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Grant cleared his throat. “Besides, I didn’t think it was such a bad idea.”
Her brows lifted on their own accord. He wasn’t suggesting that he wanted to spend more time with her, was he? That wouldn’t make sense. She had been nothing but judgmental. He was likely only wanting to piggy-back off the adoration Nick had for her.
Just like that, the playful banter came to an end. The air around them turned colder, more awkward. She wasn’t here to flirt with a guy who definitely needed help with his parenting skills. She was here to make sure the vandalism came to an end.
Bella gestured toward the kitchen table. “How about we take a seat.”
He didn’t move right away, and she stared at him expectantly. He finally jumped and motioned to the small kitchen counter. “I’ll get us some coffee. Want some?”
“Sure.”
“How do you like it?”
“Black is fine.”
He gave her a double-take. “Woman after my own heart.”
Bella didn’t know why that off-handed comment set off a chain reaction of warmth through her body. She’d always been made fun of for her tastes in coffee—except with Megan. They were two peas in a pod, having both come from the city.
She took a seat, pulled out her notebook, and flipped to a new page. “So, we need to figure out who might want to frame you.”
“Frame me? I thought you said it was just someone who didn’t like me and wanted me fired.”
Bella gave him a pointed look. “If the outcome is that people start suspecting you, then I’d say it’s safe to assume they want more than to just get you fired. If the authorities get involved, then you could lose a lot more than your job.” She let her words sink in as he took a seat across from her.
Grant didn’t drink his coffee. He spun the cup between his hands and stared at the contents instead. “So, you think someone dislikes me enough they want me gone and suffering.”
“Do you know anyone who would hate you that much?”
He shook his head. “I can’t think of a single person.”
She nibbled on the end of her pen. “You didn’t grow up here, did you? I know you came from Nashville, but did you have any connection to the area at all?”
Again, he shook his head. “I mean, during the short time we were married, Dee and I would visit her mother here. But we lived in the city. She hated it, which is why she moved back here to be closer to her mom. That’s why I’m here. Nick needed his grandma.”
Bella frowned. “Okay, well, that rules out someone from your past. What about since you’ve arrived. Have you fought with anyone? Is there any bad blood between you and the folks who work here?”
“No,” he said almost too quickly. A far-off look appeared in his eyes. “Well, nothing serious.” His forehead creased and he tilted his head. “I’ve had a few disagreements over how to do things, but nothing major.” His eyes cut to meet hers. “They don’t like getting advice from a city boy like me.”
She bit back a smile. He was hardly a boy. The way he described it made it sound like he was fresh out of college rather than the mature father of a six-year-old. “Tell me more about that.”
He shrugged as he threw himself back against the cushion. “I’ve made some newbie mistakes, that’s all. You know, like breaking a couple tools or damaging some of the larger pieces of equipment. Honestly, I thought we’d worked everything out since that happened.”
Her brows lifted with surprise. “Sounds like you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Grant huffed. “I know what I’m doing. I’ve been here for two months and I’m a fast learner. You don’t get where I am today without having a talent for picking up stuff like that. I might not have been an experienced ranch hand when I got here, but I think I pull my weight well enough now.”
“Why not get a job in town? Help me understand why you chose this sort of work.” Bella had her pen poised as she waited for him to say something to brag about his abilities.
“It wasn’t the job I came for.” Grant leaned forward and jabbed his finger into the table. “I’m here to give Nick a taste of country life so he can connect with the people who loved his mother. She grew up here and she’d always talked about starting a family and moving here.”
“Why didn’t you?”
He threw up his hands in the air with exasperation. “I was running a business. I couldn’t afford to drop everything to move here.”
Bella studied him. His answer was honest, she could see it in his eyes. It meant so much for him to be able to come here and take care of his child. “So, you showed up here with no experience to speak of and Eli… just hired you?”
“It didn’t make sense to me, either. He’s a great boss. I can tell why he’s been so successful. Everyone likes him. He’s the real deal.”
