Ty started at the beginning with what was supposed to have beena couple of casual dates but quickly escalated when Marissa had run into him and his date at The Pearl. He noted the false rumors afterward that Ty had slept with her and the way he’d tried to apologize to her several times only to be rebuffed. When he was finished, the chief’s expression warned him there was something he wasn’t saying. “What’s this all about, Chief?”
The man heaved a weary sigh and met Tyson’s gaze. “Marissa’s version of your encounter yesterday is quite different from yours. She said she arrived first and you followed her into the parking lot.”
Tyson frowned. “That’s not true.”
Chief held up a hand. “Furthermore, she said you accosted her about wanting her back. That you put hands on her.”
“What?That’s a lie! I never touched her. And I sure don’t want to be with her.”
“Was anyone else there in the parking lot? Someone who might’ve seen what happened?”
“No, we were alone. Our cars were the only ones in the lot.”
“That’s too bad.” The chief held his gaze, his eyes drooping at the corners. “She had bruises, Tyson.”
“Well, they weren’t from me!” He resisted the urge to shoot to his feet. What was going on here? What kind of woman made up these kinds of allegations?
“The company shouldn’t really even be involved in this. It happened off the job, in a public location. But she came to us as a ‘courtesy.’ She intimated that if we don’t address the situation in a satisfactory manner, she’ll go to the police.”
Ty gripped the chair’s armrests. “Well, let her. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Not so fast there. If we can keep this from escalating, we should.”
“I know most of the officers at the CPD. They know me too—andthey know I’d never lay hands on a woman.” Ty was starting to wonder if his chief felt the same.
“Maybe you’re not aware, but Marissa’s dad used to be on the CPD. He’s a deputy for the county now.”
The news stopped Ty cold. What kind of influence would her dad have here? Ty couldn’t believe this was happening. “So it’s a he-said, she-said situation? Can I be punished for something I didn’t even do? Did she say I hit her or something?”
“She has bruising on her arm. Fingerprints, looked like.”
Tyson shook his head. “I didn’t touch her. I would never do that.”
“She also reminded me that a concussion is a traumatic brain injury that can cause mood swings.”
Ty gritted his teeth. “I haven’t experienced any mood swings.” Until now. “Ididn’t do this.”
“I believe you, Tyson, I do. And I agree that there’s something off about her. But I also think it’s in your best interest to avoid a formal charge here. I was thinking you could just lay low for a while. Let the dust settle a bit.”
“Lay low as in stop running calls?” A new thought occurred—the pony penning and Pony Swim. “How long are you talking about here?”
“I don’t know exactly. I can talk to Geena about it. Marissa seemed pretty... affected. A short hiatus might appease her.”
Appease her?He hadn’t done anything to her!
“Perhaps a month from now—”
“A month? I’m not missing the Pony Swim. I’ve been part of it since I can remember.” Dad had brought him to the pennings since he was a kid. Trained him until he was old enough to manage a horse on his own.
“Ultimately, it’s up to you. But I highly advise you to put some thought into this. We could call it a medical leave. No one else would be any the wiser. And in the meantime you might consider getting legal counsel.”
At the thought of attorneys and courtrooms, panic flooded Tyson’s veins. Why was this happening? And more importantly, how could he prove that he’d done nothing wrong?
Chapter 46
Jenna disconnected the call and glanced out her solitary office window. The sun was shining and the sky was clear blue. It was another beautiful summer day. Too bad she was stuck in her office.
The gym where they hosted the MWF basketball program for elementary kids had a plumbing issue. There was an inch of water in the gym, which meant she spent all afternoon trying to locate another venue. Finally she’d found one.
