Previously…
– Travis’s plan to propose to Rosie was interrupted by a work call that pulled her away.
– Tori confided in Landon about her near-firing at Objection.
– Landon came to Sarah with his suspicions that Zane had framed Tori for the errors at Objection, and they resolved to work together to help Tori.

Travis Fisher fastens the second button from the top of his blue-and-white checked shirt as he emerges from the bedroom. 

“Don’t you look handsome!” Kathleen Bundy says cheerfully from the living room floor, where she is playing with baby Gabrielle.

“I hope Rosie thinks so,” Travis says as he picks up his keys and cell phone from the small dining table and moves toward the living room.

“That girl would be crazy to think otherwise,” Kathleen tells him, “and I know she’s crazy about you. So you’re gonna be good.”

Travis kneels to join her and his foster daughter on the carpet. “I hope so. My track record of actually getting to propose to her isn’t so hot.”

“Don’t you worry your head about anything but putting that ring on Rosie’s finger tonight. Me and this little girl are gonna be just fine.”

“I can’t thank you enough for offering to babysit.”

“Thank me? Getting to hang out with this cutie patootie is all the thanks I need. Heck, I’d pay you to let me do it.”

Kathleen touches her index finger to the giggling baby’s nose, which only makes Gabrielle laugh harder.

“Looks like she’ll be in good hands,” Travis comments as he stands.

“She will. Y’know, this really makes me sorry I missed out on those days with you.” Kathleen shakes her head sadly. “For myself and for you. I’m so glad you’ve forgiven me for that, Travis.”

“You did what you needed to do. You said yourself that you weren’t ready to raise a baby then.”

“I know, but…”

“Hey. We wound up finding each other, didn’t we?”

Travis directs an overly bright smile her way, and Kathleen brightens.

“I guess you’re right,” she says. “And I’ll always have some regrets. But if I can help you now…”

“You’re helping me a ton by watching Gabrielle. And with any luck, we’ll have a lot to celebrate by the end of the night.”

Kathleen claps her hands together excitedly. “I do love a good wedding!”

“Then get ready for one. And also cross your fingers that I actually get to propose,” he says. “And that Rosie says yes.”

“She’s gonna say yes! Now go. Me and this little lady are gonna be just fine.”

Travis thanks his biological mother once more and then goes to the front door. He grabs a dark denim jacket from the hook beside the door, moves the ring box from his pants pocket into the inside pocket of the jacket, and heads outside, where he waits in the parking lot — trying to distract himself with his phone even though he can’t focus on anything — until he sees Rosie pull in.

He stands up straighter and waits as she gets out of her car.

“What are you doing out here?” she asks with confusion, one hand still on the open car door.

“We’re going out,” he says.

“Going out? What about the baby?”

“Kathleen’s already inside watching her. Come on.”

Uncertainly, she closes her car door and locks it. “Where are we going?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” he says.

Rosie looks down at herself. She is dressed in yoga pants and a pink zip-up hoodie. “Do I need to change?”

“Nope. Just the two of us.”

“You’re lucky I change out of my uniform before I leave work,” she says.

Travis winks at her. “Don’t think I didn’t account for that as part of my plan. Now come on!”

He grabs her hand and leads her to his own car.

—–

The elevator doors open into the brightly lit hallway, and Matt Gray and Sarah Fisher Gray step out.

“Why do I keep feeling like we’re gonna get caught?” Matt asks as they walk down the hallway.

“How would we get caught?” Sarah replies to her husband.

“I don’t know. Won’t it seem weird that we’re here?”

“No one is going to know we’re here,” she says before lifting a hand to knock on the apartment door. “I was promised.”

After a moment, during which they can hear muffled shuffling sounds from within the apartment, the door creaks open just an inch or two.

“What’s the password?” an overly gruff voice asks.

“Landon, it’s us,” Sarah says before she turns back toward Matt and adds, “See?”

The door opens the rest of the way, and Landon Esco steps aside to let them in.

“I had to make sure,” he says.

“Isn’t that why the door has a peephole?” Sarah asks.

“Plus you didn’t give us a password,” Matt says as they watch Landon lock and deadbolt the door.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” Landon says with a shrug. “Can I get you anything? Beer? Ginger ale? Ginger beer?”

Sarah takes her purse off her shoulder. “We’re good. You’re sure Travis won’t be home any time soon?”

“I told you, he’s basically moved into Rosie’s place since they start fostering the baby,” Landon replies. “I’m all on my own here. Not so great for the social life… but pretty good for the espionage.”

“Do you do a lot of… espionage?” Matt asks with one raised eyebrow.

Landon holds up his index finger. “I wouldn’t be very good at it if I told you the truth, would I?”

“Okay,” Sarah says. “Let’s get down to business.”

“Perfect,” Landon says. “Tell me what we’re gonna do to take care of Zane, once and for all.”

—–

“Told you it was just gonna be the two of us,” Travis says as he holds Rosie’s hand and leads her through the clearing.

“If I didn’t trust you — or think I could kick your ass — I’d be a little concerned for my life,” Rosie says, as she nevertheless follows him.

He turns back over his shoulder. “And I’d be offended if I didn’t 100% agree that you could kick my ass. But look at this.”

They come to the edge of the clearing and step out onto the small beach known as Grayson’s Cove. In either direction, wooden piers stretch out into the water. Overhead, the sun is already retreating behind the horizon, casting a luminous pink glow over King’s Bay itself.

“Okay, this is pretty sick,” she says with a broad smile. “Thanks for planning this.”

“I just think it’s important to be spontaneous and have these date nights, even with a baby at home,” Travis says as he sets down the picnic basket that he brought and spreads out the oversized beach blanket.

He gestures toward it and tells her, “Sit. Please.” He starts to unpack the picnic basket, covertly touching his jacket once again to be sure that the ring box is still there.

“I know we have a baby at home,” Rosie says, “but it’s still so weird to hear you say that we have a baby at home. Like, how are we grown-ups?”

Travis laughs. “I have no damn clue.”

He takes out two plastic champagne flutes and a bottle of sparkling wine. Rosie holds the glasses as he pops the bottle, the sound of the cork echoing around them.

“This is really sweet, Travis. Thank you,” she says as she watches him fill the glasses.

“Anything for you.” He sets the open bottle carefully upright in the picnic basket and then holds up his glass toward her. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.” They touch the plastic flutes together and share a kiss before sipping the wine. Then they stare out at the shimmering water and the brilliant sunset for a long moment.

“This is really beautiful,” Rosie says before taking another sip of her wine. “Kind of perfect, actually.”

“I told you.” Travis looks over at her; the slight breeze toys with her raven-colored hair, and he is taken aback all over again by her effortless beauty and her silent strength.

She rotates to face him more fully. “You know, I’ve been thinking…”

He grins. “Should I be scared?”

“I don’t think so. I hope not. Stand up.” 

“What?”

“Just stand up for a second!”

So he does, still holding the flute. And then he realizes what is happening, as — instead of also standing — Rosie shifts onto one knee and looks up at him.

“Travis,” she says, her brown eyes wide with sincerity, “I know there’s not ever a perfect time to do this–“

“Do what?” he asks in shock.

“–but being with you, fostering Gabrielle, and just… starting a life together, it’s made me realize that there’s no point in putting this off. Will you marry me?”

Travis’s mouth hangs open.

“Travis?” she asks, nervousness now flashing across her face.

He continues to look down at her. “Are you kidding me?”

—–

Matt and Sarah have moved to the sofa, while Landon lies back in a large beanbag chair opposite them.

“So what’s up?” he asks. “What are my marching orders?”

Sarah reaches into her purse, which rests beside her, and pulls out a small, rectangular piece of hardware.

“What’s on this?” Landon asks as Sarah holds the flash drive over the glass-topped coffee table. “Secret codes?”

“It’s empty,” Sarah tells him. “What you’re going to do is take this with you?”

Landon sits up and accepts the drive uncertainly. “Where?”

“To Tori and Zane’s apartment.”

“Your big plan is for me to pay them a visit?” he asks.

“Give us a little more credit than that,” Matt says.

“The plan,” Sarah explains, “is that you’re going to go over when they aren’t home and look in Zane’s computer for any indication that he’s accessed the Objection server remotely. If we can prove that…”

“…then we can start to prove that he messed with the files Tori got accused of messing up. Gotcha.” Landon pauses and crinkles up his face. “How do I know what to look for?”

Again Sarah slips a hand into her purse and takes out a folded piece of paper, which she passes to Landon.

“Those are the types of files and potential names you should be looking for, plus where to look for them in the computer. I had a hacker I’ve consulted with before write it all down so we know exactly what to look for,” she says. “Once you find them, copy them onto the flash drive and get out of there.”

“We’ll keep Tori at our place until you tell us you’re out,” Matt says.

“And Diane will hold Zane back at the radio station for as long as she needs to,” Sarah adds. 

“Okay…” Landon studies the printed sheet for a few seconds. “And how do I get into their apartment?”

“There’s a lockbox hanging from the door handle that the building maintenance people use. I’m going to get the code and text it to you,” Sarah says.

Landon nods as he takes this all in. “Okay. Sounds like a plan.”

“Do you think you can pull it off?” Matt asks.

“I think so. But one more question.”

“What’s that?” Sarah says as she zips up her purse.

“This paper,” Landon says. “Do I have to, like, burn it once I’m done? So there’s no evidence of the mission?”

Sarah and Matt exchange a look.

“If you want to,” Sarah tells him with a laugh. “Knock yourself out.”

—–

On the beach, Rosie stares back at Travis.

“That was… not the answer I was hoping I’d get,” she says as she comes off her knee and sits back down.

“No. I mean– that’s not–” He scrambles to set down the champagne flute and pull the ring box from inside his jacket. “Look.”

Rosie’s eyes widen as she takes in the sight of the jewelry box. 

“I planned this picnic because I wanted to give you this,” he says as he sits down on the blanket, facing her. “Same with that dinner the night Sam called you about the letter Jaq got. I’ve been trying to do this forever.”

“I knew you were up to something,” she says with a laugh, “but I thought you’d chickened out.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you!”

“Well, I’m asking you now,” he says as he pops open the box, revealing the diamond ring. “Will you marry me?”

Rosie shakes her head, a playful grin on her face. “No way. Not until you answer me.”

“This is my answer!”

“I want to hear you say it.”

“Yes, I will marry you,” Travis says, leaning in to steal a quick kiss. “How about you?”

“Considering I asked you first — duh. Of course I’ll marry you,” Rosie says, and this time they kiss longer, more passionately.

When they pull back, Travis removes the ring from the box and carefully places it on the appropriate finger.

“That looks good on you,” he says.

Rosie admires the ring. “I’m not much of a jewelry girl, but it does. You did good.”

Travis gazes into her eyes. “So we’re actually engaged now?”

“If this doesn’t make it official, I don’t know what does,” Rosie says as she runs a hand through his sandy blond hair.

“Mmm… I have one other idea. Just to be safe.”

“Oh yeah?”

Travis pulls her close, and their mouths meet again as they tumble clumsily onto the blanket, their bodies intertwining as the radiant sunset glows overhead.

END OF EPISODE 1074

Will Travis and Rosie happily make it to the altar?
Can Landon pull off Sarah’s big plan?
Discuss all this and more in the comments below!

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