None of that mattered to Liam, though, not until he caught sight of Jovie's small frame. His face broke into a wide grin as he waved and called out, "Jovie, Daddy's here!"
Jovie saw him too, the man with the beaming smile waving just for her. She clutched her backpack strap and, with a pout, made her way over to him.
Liam could see she was not her usual cheery self, but nothing else seemed amiss. He figured she had not been bullied, maybe it was just the new-school jitters.
He slipped her backpack off her shoulders and hoisted her onto the scooter, giving her nose a playful squeeze. "Time to head home, Jovie. Daddy's got you."
Just as they were about to zip away, the window of a nearby Ferrari rolled down with a smooth whir.
A little boy in a pint-sized suit pressed his face against the window, sticking his tongue out at Jovie. With a sneer, he jeered, "Hey, fibber, did your big ol' bear of a dad come to get you from school? Ha-ha-ha..."
"That's not true! I'm no fibber, and my da
