Previously…
– While helping clean up after his sister’s wedding to Travis, Sebastian encountered Elly. The two hit it off, and he invited her to join him back in his hotel room.
– Jason was concerned after finding magazines with letters cut out in a filing cabinet at the office. When he questioned Tempest about the magazines’ — and her — possible connection to the threatening letters that Jaq has been receiving, Tempest responded with horror that he would think she could be capable of such a thing.
– Samantha rushed home from the wedding after a phone call from Jaq, announcing that yet another letter had been left at their home. Brent later found a yellow hair clip at the scene… which resembled clips that Samantha had seen Tempest wearing.

Groans and exclamations of pleasure fill the hotel room as morning sunlight spills in through the gauzy white curtains. The noises build to a frenzied crescendo, and then, panting hard, Elly Vanderbilt leans forward to kiss the man beneath her. 

“I wasn’t counting on round two,” she says as she rolls off him and onto her back in the plush king-size bed.

“Just kinda happened,” Sebastian Jimenez says. “You’re that sexy.”

“I’m glad you think so.” She stares up at the ceiling, breathing hard. Her tousled red mane falls loosely over the pillow. “I have to say, I’m impressed with how forward you were last night.”

He shrugs, flashing her the same lopsided grin he first shot her last night.

“I figured I had nothing to lose,” he says. “End of the night… an entire wedding and I hadn’t even had a chance to get lucky… and then you walked into the bar…”

“You get points for boldness.” Elly flips onto her side to face him. “When do you head back to Seattle?”

“Later today. I need to check out of here and then go see my mom before I leave.”

“I assume you’re going to tell her you helped clean up the wedding and then came back here to get a nice, long night of sleep alone?”

Sebastian laughs. “If you knew my mother, you’d know that’s the only story that’s gonna fly.”

Elly runs a hand through her long, wavy hair. “I get it. I’ll get dressed and get out of your way.”

“There’s no rush. I have a few hours until checkout. We could…”

Her eyes flare. “Again? Already?”

“I was gonna suggest grabbing some breakfast. Or brunch, given the time,” he clarifies. “Where was that dirty mind of yours going?”

“Brunch. Same.” She winks. “You’re really leaving for Seattle later today?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Then, good. Brunch it is.” 

“Ah. So you’re one of those.”

“One of what?” she asks.

“Those people who don’t want to get attached. I get it.”

She hops out of bed, treating Sebastian to a full view of her naked, toned body.

“I’m using your shower, by the way,” she says.

“Go for it. You know a good place for breakfast that isn’t the little café down in the lobby?”

“I’ll think of something.”

She saunters off toward the restroom. Sebastian lies on his side, continuing to grin as he watches her nude form disappear around the corner.

—–

“You can watch that while Grandma makes your breakfast,” Spencer Ragan tells his son. 

“And then what?” Peter asks from his position on Claire Fisher‘s sofa.

“And then we eat,” Claire says over the kitchen counter. 

“Okay,” Peter says dutifully. He puts his noise-cancelling headphones over his ears and settles in to watch cartoons on his iPad.

Spencer crosses to the apartment’s narrow kitchen. “Are you sure you’re up for this after all the excitement last night?”

“I’m always up for a day with my grandson,” she says brightly. “But it wasn’t too late a night.”

“That’s good. I guess.”

“It was a nice wedding. I’m sorry you weren’t invited — you know how awkward this is for Travis–“

“It’s his wedding. All good.” Spencer holds up both palms in a show of surrender. “Like I needed to be there anyway.”

“I’m still holding out hope that the two of you will get along someday,” she says as she stoops down to pull a mixing bowl from a lower cupboard.

“We get along. We’re fine. I don’t need to be walking him down the aisle.”

Claire snickers. “Fair enough. It was a really lovely night, though.”

“And they actually got married without any interruptions?” Spencer says. “That’s big for this family.”

“No major incidents,” she says. “At least as far as I’m aware.”

As she pulls a carton of eggs from the refrigerator, a door opens down the hallway opposite the kitchen. Both Claire and Spencer look to see Tempest Banks emerging from her room, in an oversized t-shirt with a pair of cuffed pants and pristine white sneakers. Two yellow clips in strategic positions hold down her hair.

She stops in her tracks and surveys the scene with surprise.

“Hey,” she finally says to Spencer, a bit coolly.

“Hey,” he responds.

“I’m spending the day with Peter,” Claire explains. “You’re welcome to join us.”

“Nah, I’ve got a bunch of things to do. But thanks,” Tempest says.

“Is everything okay?” Claire asks her. “You left in such a hurry last night.”

Tempest casts an uncertain look over at Spencer before replying, “Long story. I had to get outta there.”

“I’m here if you want to talk,” Claire says.

“I know you are.” Tempest grabs a breakfast bar out of a bowl on the counter. “Thanks. You guys have fun today.” She goes to the sofa and ruffles Peter’s hair; the little boy looks up and smiles madly at her before returning his attention to the iPad.

“Later, Tempest,” Spencer says, somewhat pointedly.

“Later, Spencer.” Her voice carries a hint of bite, but she picks up her keys and exits the apartment without any further back-and-forth.

Spencer leans over the counter, planting his elbows on the tile-covered surface. 

“Sounds like there might have been some kind of incident at that wedding,” he says.

Claire sighs as she looks at the front door, now closed behind Tempest. “Yeah, I’m getting the impression that there’s something I missed, after all.”

“I have never needed a Bloody Mary so badly,” Trevor Brooks says as he slides into his chair at the copper-topped table inside Bill’s on the Pier.

“First of all, you said that last time we went to brunch,” Alex Marshall teases as he takes a seat beside his husband. “And secondly, I don’t think you drank that much at the wedding.”

“We’re also not as young as we used to be,” Jason Fisher chimes in from across the table, where he and Sabrina Gage are settling in. “Three beers hit me so hard these days… my college self would be embarrassed.”

Sabrina scans her menu as she says, “Would you believe I’ve never had a Bloody Mary?”

All three men swivel their heads toward her. 

“Really?” Alex asks with surprise.

“Yeah. Vodka and tomato juice? I don’t know about all that,” she says.

“Then I’m getting one, and you can try it,” Jason tells her.

Sabrina winces, wrinkling up her nose. “Promise me it’s not gross.”

“No promises. That’s for you to decide.” He grasps her hand and squeezes it; she smiles back at him.

“Now tell me about the wedding,” she says.

“Obviously, it sucked because you weren’t there,” Trevor says.

“I really hate that I couldn’t bring you,” Jason adds. “But it was really nice. I was amazed at how they transformed that bar.”

Alex nods emphatically. “I’ve never seen a place with a mechanical bull look so classy.”

“I bet it was so romantic!” Sabrina says, clasping her hands together.

“Travis and Rosie looked really, really happy,” Jason tells her. 

Their server stops by the table to take their drink orders and greets Jason specifically, recognizing him as a member of the Fisher family. They order their drinks — a Bloody Mary for each of the men and a mimosa for Sabrina — and then the server departs. 

“Did you hear from Samantha?” Trevor asks, his voice taking on a graver tone. 

Jason stiffens. “No. Why?”

“There was another letter left for Jaq at the house last night,” Trevor explains. 

Sabrina touches Jason’s forearm with concern. “Oh, no. Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone’s safe, yeah,” Trevor says. “It was left on their car, so the doorbell cam didn’t catch who left it. But…”

Jason and Sabrina lean forward, awaiting more information with suspense.

“There was something left by the car that Brent thinks could be the key to this whole thing,” Alex says.

“What was it?” Sabrina asks.

“Some yellow thing. A hair clip,” Trevor tells them. “They’re hoping they can find prints or hairs on it that might lead to whoever’s been doing this.”

Jason and Sabrina exchange as covert a look as they can manage; Jason has no doubt that Sabrina is thinking the same thing as he is — whether this hair clip could have anything to do with Tempest, even though she vehemently denied knowing anything about the magazines with letters cut out of them that Jason found in their office.

“Well, I hope Brent is able to find some answers, and soon,” Jason says uneasily as he reaches for his water glass to take a sip.

After leaving Claire and Peter to have their breakfast before their trip to the zoo, Spencer proceeds downtown to pick up some food before returning home. He walks into 322 Bar & Grill and is immediately assaulted by the energetic sounds of the brunch rush; however, they immediately fade away as soon as he sees the redhead standing near the host’s stand.

“Recovering from the big wedding?” he asks.

Elly turns in surprise, and he watches a series of emotions pass over her face before she actually responds.

“Spencer. Hi,” she says in a clipped tone. “No, I wasn’t at the wedding.”

“Really? Even with your dad and Kathleen hosting?”

“This might shock you, but Travis didn’t seem too keen on having his ex-girlfriend at his wedding. Although he did tell me I was welcome to stick around… it would’ve been weird. Anyway.”

“Anyway,” Spencer says. “Are you picking up food, or…?”

Before Elly can reply, he sees her gaze shift somewhere behind him. Spencer swings around to see a man around their age, with locks of dark hair falling over his forehead, entering the restaurant.

“We’re eating here,” Elly says as the man sidles up to her.

“I managed to find a decent parking spot,” the man says.

Spencer does everything he can to conceal his reaction as the other guy sticks out his hand.

“Hey. Sebastian,” he says.

Resigning himself to the handshake, Spencer says, “I’m Spencer. You guys enjoy your brunch.”

He turns on his heels without even placing an order. He knows that he and Elly are far from a thing — especially after how heated things got between them after he grilled her about her law firm internship — but it still stings to see her out and about with another guy. He pushes the front door of the eatery open and pounds a quick path back toward his BMW.

Meanwhile, Sebastian turns to Elly. 

“Who was that?” he asks. “He seemed… nice?”

She hesitates only a split-second before answering, “A former client. That’s all.”

—–

After they finish brunch, Jason and Sabrina stroll down the street and into a shop. They peruse a bunch of knick-knacks, and Jason insists on buying her a gag gift for her apartment. When they step out of the shop, a small shopping bag swinging from Sabrina’s left hand, she is still laughing. 

“Do you really want a waffle-scented candle burning in my apartment?” she asks.

“It can’t be any worse than that bacon-smelling one we accidentally lit,” he says. 

She bows her head. “That’s still so embarrassing.”

“It was hilarious,” Jason reassures her. “Besides… we could always go back to your place and see if the waffle candle has the same effect on us that the bacon one did…”

He lifts his eyebrows lasciviously at her and watches as her face lights up with a different sort of glow.

“Uncle Jason!” a voice calls, breaking the spell. 

Jason swivels his head to see Samantha walking toward them.

“Sam. Hey,” he says, stiffening slightly at the recollection of what they were discussing over brunch with Alex and Trevor. “How’s it going?”

“Hi, Samantha,” Sabrina adds as Jason’s niece approaches them.

“Things are okay,” Samantha says, stepping aside as a college-aged man on an electric scooter whizzes past. “I don’t know if you heard from my dad yet, but something happened after the wedding last night…”

Jason and Sabrina again trade uneasy looks.

“The letter?” Jason says. “Yeah, Trevor actually just told us. How’s Jaq?”

“They’re okay. Finn‘s at home with them now while I do a few errands.” She sighs and moves the plastic pharmacy bag she is holding to the other hand. “We’re both a little freaked out, but…”

After waiting a long moment, Jason leans forward. “But what?”

“Uncle Brent found something at the scene,” Samantha says, “and… Can I tell you something? In confidence?”

As Sabrina nods vigorously, Jason says, “Yeah. Of course.”

“I don’t really know what to do,” his niece explains, “but it’s about — well, someone you know pretty well. Someone you work with.”

Sabrina involuntarily grips Jason’s hand even harder as they wait for Samantha to go on.

END OF EPISODE 1091

Will Jason share his own suspicions with Samantha?
Could Tempest really be behind the threatening letters?
Should Spencer address his jealousy with Elly?
Talk about all this and more in the comments below!

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