Chapter 45
Ty wasn’t too worried as he pulled into the fire station the next day. Chief Jones had called this morning to set up the meeting.
Ty had known this was coming. Nine days ago he’d defied the chief’s orders at the scene, and it was time to face the consequences.
A tongue-lashing at the very least. Ty got it. He couldn’t go around defying orders.
He was glad Marissa’s car wasn’t in the lot. Didn’t care to run into her after yesterday’s weird encounter. The building was
cool and quiet, with just the hum of the air-conditioning filling the space.
He headed to the chief’s office and found him frowning at some papers on his desk. “Hey, Chief.”
The man stood to his full six-foot-four-inch height, offering a grim smile. “Parker. Come on in. Have a seat.”
Ty’s stomach sank at his demeanor as he followed orders. Best to get out in front of this. “I know I was wrong to defy your
orders at the scene, Chief. I handled the situation badly. And even though it turned out well, I know it could’ve gone very
differently. Very badly.”
“It was unlike you to go rogue like that. Not the kind of conduct I expect from a captain.”
Ty gave a nod. “Understood.”
“We’ll need to talk more about that. But that’s not why I called you in today.”
Oh. Well, if it wasn’t about that, then what?
His boss leaned back in his chair, studying him. “How’ve you been feeling? Your throat sounds better.”
“Headache’s gone and my doctor’s appointment is tomorrow. I expect to get the all clear.” Thank God he wouldn’t miss Pony
Penning Days. He could hardly wait. In less than two weeks they’d round up the southern herd, then the northern. Then Ty and
the other saltwater cowboys would lead the northern herd down the beach to join up with the southern herd for vet checkups
before the famed Pony Swim.
The chief hadn’t yet responded to Ty’s answer. The man’s gray brows pulled together and a ridge of lines rippled across his
forehead—never a good sign.
“I promise I’m fine. No headaches or nausea, and I’ve been back to work for almost a week.”
The chief leaned his elbows on his desk. “I don’t doubt that. This is actually about Marissa Moran. She came to see Geena
and me this morning, told us about an encounter the two of you had yesterday in a parking lot.”
Tyson blinked. “We ran into each other, if that’s what you mean. She said some weird things. Acted like I was stalking her
or something. I tried to be polite.” What was going on here? “Listen, I don’t like to make accusations, but I think there
might be something off about her.”
Chief Jones nodded thoughtfully. “Tell me about the encounter.”
Dread inched up Ty’s throat. But he told the man everything he remembered about the brief conversation. “It was very strange.
I’m not sure if you’ve heard about our history—if you can call it that.”
“I’ve heard a few rumors. I’d like to hear it from you.”
Ty started at the beginning with what was supposed to have been a 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—and they 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. “I didn’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?