"We should have stuck with Elite Pageant Coaching!" Vanessa's voice turned shrill. "At least Blythe Tanner doesn't convince her students to throw away their futures. We only switched to you because Addison begged me—said her friends liked you and you were different. But you're not. You're worse. You're turning her against her own mother!"
"Addison’s future is whatever she chooses it to be. She’s almost an adult now."
"Someone should show you what it feels like to lose what you've built." Her eyes glittered dangerously. "To watch everything you've worked for get destroyed by someone who thinks they know better."
The threat hung in the air.
Rhodes shifted on the porch. He'd heard every word.
"I'm sorry you're hurting," I said quietly. "But I'm not going to apologize for supporting Addie in choosing what makes her happy."
"This isn't over." Vanessa turned on her heel, stormed past Rhodes down the steps.
We watched her SUV peel out of my driveway.
Rhodes came back inside, closed the door, locked it. "You okay?"
"Yeah." I pressed my hand to my chest. "She's just upset. She'll calm down."
"Maybe." His expression was unreadable. "Or maybe this isn't new."
"What do you mean?"
"How long has Addison been training with you?"
"This is her first year. They switched from Elite last spring."
"And Vanessa was okay with that?"
I thought back. "She never said anything directly. But there were comments here and there—little digs about my coaching style, my methods. I thought she was just a bit overly protective."
"Or resentful." Rhodes pulled out his phone. "I'm adding her to the suspect list. Mae needs to know about this."
Something cold settled in my stomach. "You think Vanessa could have sent the note? Thrown the brick?"
"It’s possible.” He typed quickly. "And someone angry about losing control of her daughter might want to scare you into closing."
Vanessa Clarke—Addie's mother—threatening me?
But the look in her eyes tonight...
And what if she really had thrown that brick? What if the woman who'd just stood in my living room screaming threats was the same person who'd been watching my house, tryingto force me into closing Crown & Grace before she’d risk her daughter losing the Teen Star Texas title?
The thought made my skin crawl.
"Let's eat," Rhodes said, pocketing his phone. "Before it gets cold."
DINNER WAS QUIET. THEconfrontation with Vanessa hung over us like storm clouds.
My mind kept circling back to Addie. The exhaustion in her eyes these past weeks. The way she'd transformed this afternoon at Rhodes's ranch—flushed with pride after each successful throw, beaming when she finally roped that dummy at ten feet. The spark that had been missing for months suddenly back in her eyes.
Was I doing the right thing? Supporting her against her mother's wishes?
What if this destroyed their relationship?
"Hey." Rhodes's voice pulled me back. "Where'd you go?"
"Just worrying. Hoping I didn't just make everything worse for Addie."
