Harrison slid into the car with Dames just as Annalise Johnston hurried over, waving her hand.
“Mr. Vaughn, would you mind if I joined you in your car?” she asked with a bright, hopeful smile.
Dames immediately bristled. “I mind—a lot!” he blurted out, scowling at her.
Annalise’s smile faltered, her expression stiffening with embarrassment, but she knew Dames alone didn’t get the final say. Forcing herself to stay calm, she softened her tone, “Young Master Vaughn, I genuinely hope we can get along.”
Harrison’s voice cut through the tension. “That’s enough,” he said, warning Dames with a look. Then, turning to Annalise, he added, “Get in.”
A flash of triumph lit up Annalise’s eyes as she climbed into the car. Dames, meanwhile, puffed out his pale cheeks like an offended goldfish, sulking in silence.
Out in the parking lot, a line of preschoolers was boarding the school bus. Altair stood a little apart, his gaze fixed on the sleek black Maybach pulling away.
“What are you looking at?” Daph’s voice chimed in.
Altair blinked, snapping back to reality, then noticed Daph holding out her hand. He slipped his hand into hers, and together they climbed onto the bus.
Once seated, Daph leaned over. “Were you watching that weird lady? I saw her get into Mr. Vaughn’s car. Dames was in there, too.”
Altair nodded and held up his phone, showing Daph the message he’d typed:
“Annalise Johnston is on a date with my cousin. She wants to be Dames’s mom.”
Daph paused, processing this. Right, Harrison was Altair’s cousin.
“I wonder if Dames will like having a new mom,” Daph mused quietly. “That lady seems kind of strange.”
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