AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Phoebe didn’t speak until the woman finally saw her and they made eye contact.
“There you are!” Copperman’s tone was of the ‘talking to the help’ genre.
Phoebe had to be careful. Lydia Copperman had caused weeks of trouble and worry at the Ragamuffin, all because Phoebe hadn’t shown her the respect she believed she deserved. They were only just crawling out from under that mess, and they weren’t in the clear yet. It would be beyond foolish to get cocky and spin this woman up all over again.
But oh, how she wanted to make Lydia Copperman feel small.
She couldn’t. Too much at stake. The roof wasn’t done, the deciding inspection hadn’t happened; there was mischief Copperman could still wreak.
“Mrs. Copperman. What are you doing here?” She kept her voice completely calm, and she did not move any closer to that viper.
Copperman moved closer to her. She came to the intersection of the aisles and stopped at the corner of the end stall. She gave the manicure on her right hand an affected look and said, “I’ve heard you’ve been having some trouble, and I think I can help. I wonder if you have anything to say to me that might induce me to help you.”
Phoebe had been raised by a bitter, gaslighting, passive-aggressive woman who’d resented everything about her life, including the child who had ‘trapped’ her in that life. She was fluent in the language of contemptuous misdirection, and she understood exactly what Copperman was doing here.
She knew she’d been unable to turn away most of the ranch’s donors, and she’d also heard that Phoebe was on her way to sorting out the inspections as well. Lydia Copperman understood that her scheme was failing, so she’d shown up here to try to flex some muscle while she still had it.
She thought she could bully Phoebe to an apology.
Phoebe had to be careful, but the thought of apologizing to this woman was more vile now than ever before. She understood that she could maybe make the whole thing go away by simply giving this bitch what she wanted, just a few words she wouldn’t mean, and maybe UberKaren would go back to her mansion and leave them alone. Why was the thought so poisonous?
A slight change in the light around Phoebe’s peripheral vision caught her attention, and she slid her eyes toward the main door.
Vin had come into the stable. He had his phone held up like he was taking video.
He was taking video.
Copperman’s attention was locked on Phoebe; she had not noticed Vin’s entry.
Phoebe made a quick, instinctive, probably impulsive decision. She didn’t weigh the risk because she already knew the risk. But she did it anyway.
She strode to Lydia Copperman, with such purpose that the woman actually took a step back. When she was sure they’d both be in the frame of Vin’s video, she stopped, about four feet away from her nemesis. Just enough distance to warrant a slight raise of her voice.
From the corner of her eye, she saw that Vin had taken the opportunity to come closer as well.
“I don’t know what you think I’d want to say to you, Mrs. Copperman. As I told you the last time you were here, we don’t do adoption by drop-in. You have to make an appointment, and there is paperwork, an interview, and a site check we do before we consider an adoption.”
She couldn’t remember if she actually had told her all that last time, but it didn’t matter. The important thing was getting that on video.
It also had the desired effect on Copperman. She stood stiffly, her expression hardening, her eyes becoming glaciers. Phoebe stood in place and stared right back.
Come on, come on, come on, she thought. Do something. Show yourself.
And Lydia Copperman finally did.
“Your attitude is terrible,” she snarled. “I know you know who I am.”
Phoebe hoped Vin was getting the dialogue of this scene. “Yes, I do. You told me the last time you were here. You’re Lydia Copperman, wife of Reynolds Copperman, the CEO of Copperman Resource Management. I assume that means you’re wealthy.”
“Yes. Very.” She took two steps toward Phoebe and leaned slightly in—just a hint of threat. “I am also powerful. My husband and I are among the most philanthropic people in the state. We donate millions every year. And who are you? Some inbred country fuck who thinks she’s in charge? I throw away more money than this place is worth every time I clean out my closet!”
Phoebe said nothing, but she allowed herself half of a smug smirk—which had the precise reaction she’d hoped.
“You unschooled, arrogant little bitch! You think siccing the health department on you was bad? There’s much more I can do to you. I know more powerful people than Harry Morgan, I assure you. The governor attends our Christmas party every year! I will drive your two-bit little ‘rescue ranch’ so deep it’ll be a thousand years before anyone unearths a sign you ever existed!”
“Oh, I don’t think you’ll be doin’ anything like it, ma’am,” Vin said as he came the rest of the way up the aisle, holding his phone so Copperman couldn’t miss it.
“Who are you?” she asked, eyeing his phone.
