EPISODE 189
Written by: Bre L. Drew
June 20, 2022
Last Time on Town and Country
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Courtney and Steven had a disagreement over him defending her against Daniel, regarding him believing she would do her best work alongside her brother running the company.
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Presley asked Tanner out on a date, which she accepted.
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​Daniel is determined to get Jordan out of the lives of his son and grandson.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
"Is it just me, or is it weird that my sister is going out with a pastor?" Lynn Lockhart mentions this to her friend Aaliyah Gupta. The ladies are downstairs in the foyer, waiting for Tanner to finish getting ready for her first date with Presley this evening.
Aaliyah glances at her with a genuine smile. "Not if he looked the way that he does,"
Lenny mulls over what she said, silently acknowledging that she does have a valid point. "Okay then, I'll rephrase: Is it just me, or is it weird that Tanner's going out with Jordan's brother?"
Aaliyah sways her head somewhat agreeably. "You may have a point," she replies. "But Presley isn't anything like that horror show of a sister, thank god,"
The sound of footsteps descending from the stairs tells them that Tanner Lockhart is approaching them in a light blue lace asymmetric cocktail dress with silver heels, holding onto a clutch bag underneath her right arm. Her long brown hair is hanging straight, courtesy of a flat iron, and her makeup is noticeable but tasteful.
"You look great," Lenny says to her fraternal twin sister.
"I do work miracles," Aaliyah proudly boasts.
She assisted Tanner in getting ready for her date by doing her makeup and helping her select the dress.
Tanner could feel the nerves in the pit of her stomach. "You know, I haven't been on a date... for a while. I'm a little nervous," she admits.
Since she and Tommy stopped seeing one another, she hasn't had much attention her way when it comes to the opposite sex until recently.
​
Lenny grabs her sister's sweaty hands. "Tan, just think of it as you're having dinner with an old friend you've known forever,"
"You're right; I've known him since I was six." Tanner nods.
When the doorbell rings, Lenny heads to answer the door. In the doorway, she finds her sister's date dressed in a navy sports coat, a white button-down shirt, and navy pants.
"Long time no see," he says to his sister's former best friend.
"I knew you looked familiar," Lynn teases.
She lets him inside the house when he sees his date this evening. "Tanner, you look fantastic."
"Thank you, you look good too," she says to him.
Presley smiles at her while the two make their way out of the house.
"What would she do without us?" Aaliyah says, in a manner of her being satisfied with the night's progress.
RADCLIFFE RECEIVING HOSPITAL
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"Thank goodness Emma will be out of this dreadful hospital the day after tomorrow," Deirdre Covington says to her son.
Daniel and Deirdre make their way to the elevator bank on the ICU floor of the hospital, where they're leaving due to visiting hours being over this evening.
"You and me both, mother. I hope never to be on this floor again," Daniel Covington responds, waiting for the door to the elevator to open.
They, along with the family, were here even the staff didn't try to coax them out of the room, citing the capacity limit.
Out of the blue, as the elevator begins to open, a nurse at the front desk says, "Hello, Dr. Toussaint."
Daniel turns to see the older black man wearing a suit jacket with no tie and slacks speaking with the nurse.
"You know what, I'll meet you at the valet downstairs," Daniel tells his mother.
Deirdre is about to question her son, but she realizes she will get it out of him, so she steps in by herself,
Casually, Daniel makes his way toward the psychiatrist who is treating Jordan. "Did I hear correctly that you're Dr. Pierre Toussaint?"
"You're not a process server, are you?" the good-willed doctor asks jokingly.
"No, can we talk for a moment?"
The two men go down the empty hallway.
"What can I help you with?" Dr. Toussaint asks
"You're treating the mother of my grandson, Jordan McKnight,"
Daniel spots the recognition of the name of his patient.
"She is a patient of mine, yes, but as you know, I cannot tell you anything regarding our sessions that would be a direct violation of doctor-patient confidentiality,"
Daniel sticks his hands into his pants pockets, trying to find a way to get around that. He had seen Jordan today at the office with her son after not being around her son for nearly a year of her post-partum depression. He let it be known that she isn't fooling anyone, and she is using not only baby Jeremy but his youngest son Tommy until she gets bored and leaves again, perhaps longer than six months.
"Doctor, as Jeremy's grandfather, I want to know if she is any danger to herself or my grandson."
"I will tell you this, Mr. Covington, I'm becoming satisfied with the progress that Jordan is making to not only better herself for her son but for herself too," he informs the businessman.
He checks the time on his Apple Watch on his wrist. "I need to be elsewhere, but that's all I can say," the physician says, turning around to head down the hall.
Sighing to himself, Daniel focuses on how he can get her out of their lives forever, knowing no good will come of her potential breakthrough.
"I think I got it," he notes while he heads for the elevator.
HOPE COTTAGE
Courtney Covington Sullivan enters the two-story residential cottage she resides in after a whirlwind day of work at the office and the news of her aunt finally waking up from her coma.
While heading towards the staircase, she sees a vase of two dozen red long-stemmed roses in a large glass vase on the credenza. She also sees a card attached that amuses her enough to read it.
Please forgive me.
Love Steven
​
A smirk curves on her face when she sees her husband pouring them two glasses of red wine in the kitchen.
"I know flowers and wine aren't going to make up for what I did," he tells her.
Courtney puts her briefcase and purse on the counter. "It's a start, though,"
The two had been having issues since Courtney had been told by her father, she couldn't run the company on her own, despite her need for her brother's lack of corporate leadership. However, Steven defended her since she believed she didn't need him to fight her battles, especially against her father.
Steven gives her a glass of red wine that she graciously accepts.
"Look, Courtney, it was never my intention to come in between you and your father. But I cannot stand by while anyone, including him, thinks they can mistreat you."
Courtney takes a sip of wine; she then puts down the glass. "I couldn't handle the thought of another man having a say over my life. "I know that wasn't what you were trying to do."
Steven takes a drink of his red wine and gazes at her, wondering if they will be able to repair their relationship.
"Steven, today Emma came out of her coma," Courtney announces.
"That's incredible," he says to her.
It also reminds him that there is a chance she might be his aunt as well, since his mother told him that Deirdre and his grandfather had an affair over thirty years ago. He won't bring it up to his wife since he isn't sure yet. He didn't like keeping secrets from his wife, but he promised his mother he wouldn't tell.
"Today got me to thinking that life is too damn short for us to let things get in our way of happiness," Courtney tells him while wrapping her arms around her husband.
The two kiss one another passionately,
PRESLEY MCKNIGHT RESIDENCE
"I know this isn't the best way to start the night," Presley tells Tanner as they stand at the front door of the rectory home where he resides.
On their way to The Chateau for dinner this evening, he had realized he had forgotten his wallet at home.
"No, it's no problem; besides, we've still got time before our reservation," she replies.
Presley unlocks the door, and the duo heads inside the Queen Anne Victorian home. Once inside, Tanner closes the door behind them. She is then surprised to hear music playing from one of the rooms.
"Hey, Presley, did you forget to turn your playlist off too?" She inquires curiously while stepping into the spacious kitchen, where she is astonished to see the table set with plates and silverware with trays of food and two glasses on it. Not to mention the fact that her date lit two white candlesticks on the table.
"I may have lied to you about the wallet. I thought on our first date that we should be alone to get to know each other better."
Tanner couldn't help but smile at him. "I thought it was a sin for a man of the cloth to withhold the truth."
Presley goes over to her to lead her over to the table. "I think God would take exception to the rule this time."
"Anthem" by Walk Off The Earth begins playing.
"I love this song," Tanner admits.
A smile appears on his face. "Hey, you want to dance?"
At first, she was going to decline, but she didn't know if her nerves were dwindling; or she felt comfortable at this moment, but she found herself moving with him as the verse goes. Put on a song that I don't know how to sing, Make up the words so I don't have to think.
​
The pair sway back and forth as the pop-rock song continues.
HOME FARM
The doorbell loudly rings this early evening as Jordan McKnight walks down the stairs, seeing no one is here to answer it.
"Gabriella, why aren't you here when you need to do your job when I'm home?" She says to herself about the longtime family housekeeper.
When she opens the door, she finds her mother, of all people, standing there.
"Mom, what do you want?"
Thora McKnight seemed somewhat taken back by being asked this by her own daughter, though she knows the last few years haven't been the best for their relationship.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing,"
Jordan contemplates whether or not to let her in; then again, she remembers she is the only one at home, so she does.
"As you can see, mother, I'm all in one piece. Jeremy is upstairs asleep,"
Thora dips her head appreciatively. "I'll see him another day, but I wanted to see how you were doing,"
"And I answered you. I mean, you could've called me to find out."
When Thora and Jordan move into the expansive living room, she imagines the furniture costing more than her yearly car payment.
"Jordan, please try to give me credit here; I'd like for us to get along better."
The young mother goes over to the stocked mini bar to fix herself some scotch, which makes Thora's eyes widen.
"You're underage,"
Jordan shrugs while tasting the strong brown liquor. "I wasn't underage to be thrown out of my own home because I refused to give up my child that you claim to love so much."
When Jordan was five months pregnant, she told her parents about the pregnancy, which caused turmoil in the family when Ernest threw her out after she not only didn't comply with his wishes but refused to name the father. Her mother stood by and did nothing while she was packing up and had nowhere to go.
"Jordan, if I could take all that back, I would. But I think it's best we start anew. I'm volunteering with your brother with the youth group at church."
"He told me," Jordan says lowly.
"Did he also tell you that he had a date with Tanner for tonight?"
Jordan felt the room spinning at that particular piece of information being told to her. She had lunch with her brother this afternoon, and not once did her four-eyed former friend come up in conversation.
By now, Thora presumes she hadn't known that due to the discomfiture written all over her face. "I knew your brother had feelings for her since he had been back to town, but something made him finally do something about it."
However, Jordan is on her second glass of scotch, hearing more of this.
Daniel and Deirdre make their way inside the mansion, both taken aback to see Jordan vigorously drinking liquor while her mother is saying something about her brother dating someone.
"Please tell me you're on top of this," Dee whispers to her son.
​
"Trust me, mother; by the end of summer, Jordan McKnight will not be here," Daniel states boldly.
​
END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Tommy finds out about Tanner's date with Presley.
Steven advises Esther.
Daniel kicks his plan into motion.
​
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