Previously…
– After seeing what Zane had done to Landon, Travis and Rosie wanted to disinvite Zane from their wedding — but Landon insisted that would only push Tori further away from all of them, too.
– Jaq received two anonymous, threatening letters. Samantha decided to move in with them as a precautionary safety measure. 
– The day of Travis and Rosie’s wedding arrived.
– Loretta Ragan met with a mysterious co-conspirator to discuss their plans to drive Molly out of Objection Designs.

Guests have begun to arrive at The Wild Lady, finding that the bar’s usual kitschy, down-home interior has been transformed into the perfect rustic wedding venue. Floral arrangements with contrasting shades of bright and pale pinks have been placed on both the large, round tables that are to be used for dinner and on the white-linen-covered barrels set up as high-top tables for the cocktail hour.

“This is so beautiful,” Juanita Jimenez says as she balances baby Gabrielle on her hip. “I can’t believe Rocio is getting married today.”

“We’re so happy to have her joining the family,” Claire Fisher replies. “And you, too.”

The short, plump woman, who is clad in a navy blue dress with a slightly iridescent shawl around her shoulders, beams.

“They’re so happy,” she says before looking right into the baby’s face. “With each other and with you.”

Gabrielle coos back at her and flails her arms excitedly. 

“She’s such a good baby,” Claire comments. “And I’m so happy they’ve given her someplace safe and loving to live.”

Juanita looks to both her left and right before asking, in a half-whisper, “Do you think they might…?”

“Try to adopt her permanently? I hope so.”

“That would be so wonderful,” Juanita says as she lightly bounces Gabrielle up and down.

—–

In the back storage room that has been repurposed as a dressing area for today, Travis Fisher fiddles with his bow tie in the square wall mirror.

“It looked fine before,” Landon Esco says from behind him. “And it looks fine now!”

Travis shakes his head. “It’s all uneven. Look.”

Landon covers closer, squinting to see what in the world his friend is talking about. Finally he reaches up and tweaks the ends of the tie himself.

“There. It’s perfect,” he declares, and when Travis raises his hands to adjust it again, Landon smacks them down. 

“No more. You look good,” Landon says firmly.

“Fine.” Travis lets out a sigh. “Fine. Is it time to get this show on the road yet?”

Landon checks the time on his iPhone, which is resting on a cabinet nearby. “Fifteen minutes or so. When I looked outside, a lot of people were already here.”

“I didn’t think I’d be so nervous.”

“Don’t be. You’re marrying the girl of your dreams. It’s your family and friends out there, not some strangers you’re speaking to at a conference. And besides–” Landon grins broadly. “You’ll have me by your side the whole time.”

“Usually I’d make a joke about how that sounds like a threat, but today, I’ll just say thank you for being here. You’re sure you have the rings?”

Landon pats the breast pocket of his tuxedo jacket. “Right here. Close to my heart. Felt like the appropriate place.”

“I don’t know if that’s touching or insane,” Travis says. “And hey, your face doesn’t look half-bad.”

“The wonders of make-up,” Landon says as he once again checks himself in the same mirror. The purple bruising across his eye and up toward his eye — the result of his encounter with Zane‘s fist — has been dulled down into a barely perceptible shadow. “Rosie’s cousin hooked me the F up. She was like a magician with those brushes and powders and stuff.”

“And you’re sure you’re okay with Zane being here today?”

Landon hesitates, as one shoulder slowly lifts and falls in a shrug. “I guess. I’m not really dying to be alone with the dude, but I can be in the same bar as him for a few hours as long as he doesn’t try anything. Besides, it’ll spare your whole family a bunch of drama.”

“That’s what I hope,” Travis says, his mouth forming a tight, tense line. “If he does anything to ruin this day, there’s gonna be hell to pay.”

—–

“You look amazing,” Samantha Fisher says. She stands in the entry of the Brooks family home, where her partner now resides with Finn Campbell. Jaq Pearson is at the bottom of the stairs, in a fitted gray suit with a pink bow tie and their black hair slicked back instead of in its usual angular style.

“I could say the same about you,” Jaq replies with a smile. “You look hot and like an officiant I’d trust with my wedding day.”

“Are you sure?” Samantha asks uncertainly, as she glances down at her black dress with its boat neck and high waist. 

“Absolutely! How are you feeling? Prepared?”

“Nervous. But good. But nervous.”

“You are going to be awesome,” Jaq says. 

“I hope so. It’s such a huge responsibility to be asked to officiate. I’ve been over what I’m going to say a million times, though.”

“You are the most prepared person I know. You’ll be great.”

“Thanks.” Samantha leans in and gives Jaq a sweet kiss. “Shall we get going?”

“Are you sure you want to drive?” Jaq asks. “We could take an Uber. You should be able to have fun later.”

“Kathleen told Travis we could leave our cars in the lot overnight if we want. Then you can take me to get it in the morning.”

“Perfect. Then let’s do this.”

They move to the front door, which Jaq opens to allow Samantha to step outside. As they do, Samantha looks appreciatively at the recently installed video doorbell.

“I’m so glad this thing is actually working,” she says. “And it seems like it scared off whoever was leaving you those letters.”

Jaq locks the front door. “I really hope so. Want to practice the ceremony while we drive?”

“You don’t mind listening?”

“For you? Not at all,” Jaq says with a smile as they head for Samantha’s car.

—–

Upstairs, in the apartment above the bar where Kathleen and Jimmy reside, Rosie and her two cousins are now in their dresses and applying the final touches to their make-up. All three react with surprise when there is a knock at the apartment door.

“Now, I know we’re not running late,” Rosie says as she bustles toward the door, holding up her skirt with both hands. “Who is it?”

“Someone who wants to wish you well,” Brent Taylor‘s voice says through the door. “Can I come in?”

Instead of answering, Rosie simply opens the door. The police commander stands there in his black suit, his hair far more styled than Rosie normally sees it. 

“Hope you don’t mind the intrusion,” he says. 

“Not at all. Come in.”

Rosie’s cousins, Camila and Marisol, excuse themselves to the kitchen.

“You look stunning,” Brent says as he surveys Rosie in her wedding dress, which is sleeveless, its bodice covered in lace. 

“Not bad for a girl who never dresses up, huh?”

He laughs. “I’d never know. How are you feeling?”

“Good. Excited. Weird.” She smiles a bit warily. “Nervous.”

“Don’t be. Today is all about you and Travis.”

“And our families. You have no idea how excited my mom is. And get this — my brother actually showed.”

“Wow. That’s great,” Brent says. “I’m sure they’re both very proud of you.”

“I hope so. In some ways, it still feels like we’re all in the beginning stages of healing…”

“But you’re healing. And that’s huge.”

She nods somberly.

“I’m proud of you, too,” Brent tells her. “I’ve watched you grow from this strong-headed rookie cop into a woman who’s not only outstanding at her job, but an incredible partner to Travis — and now you’ve tackled motherhood head-on, too.”

“That strong-headed thing still kind of applies.”

“You’re telling me. I’m your boss.” He chuckles. “I’m wishing you and Travis all the happiness in the world, Rosie.”

“Thanks, Commander,” she says. “Is it weird if I give you a hug?”

“I’d be offended if you didn’t.”

As they embrace, Rosie finds herself astonished at how grateful she is for the life she has now — a life that, only a few short years ago, she wouldn’t have dared to believe was even possible.

—–

Alex Marshall is unloading the dishwasher when he hears the front door of the bungalow open. 

“Trevor?” he calls out as he sets a stack of dishes on the granite countertop and then walks out to the entry.

“I can be ready in 15!” Trevor announces, already slipping out of his tennis shoes.

“Did everything go okay with dropping off Chase?” Alex asks. He is already dressed in his navy suit for the wedding.

“Totally, yeah. Helen and Don are excited to have him for the night.”

“Did Helen trap you with one of her stories?”

“What?” Trevor seems confused as he heads into the kitchen, right past Alex. “Oh, no. I had to run a quick errand, too. Sorry it took so long.”

Alex tails him into the kitchen and watches as Trevor gets a can of sparkling water from the refrigerator. As much as he wants to ask what errand his husband was running, or why he couldn’t have sent a text to explain that, he also knows that he runs the risk of coming off as nosy or a nag.

“Your suit’s on the bed,” he tells Trevor instead. “Do you need to shower?”

“Nah. I showered before I left with Chase. Unless you’re dropping a hint…”

“You’re fine,” Alex says. “I’ll finish the dishwasher while you get ready.”

Trevor furrows his brow. “Why are you emptying the dishwasher in a suit?”

“Because I was trying to keep myself busy while waiting for you. Now go get ready!”

After one more gulp of the water, Trevor hurries out. Alex can hear his footsteps disappearing down the hallway toward their bedroom. He takes the stack of dishes and places them in the upper cabinet where they belong, and he does his best to drop his residual irritation about Trevor running so late. The last thing they need before Travis and Rosie’s wedding is an argument — but he wishes Trevor would be more conscious about communicating in situations like this.

—–

“You’re sure you don’t have anything better to do today?” Tempest Banks asks as she pauses outside the saloon doors that lead from the entry of The Wild Lady into the main space. 

Behind her, her older brother grins. “You think an ER doctor in a new town where he barely knows anyone has better plans on a weekend than a wedding?”

Tempest snickers. “Sounds like your problem, not mine.”

“And, as I recall, you’re the one who definitely didn’t wanna go solo to this thing.”

“It’s a whole damn lot,” Tempest says before emitting a loud sigh. “I know Samantha’s gonna be here with Jaq, and they probably think…” She trails off.

“They probably think what?” Isaac asks, cocking his head to the left.

“Nothing. It’s nice to have someone by my side, that’s all.”

“Happy to do it.” He steps up to the saloon doors. “Shall we?”

“Guess so.” 

The siblings move into the main area of the bar and observe its transformation. 

“Damn,” Tempest says. “They did a nice-ass job.”

“Yeah, this is some Pinterest shit,” Isaac agrees. 

They survey the space and the assembled crowd before he asks, “Didn’t you say Alex and Trevor were gonna be here? Those are some people I know.”

“I don’t see ’em yet, but they will be,” Tempest responds. “You want a drink while we wait?”

“I’m at a wedding where I don’t know anyone but my sister and the couple who adopted our baby brother. So — yeah.”

They make their way to the bar — only for both of them to stop cold in their tracks when they notice one of the guests stepping back from the bar with a glass of wine.

“Hey,” Isaac says, a bit awkwardly, to Diane Bishop, before he casts an accusatory glance over at Tempest. “Didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Neither did I,” Tempest says, putting both palms up. 

“My daughter is the groom’s sister, so yeah, Travis and Rosie were kind enough to invite me,” Diane says coolly before taking a sip of her wine. She and Isaac make intense eye contact, but she breaks it quickly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to make the rounds.”

“Go ahead.” Isaac stuffs his hands in his pockets as he watches her move off. When he turns back toward the bar, he finds Tempest staring at him with a critical eye.

“The hell was that?” she asks, or rather, insists.

“What was what?”

“You guys were acting cagey as shit.”

He hesitates before answering, “I don’t know. I don’t think she expected me to hang around town. Once she found out I was your brother–“

“Why would she care who some random guy from a cruise is related to?”

“Damned if I know,” Isaac says as he briskly heads to the bar. “Now what do you want to drink?”

—–

Moments later, Tori Gray and Zane Tanaka walk through the saloon doors. 

“You’re sure you want to do this?” she asks over her shoulder.

Zane, walking a step behind her, stuffs his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because of… you know. The other night.”

“That’s water under the bridge. Isn’t it?”

Tori pauses to survey the room; she sees her mother and father near the rows of chairs set up for the ceremony. When they glance over, Tori can immediately tell that they are anything but pleased to see Zane.

“It’s touchy. That’s all,” she says. She can feel other eyeballs on them, and she cannot ignore the overpowering sense that she is a pariah simply for being here with Zane.

“I’ll apologize to Landon, if that’ll help,” Zane says. “I don’t see him anywhere, though.”

“He’s probably helping Travis get ready. And that would be awesome of you. I bet it would go a long way toward smoothing things over.”

“Then consider it done,” he says with a wink. “Anything for you.”

He wraps his arm around Tori and pulls her closer.

—–

Across the room, Sarah Fisher Gray does her best not to grimace when she sees Tori arriving with Zane by her side.

“I can’t believe we’re still dealing with this,” she tells her husband, who is dressed in his black suit. 

“What I can’t believe is that Zane’s got the balls to show his face around here,” Matt says.

“He’s shameless. And he also doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong.”

“All he’s done is manipulate Tori.” He sighs. “Your plan was so good. I was sure it was gonna work.”

“I wasn’t sure, but I was hopeful,” Sarah says. “But if Zane really didn’t have anything to do with hacking Objection — there has to be something else we can dig up.”

—–

Claire emerges from the ladies’ room with a diaper bag slung over one shoulder and Gabrielle riding on her other arm. She barely makes it through the door when she nearly walks headfirst into another wedding guest — and she freezes when she sees that it is Molly Taylor.

“Claire. Hi,” Molly says stiffly. Her almost-black hair has been straightened and hangs over her bare shoulders, and she wears a lavender, halter-necked dress with pleats in the long skirt. 

“Hi, Molly.” 

“This is Gabrielle, isn’t it?” Molly asks with a forced, overly friendly tone. “She’s gotten so big even since the last time I saw her.”

“She has, yeah.”

A painful awkwardness hangs over the two ladies.

“I’d just like to say again how sorry I am for everything that happened last year,” Molly says. “I made some serious errors in judgment, and — well, the why isn’t important. I’m sorry that you got hurt as a result.”

Claire takes this in as she focuses on Gabrielle trying to grab her necklace.

“Thank you,” she finally says. “I don’t want to — we don’t need to re-litigate it all. Not on Travis’s wedding day.”

“Okay.” Molly knows that she should move on, but she can’t stop focusing on the baby. “It’s so crazy to see her and think…”

“About the baby you lost. I’m sure.”

“Yeah. It…” Overcome with emotion, Molly’s statement trails off. “I’m sure you have plenty to do. I’ll let you go. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Molly,” Claire says, and she takes Gabrielle back into the small but lively crowd beginning to find their seats for the ceremony. The infant continues looking over Claire’s shoulder, and Molly feels as if Gabrielle is looking at her — into her — with a surprising intensity.

A gasp of emotion bursts out of Molly, and she quickly covers her mouth and darts into the ladies’ room, hoping to get control of herself before the wedding begins. 

END OF EPISODE 1086

Should Molly pay attention to the connection she feels with Gabrielle?
Is Alex wrong for being irritated with Trevor’s lateness?
Will Sam’s presence — and the video doorbell — keep Jaq safe?
Talk about all these goings-on and more in the comments below!

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