EPISODE 147
Written by : Bre L. Drew
August 30, 2021
Last Time On Town and Country
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Tanner broke up with Tommy over impregnating Jordan behind her back.
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Sean and Tricia argued over her role in Tommy and Jordan's secret in which she told him in spite of Tanner getting hurt, she couldn't betray her friend.
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Martha began developing feelings for Will.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
Tanner Lockhart finishes eating the homemade fruit salad in the kitchen of the cottage she's lived in since she was a child. She hadn't realized her playlist on her iPhone was onto a different song until the chorus of Maren Morris's "Bones" plays through the speaker. She is about to change the selection when she somehow her thoughts are transported to when things were great between herself and Tommy. The song had become their song throughout their relationship. Memories began flooding back, such as horseback riding at her great-aunt's stables, to when they were enjoying the island of Oahu together when the two of them realized they had feelings for each other. Other recollections come to mind that by the time she realizes the prolonged sound of the doorbell ringing.
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She is on her feet as the song is still playing when she opens the door to see Aaliyah Gupta standing there; in a black off-the-shoulder top with blue jeans and aviator sunglasses perched on her forehead.
"Hey, girl," Aaliyah says in her usual cheerful self.
"Hey," Tanner replies, trying to do her best to hide her emotions.
Her best friend steps into the cottage as Tanner closes the door behind her.
The music is now audible enough for the design and merchandising student to hear.
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Bones are good, the rest, the rest don't matter (Baby, it don't really matter)
Paint could peel, the glass could shatter
"Oh sweetie, it's a good thing I came; stop torturing yourself right now," Aaliyah says
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Tanner had recently broken up with Tommy over being fed up with him, keeping the truth of him fathering Jordan's baby behind her back. She even gave him back the necklace he got for her when they first started dating.
Tanner waves her hand flippantly. "Don't worry about me; I'll be fine, so what brings you by?"
"Two words, shopping spree, it's about time we go shopping; so we can deck out our dorm for sophomore year,"
"I completely forgot we were supposed to do that today," Tanner admits
With everything going on in the last month, Tanner had forgotten she hadn't bought much to start her second year at Sampson yet; the girls will be staying on the west side of campus this year courtesy of the campus lotto last spring.
Aaliyah gives her friend an encouraging smile. "Come on, get your bag; while I go find the source of this self-torture and shut it down with the quickness."
​
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FRANKLIN FARM
Despite his title of manager, Sean Lockhart had no problem still doing the duties of a farmhand, so that is why he is mucking out the cow barn. He hadn't seen who had entered the barn until they clear their throat purposely to grab his attention.
"What are you doing here?" he asks.
Tricia Lockhart stands across from him. "Martha, let me through. I think it's about time we get things straightened between us."
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Since it came out that Tricia hid the truth from him about his daughter's boyfriend impregnating another girl and had been helping her throughout her pregnancy, even going as far as to tell him she was going to California to visit friends while in reality. She drove two hours away to be there when Jordan gave birth in secret.
Sean holds onto the rake in one hand. "So you thought not waiting until I get home, you come to my workplace instead?" he challenges her.
"I get you are still pissed at me for keeping everything from you, Sean, I'm sorry. Can we now try to get this marriage back on track?"
The farm manager ruefully scoffs at her. "Are those the magic words supposed to fix everything you did?"
Having enough of her husband's coldness, she walks closer to him. "I'm not the only one who has made this marriage shaky."
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FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
Inside the air-conditioned home on Franklin Farm. Martha Saunders instructs her son SJ Saunders, who is sitting on her lap on the floor of the living room, to play on the electronic keyboard piano mat she got him for Christmas last year. Beside them is their houseguest Will Jackson, who is also looking on enthusiastically.
"Now play that one," Martha tells him.
The toddler looks at his mother and Will as if he needed more encouragement.
"Go on, little man," Will says jovially.
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Martha had developed an unlikely friendship with him since he came to stay here, yet she couldn't shake these feelings of attraction for him in spite of him having a criminal past, so that is why she hasn't acted on them.
SJ presses the key, which elicits an automatic sound of rhythm.
"You did it," Martha tells her son happily.
"He's on the way to be a little musical prodigy," Will remarks.
Martha glances at him. "I think so,"
Will and she stare at one another longingly, then the doorbell rings, causing them to break their concentration.
The bartender places the child into Will's arms, who graciously accepts him as she gets on her feet.
"It's like Metro Center Station in here today," Martha declares
She opens the front door, which she finds Emma Covington standing there in a sleeveless emerald green printed silk dress and heels that make Martha feel like a slouch in her oversize tank top and blue jean shorts.
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"Martha, hello, is my business associate inside?" Martha queries
Before she can say anything, the Covington heiress enters the house without permission.
"Come right on in, Emma," Martha says sardonically.
Emma sees the manager of the nightclub currently being built she owns playing with a small child. "I see someone is moonlighting as a sitter."
That disparaging comment made Martha roll her eyes at her from behind her back.
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THE VILLAGE OF HUDSON LAKE
Notwithstanding being near the end of August, the sunlight hadn't stopped shining, nor the temperature hadn't cooled as Tanner and Aaliyah came out of Bewilder. The two are carrying their assorted shopping bags outside the outdoor mall complex in Hudson Lake.
"Sorry for that detour, but my Bewilder reward points were about to expire, and that top was calling my name," Aaliyah explains to her friend.
"That's all right; who knew a few hours of retail therapy would make feel better," Tanner admits
The two passes by a woman on her phone, loudly complaining about her yoga class.
Aaliyah brightly smiles as she links her available arm through Tanner's.
"That's the spirit!"
"What about we go grab lunch in town before we head back to Radcliffe?" Tanner suggests eagerly
The design and merchandising student nods with their arms still linked. She then blinks a few times to acknowledge the sight in front of her.
"I don't believe this," Aaliyah gasps.
"What?"
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Tanner sees Tommy Covington pushing his infant son in an expensive stroller into the bookstore. Luckily for Tanner, he hadn't seen her because she didn't want to see him at this moment. It felt like her reflexes had given out since she couldn't move.
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"Hey, Tan, are you all right?" Tanner asks with a hint of guilt in her voice.
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"Yeah -- I'm fine, let's get out of here." Tanner lies somewhat.
The two ladies cross the street to the parking lot heading to Aaliyah's SUV.
FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
"Who knew a month would bring so much improvement?" Will says
Emma had come to show him the photos of the improvement of the club on her iPhone.
"Much as I'm paying. I better get these results."
Martha comes downstairs, where she had just put SJ down for a nap. She views the two of them together in the living room, looking down at Emma's phone.
"Hey, Martha, come on over here and see these," Will says in a friendly manner.
Emma pursed her lips together. "I don't think that's a good idea, no offense Martha but you kind of work for the competition."
"Well, Emma, I thought a person like you wouldn't consider The Waterfall direct competition," Martha remarks.
"You're right, I don't," Emma retorts
Will gives Martha a sympathetic glance. "I trust her,"
Begrudgingly, Emma lets the bartender sees some ongoing renovations on her phone.
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"Looks like it's going to be nice," Martha says honestly; while giving the phone back to her.
"When we open up, you are going on the VIP list," Will mentions sincerely.
Emma shakes her head. "That's if she can get someone to watch Little Stevie."
Martha shoots the heiress a critical glimpse.
"It's SJ, Emma," Will corrects his business associate.
"Oops, my mistake," Emma replies without much concern.
It took Martha to move into the kitchen from carrying out her wishes of tackling the bitch onto the floor for acting snobbish to her for no reason leaving her and Will to talk about whatever they talk about,
FRANKLIN FARM
"You think me wanting to start a family is on par with you withholding the fact my daughter's boyfriend got her childhood best friend knocked up?" Sean asks his wife.
The two were still in the barn when Tricia had brought up that she wasn't the only one who had contributed to the current problems of their marriage and that him pressuring her to have a child of their own is affecting it too.
"It didn't matter how many times I told you I am not ready for it; you find a way to bring it up," Tricia replies directly.
"How selfish could you be, Sean?"
Sean expresses a look of him understanding her point but not wanting to acknowledge it.
"Us having a child would bring us closer together,"
"I get that, but Sean. I have been on my own since I was sixteen years old. You can't blame me for wanting to wait before we get bogged down in diapers and daycare."
"First, you lie to me, and then you go on about freedom; who's the selfish one now?" Sean states sharply
He leaves her behind in the shed with the animals making various noises as Sean ignores his wife's calls to him; he knows turning his back on her, but he didn't what else to do.
END OF EPISODE
ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Tanner finds a healthy way to express her emotions.
Max and Shauna celebrate their second wedding anniversary.
Tricia makes a surprising move.
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