EPISODE 378
Written by: Bre L Drew
January 31, 2026
Last Time on Town and Country
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Jolene is questioned by the Radcliffe Police Department after shooting and killing Wade in self-defense while she and Tricia are held hostage by him. Jes ultimately comes to her aid as her attorney.
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At Franklin Farm, friends and family gather for the annual Saunders tree-trimming celebration—an event that once again puts relationships to the test.
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Tension builds for Jacques, Courtney, and Aaliyah after returning to Radcliffe from Miami following a disastrous business trip. Jacques has kissed Courtney and slept with Aaliyah.
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Despite bringing Tommy into his plot to oust Jacques from the Covington Group, Daniel is also secretly planning to reclaim the CEO position from Courtney.
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Tanner is accepted into the University of Minnesota’s veterinary school, prompting Tommy to question what the future holds for them—especially as they continue seeing each other behind Jordan’s back.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Bells will be ringin' the sad, sad news
Oh, what a Christmas to have the blues
My baby's gone, I have no friends
To wish me good, once again
Calista Clark’s version of “Please Come Home for Christmas” plays throughout the main house on Franklin Farm as the Saunders’ annual tree-trimming celebration—post-Christmas this year—gets underway. The bluesy country tone lends a bittersweet mood to what is usually a more uplifting event.
Esther Saunders, dressed in a navy-blue embroidered sequin jacket and matching pants, descends the stairs slowly. She feels like a visitor in her own home. The family is still emotionally distant over her keeping Emma’s relation a secret—and the painful truth that, had they known sooner, Lenny might have been saved by her bone marrow. Though Lenny’s cancer is now gone because Esther finally revealed it, the family still believes she betrayed them. Part of her hopes today might begin some healing, though she doesn’t hold much hope in it.
As Esther reaches the living room, the front door opens. Steven and Evan Sullivan step inside, wiping their feet, Evan carrying a bag full of gifts. Esther immediately moves to greet her only child and grandson.
She pulls Evan into a tight embrace, looking at him with the kind of awe only a grandmother can manage. “It’s like you’re becoming a man overnight. When did this happen?”
“Hey, Grandma,” Evan says. She gestures for him to place the gifts under the tree, which he does.
Esther turns to Steven, noticing someone missing. “Where’s Courtney?”
Steven removes his coat and hangs it by the door, then meets his mother’s eyes with uncertainty. “There’s some kind of crisis at Covington. She said if she can make it, she’ll come later.”
“When isn’t there one with that family?” Esther replies dryly.
She shifts her attention back to Evan. “Why don’t you head outside and toss the ball around with your cousins—SJ and Elijah are out there.”
“No offense, Grandma, but I prefer staying in when there’s heat,” Evan says.
“There’ll be plenty of it when you come back inside. Now march,” Esther orders. “And Evan.”
“Yes?”
“After the holidays, you and I are going to have a talk. You got me?” Her Southern cadence sharpens just enough to make the point land.
“Please speak to everyone,” Steven adds.
Evan half-shrugs and heads through the kitchen toward the backyard.
A small laugh passes between mother and son as they’re left alone.
“Ah, the teenage years,” Steven says.
“They’re not for the faint of heart,” Esther replies. “I remember yours well enough.”
Steven grins. “I wasn’t that bad, was I?”
“You had your moments,” she says fondly. “But you grew out of them. Evan will, too, Lord willing.”
Her expression shifts, sensing something deeper. “Please don’t tell me you and Courtney are still having problems.”
Steven hesitates, then admits quietly, “I wish I knew exactly what it was.”
The music continues as an unspoken worry settles between them.
COVINGTON GROUP
Despite their intimate interaction twenty-four hours earlier, Courtney Covington Sullivan and Jacques Laurent are now seated in Courtney’s office suite on the twentieth floor of Covington Tower, where the Covington Group is headquartered.
The mood is far from tender. Both are dealing with the fallout of a disastrous investment in the wrong Miami property. They cycle through calls on speakerphone, attempting unsuccessfully to recover funds, each failed conversation tightening the tension in the room.
When another call ends, the anxiety is unmistakable.
Jacques finally breaks, his guilt uncharacteristic and raw. “This was my oversight.”
He has been blaming himself since the truth surfaced: the “prime” land they banked on is a wetland, unsuitable for development. The revelation unraveled more than the deal—it led directly to the kiss between colleagues and in-laws, a moment neither has fully addressed.
Courtney glances down at her iPhone, momentarily distracted.
Jacques notices. “Do you have somewhere to be,” he asks pointedly, “or is this because of our kiss?”
She looks up, startled by his bluntness, and shakes her head, clearly unwilling to go there.
“Steven’s family is hosting a post-Christmas dinner out at their farm,” she says, then pauses as the connection clicks. “Right—you know all this because of Emma.” She’s referring to her aunt, whose complicated ties to the Saunders stem from an affair nearly forty years earlier between Courtney’s grandmother and her husband’s grandfather.
Jacques slips his hands into his pockets and shrugs. “Emma should already be there. I told her I wasn’t coming—I needed to handle things here.”
She exhales. “My mind is elsewhere.”
He studies her. “Do I have something to do with that?”
Before she can answer, a knock sounds at the door. Courtney permits, and Aaliyah Gupta steps in. As Jacques’s assistant—and part of the Miami team—she moves toward them with urgency.
“I’ve got word on the news front,” Aaliyah says. “The board meeting is set for a few weeks from now.”
Neither executive hides their reaction. Jacques curses in French—one Courtney understands instantly, and Aaliyah only half-catches.
The timeline is brutal. Courtney knows they now have very little room to maneuver if they want to sway the board.
She gathers her things quickly, already heading for the door. “I hate doing this, but I have to go. I’ll stay on my phone if you need me. Just close the door when you leave.”
She exits briskly, aware that her father is likely watching the situation unravel with equal parts panic and grim satisfaction, having never approved of how she assumed control of the company.
Jacques remains behind, shoulders tense. “Everything is a mess because of me,” he says, his accent thickening with distress.
Aaliyah steps closer, her presence calm and steady—though the memory of their own recent night together in Miami hangs unspoken between them.
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Meanwhile, down the hall in a smaller, quaint office space, Tommy Covington sits behind his desk, trying to work. His mind, however, is elsewhere fixed on the fact that the love of his life is considering moving to another state for school.
He wants to be there for her, but he also knows it won’t be that simple. His gaze drops to the wedding band on his hand, a reminder of his in-name-only marriage to Jordan and the consequences tied to it, most notably their young son. Still, he finds himself unable to continue the charade.
A knock at the door interrupts his thoughts.
Assuming it’s Evelyn or an assistant, Tommy casually calls out, “Come in.”
To his surprise, his father steps inside, dressed in one of his trademark designer suits, a tie neatly tucked beneath a trench coat.
Tommy exhales sharply. “What in the hell are you doing here?”
Daniel remains unfazed. “Let’s see—my children still work here, I’m on the company’s board, and, oh yes, my name is on the building,” he replies coolly.
They had agreed to meet anywhere but the company, given their quiet conspiracy to oust Jacques Laurent from Covington Group—both believing him unfit for the firm, let alone the family. Daniel, after all, had been the one to get the ball rolling once the Miami investment imploded.
“Have you heard the latest?”
“The upcoming board meeting—yes, I have,” Tommy replies, lifting his head in recognition.
Daniel nods. “Which means we’re one step closer to removing Jacques Laurent from this company for good.”
Tommy rises from his chair and comes to stand near the desk. “So that’s why you came?”
Daniel catches the edge in his son’s tone and smirks. “That’s part of it,” he says. “I also came by for another reason.”
Tommy raises an eyebrow, curious—but wary.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Tanner Lockhart can’t help getting lost in her thoughts as she replays her interaction with Tommy earlier that day at the stables. They’ve been meeting in secret for months now, ever since they reconciled, knowing no one can find out while Tommy is still married to Jordan, even though it’s Tanner he wants to be with.
Then there’s the other life-altering truth: she’s been accepted into veterinary school in Minnesota. The news fills her with excitement, but it also opens a door to questions neither she nor Tommy can avoid—what happens if, or when, she leaves?
What feels like a lifetime later, someone calls her name.
Reality slowly settles back into place. Tanner realizes she’s standing near the oven in her grandparents’ farmhouse kitchen. Her grandmother is the one calling out to her.
“Oh—sorry, Grandma. I didn’t mean to zone out.”
Sarah Lynn Saunders smiles patiently. “That’s the I’ve got too much on my mind look. I know it well.”
“What?”
“Tanner, there’s no shame in admitting it. As the mother of two daughters—and with three siblings of my own—I know that look, sweetheart.”
The warm aroma of food at various stages of preparation fills the air. Tanner refocuses, slipping an oven mitt onto her right hand. She’s been tasked with taking the stuffing out of the oven.
Maybe she needs someone to confide in. Or maybe it’s just that her grandmother can read her too well.
“You’re the first person in the family I’m telling this to,” Tanner says quietly. “I got into the University of Minnesota–St. Paul’s veterinary school for the spring semester.”
Elation immediately spreads across Sarah Lynn’s face as she wraps her arms around her granddaughter. “Oh my gosh—congratulations, sweetheart.”
When she pulls back, she notices the hesitation still lingering in Tanner’s expression. “Hey. What’s wrong?” she asks gently. “Are you going to go?”
Tanner checks the stuffing—it needs a few more minutes.
“At first, I thought of it like, I applied, I got in,” she admits. “But now it’s all I can think about.”
“You sound hesitant,” Sarah Lynn says. “Is it because it’s so far away?”
Tanner wants to explain that Tommy is part of the equation—but she can’t. She simply nods.
“That,” she says. “And I don’t know anyone there. It would be a big change.”
Sarah Lynn places her hands on her hips, swaying slightly. “I know it’s not the same thing, but when I was your age, I had a big decision too—whether to keep competing in pageants or settle down with your grandfather.”
“How did you decide?” Tanner asks.
“It wasn’t easy,” Sarah Lynn says. “I couldn’t imagine life without him. But I’ll admit, over the years, I sometimes played the what-if game. If I’d kept competing, maybe I could’ve been Miss America 1974.” She smiles softly. “But you know what I learned?”
“What?”
“No one’s life can be full of what-ifs. If you want to make this change, you make it—and let the future take care of itself.”
Tanner hugs her grandmother tightly.
“What’s that for?” Sarah Lynn asks.
“For telling me exactly what I needed to hear.”
They pull apart just as the scent from the oven reminds them of their task, and they turn back toward the oven together.
MCKNIGHT RESIDENCE
Out of mostly curiosity, Thora McKnight peers out the living room window of the Victorian manor she shares with her son. For the moment, the house is also sheltering Jolene Wood and Tricia Lockhart, still reeling from being held hostage by Jolene’s volatile husband. Jolene shot him in self-defense, killing him, and earlier that day, her ex-husband, Ernest McKnight brought both women in for questioning. Another weight presses on Thora’s mind as well—the knowledge that her daughter’s husband kissed his ex-girlfriend at the Chateau days ago. She has been wrestling with whether or not to come clean about it.
Her gaze drifts to the children across the street, laughing and playing, savoring the last days before school resumes.
She hears her name faintly, doesn’t register it, then hears it again—louder.
“Mom, hey, are you alright?” Jordan Covington asks as Thora turns around. “You seem like you’re miles away. Like Beverly Hills,” she teases.
Thora folds her arms and steps closer to her daughter. “Oh… I guess I was just doing some heavy thinking.”
“Ooh. About what?”
Thora exhales, guilt creeping in as she’s about to answer—but the sharp ring of the doorbell cuts her off. Their attention shifts as Presley McKnight descends the staircase to answer it.
Moments later, the McKnight women enter the rectory foyer to find Jolene, Tricia, Ernest, and Jes Choudhury stepping inside as Presley shuts the door, sealing out the cold breeze.
“So, what’s the latest?” Thora asks, not waiting for anyone else to say it.
Jolene removes her coat, looking exhausted after all of that questioning. “Um… I was released on what they call—”
“Cognizance,” Tricia supplies, her voice heavy.
“Meaning what, exactly?” Jordan asks, hands settling on her hips.
“Meaning she’s not spending the night in a cell,” Ernest explains, “but it’s still a waiting game.”
“Why?” Presley asks.
Jes tucks a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “The commonwealth’s attorney’s office is still deciding whether to file charges. Best case, they drop everything and rule it self-defense. Worst case—”
She doesn’t finish. No one needs her to.
“There shouldn’t be a case at all,” Thora says firmly.
“Sounds bureaucratic to me,” Presley mutters.
“The legal system ain’t perfect,” Ernest adds, “but for Jolene’s sake, I hope she never sees the inside of a courtroom.”
Jes turns to Jolene and Tricia. “I need to get going, but if anything comes up, you’ll be the first to know. And if you have questions, call me—office or personal.”
Jolene nods. Tricia thanks her. Jes offers quick goodbyes as Presley lets her and Ernest out.
“I’ve got a New Year’s Eve sermon to prepare,” Presley says. “Excuse me, ladies.” He heads upstairs.
Thora knows now isn’t the time to tell Jordan about her husband’s unfaithfulness. “I’m going to make lunch.”
“I’ll help,” Jolene says.
​
Concern crosses the barista’s face. “You don’t have to, especially after everything you’ve been through.”
“I need something to keep me busy,” Jolene replies quietly, irritation edging her voice.
Thora gestures toward the kitchen. “Alright. Sure.”
The women head off together, leaving Jordan and Tricia alone in the living room.
Jordan studies her friend’s face and knows she needs a distraction. She pulls her iPhone from her purse and steps closer.
“Look,” she says gently. “At your handsome godson.”
Tricia looks at the photo—a five-year-old boy in a pullover and khakis, posed against a school-picture backdrop. A small, genuine toothy smile breaks through.
“Jordan,” Tricia says softly, “never take him for granted.”
Jordan nods, moved by the sincerity. “I won’t.”
Tricia’s thoughts drift to her own loss—to Dylan, who would be only a little younger now if he had lived.
Jordan pulls her phone back. “That’s why I’m determined to do whatever it takes to keep my marriage intact.”
Tricia nearly rolls her eyes. She’s heard this before, knows Tommy sees the marriage as little more than a formality. Still, she says nothing—nothing she could say would get through.
Jordan, for her part, senses that Tommy is keeping something from her. She just doesn’t know what yet.
COVINGTON GROUP
Tommy stands cautiously in his office as he watches his father suddenly pull out his iPhone from his coat pocket and begin using it.
Soon, Daniel lifts his head from the device as Tommy’s phone pings, and Tommy jerks his gaze toward it.
“Check your phone,” Daniel says cryptically.
Tommy keeps his eyes on him for a beat, then crosses to his desk and retrieves his phone, staring at the screen as a PDF loads. It outlines the actual purchase of the Miami wetland—not what Jacques believed he had acquired—based on the investment tip Daniel had given him.
“Why?” Tommy asks.
Daniel slips his phone back into his coat pocket. “I’m trying to turn over a new leaf.”
That statement makes Tommy stare at him with open doubt. Knowing his manipulative father, he isn’t convinced Daniel is capable of that—at least not now.
Daniel scoffs, conceding slightly as he places his hands back into his coat pockets. “All right… I know bringing you into this project was a big ask, and I appreciate you carrying out your part of it. Isn’t that good enough, son? Anyway, how was your Christmas? We missed you and Jeremy at the house this year.”
Since everything came out, Daniel has been gaslighting Jordan. Instead, Tommy, Jordan, and their son spend the holidays together at the guesthouse.
“It was fine. Jeremy got everything on his list, and he loves that VR headset you gave him.”
“I’m glad he got it,” Daniel says, his voice turning more genuine when he speaks about his grandson. “Well, I’d better get out of here. I’ll see you later—and again, thanks for what you did.”
Tommy gives a small gesture in response. The older man exits the office and heads down the hallway.
Left alone, Tommy stares at the PDF listing every detail they’ve kept between them. He knows his situation with his wife—and with Tanner—can’t continue. The decision he has to make is coming sooner rather than later. The document also reflects the treachery he committed behind his sister’s back, and the guilt settles in, even though it’s already done.
Meanwhile, Daniel passes the closed door of the CEO’s office. He pauses just long enough to look at it—quietly deciding he’ll take the reins again—before heading toward the elevator.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
This time, “I Wanna Be Your Christmas Tree” by The Pretty Reckless plays from Martha’s Spotify playlist, filling the house with a more upbeat energy. As Lenny Barker descends the stairs, she comes across Emma Covington Laurent, who stands admiring the tree that will soon be filled with ornaments.
“Hey,” Lenny greets her.
“Hi,” Emma replies, a little less nonchalantly than usual.
Emma smiles graciously as the two step forward and share a brief embrace. They’ve grown closer over the past several months—ever since Emma donated her bone marrow, putting Lenny’s cancer into remission, something Lenny knows she will always be grateful for.
“How have you been?” Emma asks.
They pull apart, and Emma can’t help but notice the visible difference in her great-niece since the transplant—healthier, stronger.
“Better than I was last year,” Lenny says. “You know, a part of me, for months after I got out of the hospital, didn’t want to jinx it—didn’t want to believe I was really in the clear. Sometimes I still feel that way. But I owe not being in that hospital anymore to you.”
Emma hears the strength behind Lenny’s words and waves a hand dismissively. “I only played a small part. Elijah, your parents—everyone else played a much bigger role.”
“Well, I don’t think donating tissue to someone you just found out you’re related to is a small thing,” Lenny says sincerely. “But coming from someone who likes to downplay things, I get it.”
The remark makes Emma both touched and faintly amused. She recognizes, perhaps for the first time, that she shares that instinct with someone from her paternal biological family—an unspoken connection settling comfortably between them as the music plays on.
Soon, Tanner and Louise Saunders Lockhart enter the living room from the kitchen, greeting their relatives as everyone begins trimming the tree. Two boxes—one filled with new ornaments, the other with vintage ones—sit open nearby. More family members filter into the room, joining in the tradition.
Minutes later, Emma finds herself pulled into it as well. She hangs a gingerbread-man ornament on a sturdy branch, smiling as she steps back.
“So how did all of this get started?” she asks, curious. She knows it’s a yearly tradition, but not its origin.
“So, I’ve been told,” Louise begins, hanging a small cow ornament beside hers. “According to my grandfather Jimmy, his father—Franklin Saunders—was the first to own the farm. He and his wife struggled at the beginning and didn’t have much to look forward to one Christmas. They cut down a tree and decorated it with homemade ornaments. The next year, their fortunes turned, the farm started making a profit, and it became a tradition ever since.”
Louise turns toward Sarah Lynn, who stands nearby. “Did I say that right, Mother?”
Sarah Lynn nods. “That’s how I’ve heard it for years myself.”
“I could use a little of that good luck,” Emma murmurs as she reaches for another ornament.
On the other side of the tall tree, Elijah Barker pulls something from the pocket of his sweater and shows it to Lenny.
“When I saw this in a shop window in Hudson Lake, I couldn’t pass it up,” he says.
He reveals an orange ribbon ornament labeled Survivor, a quiet nod to Lenny’s hard-fought battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
Lenny smiles softly, touched by the gesture. “Don’t turn me into a total softy,” she says, only half-serious.
They share a quick kiss before she carefully hangs the ribbon on the tree.
Elijah lets a moment pass before speaking again, this time addressing the entire room. “And I know all of you will be thrilled when I tell you there will be no green bean casserole this year.”
The announcement elicits light laughter from the room, accompanied by a couple of appreciative whistles. Everyone knows the dish usually goes mostly uneaten, as his parents insist on bringing it every year—though this time, they’ve decided to visit Nathaniel’s side of the family in Vancouver instead.
Esther saunters out of the dining room, having volunteered to set the table—mostly because her cooking skills are famously terrible.
She gently touches the shoulder of her son, who stands quietly near the back of the room, clearly weighed down by his marital troubles. She wishes she could do more for him but hopes the family gathering will offer at least some comfort.
The businesswoman then shuffles toward Emma, her steps initially hesitant due to their sordid history, despite the fact that Emma is now her younger half-sister.
“Esther, look—I’m not going to tussle, or whatever down-home phrase you might use, to fight with you,” Emma says warningly, as a few family members begin to watch the interaction with cautious interest.
Esther does her best not to sound combative.
“We might never get along, and I can live with that,” she says evenly. “But you being here has kinda renewed things around here, that’s all. So, we don’t have to pull away from each other—at least not today.”
The innocent enough comment draws surprised reactions from a few people in the room, while Emma finds herself momentarily at a loss for words.
From across the room, Sarah Lynn observes the exchange, quietly pleased to see her sister-in-law extending a small but meaningful gesture of kindness.
COVINGTON GROUP
Jacques, along with Aaliyah, remains in Courtney’s office, the weight of everything still pressing heavily on the male executive.
“I’m still baffled by what went wrong. This deal shouldn’t have encountered such a significant setback,” he remarks, even as he knows it’s far bigger than a simple snag.
“So, what do you think happened?” Aaliyah asks. “Are you saying someone deliberately sabotaged this deal?”
By now, Jacques turns to the young, petite executive assistant and lifts his shoulders slightly. “I wouldn’t put it past that possibility, but… nothing connects,” he admits. “I don’t even know what I’m saying right now.”
Aaliyah regards him with quiet empathy. “What about you heading out to the farm? I’m sure you could still make it before they sit down to dinner.”
Jacques places his hands on his hips and exhales slowly. “To be honest, I don’t feel very festive at the moment.”
Aaliyah nods, not wanting to overwhelm him.
A quiet moment settles between them, their shared stress and unspoken emotions overlapping.
The emotional intimacy shifts, subtly becoming something physical. This time, Aaliyah steps closer to him. She looks up at him, the implication unmistakable, and leans in. Neither of them pulls away as the moment overtakes them. Drawn together, they end up on the plush couch in the corner, continuing to kiss, fully aware they are crossing a line neither of them can undo.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
By now, everyone gathers around the long dining table positioned between the living room and the formal dining space, a setup reserved for special occasions, which makes today fitting, despite everything.
SJ Saunders, meanwhile, manages to entertain several of the adults by confidently explaining the latest 6–7 craze as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Sarah Lynn delicately clears her throat as she stands at the head of the table, the place once reserved for her late husband, who used to give the speeches before meals. In recent years, that role has naturally fallen to her.
“First of all, I know this year’s get-together has been far from conventional,” she says plainly, fully aware that Christmas past several days ago. “But I think we have so much to celebrate—especially our resilience compared to where we all were last year.”
Her gaze shifts to Lenny, her granddaughter, now healthy after being seriously ill the year before, when so many of them spent endless hours at the hospital.
“I truly believe it’s because of how strong each of us is,” Sarah Lynn continues. “And I know my beloved Peter is watching over all of us from above.”
The mention of the late patriarch causes Esther, Louise, Martha, and Steven to grow reflective, each of them having shared a close bond with him in their own way.
At that moment, thankful the front door has been left open, Courtney quietly enters, still hearing Sarah Lynn speak as she moves toward the table. She locks eyes with Steven.
Their silent exchange communicates a mutual decision: they are starting fresh, and Courtney chooses to let go of what happened in Miami.
A few seats away, Sean offers Louise an apologetic glance. She partially accepts it, though uncertainty about his relationship with Tricia still lingers.
Sarah Lynn then turns her attention to Emma.
​“And Emma, let me make this perfectly clear—we’re glad you’re here. No matter what, you will always have a place in this house, and most importantly, in this family.”
Emma—and several others nearby—respond warmly.
Esther remains composed, taking a measured sip of wine from her glass.
Will Jackson squeezes Martha Saunders’ hand reassuringly, understanding her complicated feelings about her aunt, especially after their earlier moment.
Emma can’t help but feel slightly out of place, noticing that almost everyone is seated with their respective partners. Still, she decides to make the best of it when SJ, seated across from her, gives her a playful look that draws out a genuine smile.
“So, I wish everyone a merry belated Christmas and a prosperous New Year,” Sarah Lynn concludes. “Now—everyone dig in.”
She takes her seat as trays of food begin circulating: stuffing, honey-baked ham, turkey, fresh cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and more. Conversation and laughter fill the home, and despite all their complications, the room radiates the one thing that matters most—They are together.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Radcliffe welcomes in 2026.
Samuel’s emotions get the best of him.
Tommy and Tanner share a heartfelt moment.
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