EPISODE 179
Written by: Bre L. Drew
April 11, 2022
-
Will was surprised to find out that Emma was in a coma. He then told her he would look out for the club until she was able to.
-
Ernest suspected someone from Will's past might've tampered with his car brakes.
-
Lenny hadn't been receptive to her father since it came out that he was having an affair with Tricia.
-
Presley and Ernest had remained estranged since Presley left home to become a minister instead of a cop like Ernest wanted.
-
Samuel and Martha started seeing one another after they danced at Steven and Courtney's wedding.
Last Time On Town and Country
JOJO'S CAFE
Between getting the rectory house to his liking and working on his sermon for Sunday service, Presley McKnight made it a point to get a coffee and a lemon Danish pastry at JoJo's Cafe.
On this early evening, "Her Diamonds" by Rob Thomas plays on the sound system, giving the establishment more of a relaxed ambiance.
Presley stands in front of the line at the counter, where he is given his food and drink; he offers the customary "Thank you, have a nice day" to the female barista. He is about to head to a table, though, when he turns around, spotting the one person he hadn't planned on seeing.
Ernest McKnight stands across from him, who also has a similar look of indifference.
Presley notices he mostly still looks the same, albeit with more lines on his face, no doubt contributed to stress in his life.
"Dad, hi,"
"Your mother told me you were back in town... I'd like to catch up, but I've got to get back to the station."
In part, it was the truth; he was in the middle of investigating the head-on collision involving Will Jackson and Emma Covington. Though honestly, he isn't quite up to carrying on a discussion with any of his living children at the moment.
"I see you're still treating me the same way you've always treated me; some things never change," Presley responds.
The police chief scoffs while shaking his head. "I'm working; I don't have time for this."
Presley holds a cup of coffee in one hand and a Danish in the other.
"You've been saying that for years, dad; when are you going to actually put your family first?"
Ernest looks around to see if anyone is gawking at them.
"I'm not the one who left this for five years. And in that time, you hadn't made one visit home."
"Dad, you're not mad about me leaving town. You're mad because I'm still alive, and EJ isn't."
Ernest is visibly taken aback by that statement. There isn't a day that goes by when he doesn't think about his eldest son, who was killed in the line of duty as a rookie cop, years prior.
"Like I said, I have got to get back to the station; I will see you around."
He moves forward into the growing line to get himself a coffee while Presley tries his best to let his heart fill with anger, but even as a member of the clergy, he is still human first.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
"Hey man, it's Will; how you doin...Good, uh, how has it been going over there?"
Will Jackson was on his phone with Ty, the bartender at The Cliffe; he decided to check on how things were going, due to Emma being in a coma and himself being injured from the serious accident they were in. And as manager, he wanted to see how the business was doing without them at the helm.
Hearing that the place is doing fine, he hears from Ty; he hopes that he and Emma will both get better.
"Yeah, me too," he tells him. "Talk to you later,"
He ends the call and then puts his smartphone on the nightstand beside him. He couldn't help but feel powerless since he was unable to go to work since he promised Emma at her bedside that he would ensure that her business would still succeed without her. Not to mention him being pissed at the truck driver for running into them and for his brakes giving out.
"Fuck!" he swears to himself, more loudly than he anticipated.
"Whoa, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" a female says jokingly
Will looks up to see Martha Saunders in the doorway wearing a sleeveless black lace sheath dress with a pair of heels.
He whistles pleasingly.
"Trying to get more tips at the bar?" he teases.
She saunters into the room with a grin.
"I should try that, but no, I'm going out."
Will is about to ask where until it dawns on him who she is going out to see in particular.
"You don't mind me askin how it's going with the doctor?"
Carefully, she takes a seat at the end of the bed.
"It's going better than I thought," Martha says, seriously. "I'm with someone I never thought I would be with; he's a good guy. I just hope I don't do something to screw it up."
Quickly, Will reflects on how he overheard her telling her mother and sister about the feelings she had for him, which made him conspire with Emma. To make it look like they were in a relationship, knowing deep down that he would unintentionally hurt Martha, he had been spending time with her.
"Why you say that?" he asks her.
Martha sighs somewhat heavily. "Let's just say I haven't had the best luck with the opposite sex."
"Maybe your luck is changin,"
She chuckles nervously.
"Anyway, you don't want to hear about my love life. I should be asking about you."
Will could see the lighter altering into a more serious one on his friend's face.
"I'm doin' alright. It's Emma I'm worried about."
"You really do care about her, don't you?" Martha inquires, recognizingly.
"She don't deserve to be laid up unconscious like that, Martha."
"I know she and I aren't friends or anything, but I do hope she does recover."
Martha realizes she is running late, so she gets onto her feet.
"I gotta get going," she answers, "Something tells me everything will work out."
He bobs his head appreciatively.
He watches her take off out of the room as he recollects Chief McKnight grilling him about the brakes suddenly giving out, and perhaps someone from his past might've done it to target him.
He scoops up his phone to place a call.
"Hello, I would like to visit one of your prisoners, Jerome Hawkins."
"Yeah, I'll wait," he adds.
FRANKLIN FARM
Lynn Lockhart is mowing the overgrown grass on Franklin Farm's sprawling farmland. Out of the window, she sees her father in her proximity, waving and mouthing something she couldn't hear due to the loudness of the engine. So, she properly stops the tractor and gets out to go to him.
"Is there a problem?" she asks her father.
Sean Lockhart was in his usual work attire, consisting of a navy-blue sweatshirt, worn jeans, and a baseball cap on his head.
"No, is there something I should know?"
"Well, I know when I first started working on the farm, you and mom didn't want me to do much else but clean out the stalls and feed the livestock."
After graduating from high school, Lenny started working on her family's farm but was frequently told by her parents she had to work to prove to them that she was able to handle more responsibilities.
"I was going to say that you did a good job. You're able to handle that tractor." Sean compliments
"Really?" Lenny asks, surprisingly,
She hadn't been close to her father since he and her mother divorced, so hearing a compliment from him somehow made her unexpectedly pleased.
"Yeah,"
Lenny places both hands on the sides of her hips. "So, how have you been?"
Sean smiles at his daughter, asking about him.
"Between this place and getting ready for the baby, I have no complaints."
"I still can't believe you're going to be someone else's dad," Lynn states.
When it was announced that he and Tricia were expecting their first child together, neither Lynn nor Tanner took the news well since they felt it was official that their father was starting a new family.
"I'm excited about it, but I want you to know that I will always care about you and your sister. Nothing will ever change that, and I'm sorry I haven't been there for you like I should."
"Dad, you don't have to say that," Lynn says, trying to avoid a sentimental moment between her and her father.
"Look, Lenny, I know we both don't exactly wear our emotions on our sleeves; I'm serious about everything I said."
A gust of wind breezes through, causing Lynn to possibly see her father in a new light.
"Well, I'll leave you to finish, and please don't be a stranger, drop by the apartment anytime, "he adds.
Sean walks off, leaving Lynn to contemplate what was said by her father.
JOJO'S CAFE
Despite having some more unpacking to do, Presley feels unmotivated to do that, so instead, he is skimming down at his iPhone at the table with the large window overlooking Main Street.
Currently, the raspy vocals of T-Boz on TLC's "Diggin' on You" are playing inside the cafe.
Lifting his focus off the phone, he sees another familiar person entering the inside. This time, however, their presence didn't fill him with dread like it had before with his father.
​
"Hey, Tanner," he calls out to the person.
The young woman, wearing a dark green hooded jacket and blue jeans, turns with her crossbody purse around her, unsure at first who is calling her until her eyes land on Presley.
Tanner exclaimed, "Oh, Presley, hey."
He gets out of the chair to embrace the girl who was once his sister's best friend.
The two let go of one another as he motions for her to take a seat, which she complies with.
Tanner tucks a few strands of her brown hair behind her ears.
"When did you get back into town?"
"Not long, so how have you been? he asks. "Are you still playing the violin?"
She uncomfortably chuckles.
"Let's just say the violin and I decided to consciously uncouple,"
Presley takes a sip of his coffee. "At least tell me you still ride horses?"
"That I still do. I work at my Aunt Esther's stables."
"If you think it's weird that we're talking, because I know you and my sister aren't as close anymore, I completely understand."
Tanner suppresses her emotions regarding Jordan, knowing she's speaking with her brother.
"You have nothing to do with anything that has gone on with Jordan and me," she responds truthfully. "So, the last thing I heard was that you went to Missouri for seminary to become a man of the cloth."
"All true. I'm the new pastor at First Street; correction, associate pastor."
"How is it going?"
Presley takes another drink of his coffee.
"So far, it's going okay,"
"I'm sure you will succeed there in no time,"
"I hope you're right," he replies. "So, what else have you been up to?"
VICTORY COTTAGE
Martha and Samuel Gupta enter the two-story cottage. The two had just returned from having dinner at the Chateau.
It was there that Samuel invited his girlfriend to come over, since she hadn't seen the house before. And with his mother being in Toronto for a business trip, he thought it was a good time as any to do so.
Gazing around the house, Martha could see Mala's design influence throughout,
"You have a really nice home," she says admiringly.
"Thanks, I know it's not easy for women to hear you still live with your mother, but I assure you I will find my own place someday." The psychiatrist assures her.
Martha faces him with ease.
"You're forgetting that my son, and I are living in my childhood home with my mother and aunt. But what a coincidence, my cousin and his wife is about to move in next door."
Steven, along with Courtney, will be residing next door to the Guptas.
"That just gives you another reason to come over more."
The two then stare into each other's eyes, knowing what is about to happen next. But neither felt the need to proceed at the moment.
"I'm going to be real with you, Samuel. I like you very much."
Samuel smiles charismatically at her.
"I can say the same about you, but I can sense some hesitation."
She folds her arms, which makes her realize she hadn't taken off her coat yet.
"This is the longest I've been involved with someone that I haven't slept with—the old me would've been all over you by now. I just want you to know how I feel."
Samuel nods empathically.
"Well, I must admit, I haven't been involved with anyone physically in some time, and if you feel uncomfortable, we don't have to do anything until you are ready,"
Maybe it was what he said or how he looked at her with such captivation she had never seen from any guy she'd been with,
She then puts her arms around his tall frame and starts making out with him.
"No, it's right," Martha says in between kisses. "It feels right,"
"You sure?" Samuel verifies.
"I'm sure,"
The pair go up the staircase to Samuel's bedroom, where they continue to remain intimate with one another on his bed.
RADCLIFFE POLICE DEPARTMENT
After obtaining his cup of coffee, Ernest rushed back to the police station. He is sitting behind his desk in his office, weighing in on the interaction between himself and Presley at the cafe earlier. It also makes him look at a particular framed photo on the right side of his desk with EJ and himself, snapped when he graduated from police training. Their smiles were captured unbeknownst to them that almost a year after this was taken, he would lose his life. His thoughts are interrupted when a knock materializes on his door.
A male voice announces, "Chief, it's me."
"Come in,"
Officer Kensington steps through the office in a respectable manner.
"Got anything new for me?" Ernest queries in his authoritative manner.
The uniformed officer understood what he meant about the head-on collision investigation because it was their main case.
"Heard word that someone did indeed mess with Jackson's brakes in his car, though it still doesn't give us much to go on. with no prints."
Ernest points to the empty seat on the other side of the desk, which Kensington goes to occupy.
"Well, I still want someone to check the cameras outside The Cliffe and anywhere else Will Jackson frequents. Perhaps we can see who did this?"
Officer Kensington doesn't hide his skepticism.
"It's just a hunch," Chief McKnight consoles.
His phone starts ringing, and he takes it off the hook.
"McKnight," he answers.
Hearing the information being told to him, he is at first silent but manages to find his voice quickly as Kensington is also curious about what is being said.
After a few more words, Ernest hangs up the phone and composes himself.
"What is it, Chief?" Officer Kensington asks.
Ernest exhales laboriously.
"It looks like part of this investigation is closed. That was the hospital. The driver of the semi-truck died half an hour ago, he replies. "Damn it!"
"We don't have much else to go on now,"
Ernest tosses the empty coffee cop into the trashcan by his desk.
"That's why we need to get that surveillance from the cameras. At least that way, we have some closure for the Covington's and the Jacksons."
​
END OF EPISODE
​
ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Jordan attends her first therapy session with Dr. Toussaint.
Max and Courtney clash over business.
Antoine and Shauna come together for Mae.
​
Leave your thoughts here on the T&C forum
​