I’m paying you for. Remember? Check out Sports Illustrated for ideas or something.”

“Sports—”

“Sports Illustrated, Livy. Not Mapplethorpe. Mapplethorpe is not and should not be your inspiration for what I want for this job. Do you understand me?”

Livy looked off and Toni snapped her fingers in her friend’s face. “Do you?”

“Yes. I understand you.”

Toni grabbed her backpack, swung it onto her shoulder. “I’m heading home. Talk to Kerri about setting up new appointments with the team.”

“Fine.”

Toni stopped. “If you can get releases from the guys, I’d suggest using these for an art show.”

“I don’t care what my brother signs,” Ricky said, pulling the office door open and holding it for Toni. “I better not see his naked ass or penis on anyone’s damn wall.”

Livy’s eyes crossed and she swiped her tablet off the desk. She stormed out, pushing past Ricky.

Shaking her head, Toni followed. As she walked past Ricky, she complained, “Artists.”

While sitting on the couch in the Jean-Louis Parker living room, Cooper stared at his sister. “You need me to do what?”

“I need you to play in Siberia.”

“Why?”

She cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable with asking her brother for this favor. “Because I promised the bears you’d go out there and play for them.”

“They’re real big fans,” Ricky told him. “Once they realized Toni was your sister, they couldn’t help her enough.”

“Can’t they just come to Moscow or Saint Petersburg to see me . . . like everyone else in Russia?”

“I promised.”

“You promised without asking me. You used my name to get what you want.” He wiped anon-existent tear. “I’m so proud.”

“Oh, shut up!”

“Maybe Kyle’s right. You’d make a great business manager for him.”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

“It’s a ‘my agent will handle it.’ ”

“They’ll want dinner with you.”

Coop snorted, elbowed Ricky. “Great. Dinner with bears. I know that’s something I love to do.”

“You do it in Italy all the time.”

“Do you know how the Italian bears eat? Like gods, big sister. Like gods.”

Toni and her brother laughed. Ricky didn’t even think they noticed when Dee-Ann silently entered the room and stood behind the couch. But they did. Both immediately stopped in mid-laugh and slowly looked over their shoulder.

“Hi, Dee-Ann,” Toni said, trying to smile.

“Hey.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Nah. That badger around?”

Toni quickly looked at Ricky, her eyes wide.

“Why?” she asked Dee.

“Yeah,” Ricky chimed in, “why?”

“Ain’t your never mind, Ricky Lee.”

“I will not never mind if this is about Laura Jane.”

“Laura Jane’s on her way home. Your momma handled that right quick.”

“She did?”

“Yep.”

Ricky was surprised. His mother had arrived at the Jean-Louis Parker house less than an hour after Ricky and Toni. She hadn’t said another word about Laura Jane. But she had come with groceries, planning to make her famous fried chicken. Jackie had told her it wasn’t necessary, but his momma wouldn’t hear it. She’d been busy in that gourmet kitchen ever since.

“Besides,” Dee added, looking around the room, “some of those lacerations that badger gave her had gotten infected.”

Ricky cringed at that. He didn’t want Laura Jane to suffer or anything, he just wanted her to forget he’d ever existed since he was sure she didn’t really care about him.

“Anyway,” Dee went on, “y’all see her, tell her I need to talk to her. Ya hear?”

“Okay.”

With that, Dee-Ann ambled out of the room and Ricky’s momma walked in. She had a paper grocery bag in her hands and it smelled delicious.

“Here,” she said, handing the bag to Ricky.

“What’s this?”

“Your dinner and dessert. Y’all get now.”

“Get now?” Ricky looked at Toni and she shrugged. “What are you talking about?”

“It seems Miss Antonella has her own apartment. I think it’s high time she learns to enjoy it. And her momma and daddy agreed with me.”