EPISODE 369
Written by: Bre L Drew
November 26, 2025
Last Time on Town and Country
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At Tricia's behest, Sean went to confront Wade at his motel room, which nearly came to blows, resulting in Wade being more determined to win Jolene back.
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Lenny was suspicious of seeing Sean with Tricia at The Waterfall, not wanting any effect on her parents' reconciliation, though Elijah tried to tell her not to think of the worst-case scenario.
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More marital discord comes between Steven and Courtney.
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Jacques and Aaliyah discuss their kiss, which Jacques doesn't consider a big deal, despite being married to Emma.
THE WATERFALL BAR
(Boys will be boys) always get so restless (bad boy, bad boy)
(Boys will be boys) nothin' but trouble (bad boy, bad boy)
(Boys will be boys) if you're feelin' breathless (bad boy, bad boy)
(Boys will be boys) nothin' but trouble (bad boy, bad boy)
​
​
Miami Sound Machine’s “Bad Boy” pumps through the stereo system as the afternoon crowd slowly filters into The Waterfall. Meanwhile, Sean Lockhart steps inside, scanning the room until his eyes land on Tricia Lockhart. Soon, his ex-wife gestures for him to join her at the same table they shared a few days earlier.
Once he sits, Tricia leans forward. The café manager is wearing a black leather jacket, a long-sleeve light brown knit top and dark blue jeans; her tone is edged with urgency.
“How’d it go?”
She had asked him to confront Wade, to tell him to stay away from her mother, Jolene. Knowing Wade’s abusive streak and his obsession with winning Jolene back, Tricia is certain that nothing good can come from his return.
Sean exhales heavily, settling into the chair as though weighed down by his earlier interaction with his former mother-in-law’s husband.
“Now I see why you want that son of a bitch out of your mother’s life.”
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Taking advantage of having the rest of the day free from classes, Elijah Barker sits at the kitchen table with his iPad, sheets of paper, and a textbook inside his in-laws’ home, where he resides with his wife and members of her family.
He has been working on his trial advocacy speech for hours, determined to perfect every word before his first mock trial for next week's class, as he is one step closer to finishing law school.
Not long after, Lenny Barker walks in, pausing at the sight of her husband’s concentration.
“Am I interrupting?” she asks lightly.
The farmhand is wearing a light blue and white unbuttoned plaid shirt over a blue tank top and well-worn jeans; with her blonde hair nearly reaching her neck, she is even more of a pleasant sight after her bout of cancer.
Elijah looks up and shakes his head. “You could never. Besides, I think I’ve taken this speech as far as I can. If I keep going, I’ll just make it worse.”
He pushes his things aside.
“I can't believe Thanksgiving is coming up,” Lenny mentions.
“You and me both,” Elijah replies as he grabs his wife by the side, pulling her close. “Which also goes to show this year has flown by.”
The two have been through a lot in the last year, including Lenny receiving her bone marrow transplant and their surprise wedding held on the farm.
Lenny takes a small strand of her hair to tuck behind one ear and sighs, which makes her husband take a shot at what’s currently on her mind.
“Let me guess, you’re still thinking about seeing your father and Tricia?”
The other day, the two had lunch at The Waterfall when they noticed her father interacting with his ex-wife in what seemed to be an intense conversation, which had worried the young woman.
“They’re divorced—they shouldn’t have any business together,” she says, frustration rising.
Elijah exhales. “With those two, it’s never that simple.”
Lenny frowns. “My parents are back together, Elijah. I don’t want anyone—especially Tricia—coming between them. I just wish I knew what that was about.”
Before Elijah can answer, a third voice cuts in.
“What was what about?”
Both turn toward the doorway, where Louise Saunders Lockhart stands, her face filled with curiosity.
The newlyweds exchange a look before either can respond, neither expecting her to walk in on them.
“It’s something you should know,” Lenny begins, but before she can continue, Elijah interjects.
“We were just talking about what we’re going to get you for Christmas,” Elijah notes.
“Really?” Louise surveys.
“Don’t want to ruin the surprise now, do we, Lynn?” Elijah says.
Eventually, Lenny comes around.
“No, we don’t,” she says somewhat unenthusiastically.
Before Louise can add to the conversation, her iPhone rings. She answers it on the third ring. “Hello.” A few seconds pass, and she mouths that it’s a vendor before taking the call into the living room.
It doesn’t take long for Lenny to turn to her husband with a hint of annoyance. “A Christmas present? What the hell made you say that, Elijah?”
“Look, I think it’s best for now that we leave your mother out of whatever your dad and Tricia are up to. Besides, we don’t know what’s happening. And if you want to find out, maybe you should get to the bottom of it by asking your dad about it,” Elijah informs her, leaving Lenny to question whether she truly wants to know the truth—or what it might be.
WHEELER BUILDING: APT #424
Even though Jolene Wood has just gone through another round of yoga courtesy of a daily YouTube series she’s been following, she hasn’t been able to quiet her mind while rolling up her mat inside the living room of the fourth-floor apartment she shares with her daughter.
She still can’t find any peace—her thoughts keep circling back to her ordeal with Wade. She longs to shower, to get out of the apartment and feel free, but fear holds her back. What if Wade is lingering around the lobby, trying to get her to come back to him like last time?
On her way toward the bedroom and then to the bathroom—ready to get out of her sweaty navy blue and lime green workout clothes, her brown hair pulled back in a casual ponytail—a sharp knock at the door makes her freeze. Jolene frowns—she isn’t expecting anyone, and Tricia isn’t home.
Her voice is wary. “Go away.”
But then another voice cuts through—firm, steady, and male.
“Are you alright in there?”
Finally recognizing the masculine tone that does not belong to her husband, Jolene slowly unlocks the door.
Standing there is the tall, blonde man she never thought she’d see again—the same man who defended her from Wade not long ago.
“Remember me from the other day?” Ernest McKnight asks.
He stands there in a black fleece jacket over a long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans.
“Yeah, I remember you,” she remarks tightly, placing a hand on one hip. “I’m fine,” she lies.
For a moment, neither speaks. Then Ernest asks evenly, “May I come in?”—as though he doesn’t exactly believe her.
Jolene grips the edge of the door, hesitant, her answer caught in her throat.
COVINGTON GROUP
Meanwhile, well into the afternoon on the twentieth floor of the Covington Group headquarters, located inside the Covington Tower in downtown Radcliffe, Jacques Laurent and his boss, Courtney Covington Sullivan, are finalizing the details of the company’s biggest deal to date.
“I think it’s safe to say this meeting is concluded,” Courtney remarks, sitting across from him as she places her tablet back into its case.
“I second that,” Jacques notes in his distinct French accent. “Now business is out of the way. May I ask how you are?”
Courtney does her best to compose herself; however, she leans back in the chair and lets out a deep breath. “I think just about the same as before. Steven and I are still having trouble. And Evan coming to live with us is not making it any better.”
A part of her feels like she’s betraying her marriage by confiding this to him; the two had previously shared a hug that wasn’t necessarily platonic; however, she does not have many people she can tell, as her friends are busy with their own lives.
“Oh, I can definitely relate,” Jacques confesses. He, too, is thinking of his own marital issues with Emma, as intimacy is no longer occurring, hence why he kissed his assistant, which he isn’t necessarily complaining about.
“Anyway,” he says, changing the subject. “You know what I just thought of? These photos of the land in Miami do not do it justice, so how about we go down there in a couple of weeks’ time to explore it ourselves?”
Courtney doesn’t know what comes over her, but she finds herself in agreement.
“I think that is a good idea; I can arrange for the Covington jet to be available for us then, too.”
“Excellent,” he notes. “And I think Aaliyah should accompany us, too… in a professional capacity, of course.”
Courtney recalls the close moment the two shared; however, as she doesn’t know what is happening, she lets it go.
“Whatever you need,” she insists.
Concurrently, outside of the office, Tommy Covington makes his way through the light flow of traffic in the area until he approaches Aaliyah Gupta, who is at her desk scrolling on her phone—perhaps in between work. Eventually, she lifts her head to see him and places the phone onto the desk in front of her.
"Hey, Tommy, long time no see," she says.
The two hadn't hung out much in years due to her friendship with Tanner and Lenny falling apart, and adulthood responsibilities arising as well; however, they had remained civil whenever they did see each other.
"It sure has been," he responds. "Well, at least Jacques does not have you working hard at the moment."
"He's in his office having a meeting with your sister, actually," she notifies him.
He lifts his eyebrow at that. "Are they talking about the Miami land deal?"
"As we speak," Aaliyah replies, none the wiser.
In reality, he and his father are planning to get Jacques out of their family company by creating a fake deal that will cost the company millions of dollars and make him look incompetent.
A few seconds pass before he notices the office door opening as Courtney, along with Jacques, exits, both in conversation; his sister appears amused, likely due to something Jacques said. He also remembers the last time he saw them together—they were in an embrace.
The two approach Tommy.
"I will let you know the details about Miami," Courtney tells Jacques.
Tommy feels a pang of guilt—he knows Courtney’s job may be at risk, but in his mind, Jacques is the one who needs to be taken down a peg.
"Well, I, uh, better get back to work," Tommy says, glancing between them.
Courtney, about to leave as well, pauses to explain. "Jacques proposed that the two of us go to Miami to check on the land before we break ground."
She adds, “Jacques and I are just good friends and, most importantly, colleagues.”
Tommy exhales, torn. "You two going away together might send the wrong message, and I'm sure Steven will not be thrilled with you going away with him."
Her husband hasn't been keen on their aunt's husband and her bonding, in addition to their existing issues.
"First and foremost, this is a business trip," Courtney tells him. "And second, Steven does not dictate what I do as CEO of this company, you understand?"
"Just as long as you do," Tommy pushes.
As he takes off down the hall, Courtney avoids a full answer, clearly conflicted.
​
Jacques reaches Aaliyah’s desk.
“I apologize for the interruption earlier,” he says.
She shrugs lightly. “We were done anyway.”
Jacques narrows his eyes playfully. “Don’t be so cold.”
Before she can respond, he adds, “Clear your calendar—you’re going to Miami with Courtney and me.”
Aaliyah raises an eyebrow. “Do I get a choice?”
“Of course,” he replies with a subtle smile. “But this trip could be very beneficial—for both of us.”
With that, Jacques heads back into his office.
Aaliyah watches him go, a faint smile develops upon her lips, intrigued—and undeniably drawn to the older man’s hold over her.
WHEELER BUILDING: APT #424
Still standing in the doorway of the apartment, Ernest holds his hands up in a well-meaning gesture, trying to calm her.
“I can stay out here if that makes you more comfortable. I just wanted to check on you,” he tells her.
Jolene manages to loosen the tension in her body.
“I’m okay.”
He nods, not fully convinced, and reaches into his pocket. “If you ever want to talk, I’m downstairs on the first floor. You can reach me anytime.”
He offers her a card with his personal cell number and his number at the station, where he serves as Chief of Police.
She takes it with a hesitant hand.
“Well, hopefully I see you around,” he remarks, giving a reassuring nod before turning away.
She closes the door behind him, leaning against it. Her chest rises and falls quickly, her heart pounding. Deep down, she knows—she can’t keep living like this.
THE WATERFALL BAR
By now, Sean and Tricia are talking over drinks—he with a beer and she a merlot—while "How Long" by Ace plays in the background, making the atmosphere more relaxed than it seems.
"Please tell me that you gave him enough hints to take his sorry self out of town and leave my mother the hell alone," Tricia says.
Sean makes a neck movement that might suggest otherwise. "I said what needed to be said to him, but man, the things he said… things got, uh, physical."
Tricia shows genuine concern. "Oh my god, did he attack you?"
Sean sips some of his beer before answering. "Uh, not exactly… more like I grabbed the bastard by the throat and knocked him into the wall."
Tricia is taken aback by that development, knowing her ex-husband has never been violent towards anyone.
"He provoked you, huh?" she finally asks.
"Oh yeah," Sean notes, recalling how the older man riled him up by claiming he was still sleeping with her despite now being involved with Louise.
He sighs, knowing the next statement won't make her happy.
"But all said and done, I don't think he's going to leave town anytime soon; he's hellbent on winning your mother back, Tricia."
Tricia grabs her wine glass. "I wish I could say I'm not surprised by that admission, but I know what kind of guy that creature is."
Sean gently clears his throat. "What about getting a restraining order?"
She waves one of her hands dismissively while setting the glass down on the table. "My mother can't even acknowledge what that man does to her, let alone do that," she responds. "But hey, maybe I can find a way to hire a hitman to take him out?" she says cryptically.
Anyone else who knows the woman might have laughed it off, but that remark gives Sean pause.
"If you were anyone else, I would think you were joking," he confesses.
"I am, unfortunately," she exasperatedly replies. "Thanks anyway, Sean. I know I should not involve you in my problems anymore."
"After all we've been through, I owe you," he says.
He thinks not only of the emotional affair he had with Louise but also the tragic loss of their baby boy, Dylan, from SIDS only months after his birth.
Maybe it's the way she said it, or perhaps it's the guilt he feels for not being more of a help to her. Sean finds himself placing his hand over Tricia’s smaller, manicured hands. Something in her eyes softens, something she does not let a lot of people see.
"Many people I know wouldn't have done what you've done."
She suddenly feels a flicker of old feelings, though she does her best to suppress them.
Tricia lets his hand rest on top of hers like it is the most natural thing in the world; however, as she lifts her eyes to him, realizing they aren't together in that way anymore, she slowly slides her hands out of his grasp.
"I know it doesn't look like it right now, but somehow it's all going to work out," Sean tells her encouragingly.
"If it were only that simple," she says candidly while gulping her red wine.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
​
Lenny confronts Sean.
Daniel cautions Jordan.
More issues arise for Steven and Courtney.
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