Previously…
– A witness identified Elly as having been at the Ragan house on the night Loretta was murdered. Elly contacted Travis to let him know, and Travis panicked because of a secret the two are keeping about that night.
– After Lucy admitted that her boyfriend, Bryce, had been abusive, Tori invited her to come stay at the Fisher house. Bryce showed up at The Wild Lady while Lucy was with Tori and her cousins.
– Spencer also arrived at The Wild Lady looking for Elly and instead saw Travis, which enraged him in light of Elly’s possible involvement in Loretta’s death.

Lucy Champlain gestures toward the front of The Wild Lady by lifting her chin. Tori Gray and Landon Esco follow her eyeline to find a man in his early thirties, with a brown beard and a navy work shirt, standing just inside the saloon doors of the busy bar.

“It’s Bryce,” Lucy says, as her ex-boyfriend spots her, too.

Meanwhile, mere feet away, Rosie Jimenez stares down her husband as she awaits his response to her question. Travis Fisher’s mouth flaps open and closed without producing any words.

“Travis,” Rosie presses, clearly irked. “How did you know Elly was a suspect in Loretta‘s murder?”

Spencer Ragan slaps his palms down on the barrel-top table. “Because they’re keeping secrets! And it obviously has something to do with how Loretta died.”

“You’re talking out of your ass,” Travis snaps at him, before turning back toward Rosie. “I ran into Elly and she mentioned that something went down at the police station. It’s not some huge conspiracy.”

“This isn’t good,” Landon mutters. He swivels back toward Tori and Lucy, who are standing tensely as Bryce approaches.

“And this isn’t, either,” Landon adds, mostly to himself.

Lucy’s voice quivers as she asks, “Bryce, what are you doing here?”

“We need to talk,” he responds gruffly.

“No, I mean…” Lucy nervously brushes some of her strawberry-blonde hair behind one ear. “How did you find me here?”

“Our Uber accounts are linked, remember?” Bryce folds his arms across his broad chest. “I was wondering why you were coming to a bar.”

“Bryce, I’m Lucy’s friend Tori,” the diminutive woman interrupts. Her skin crawls as she utters the next phrase, though she knows it is necessary if she stands a chance of getting through to this guy: “With all due respect…” But she doesn’t even know how to finish the statement. You seem insane? You’re acting like a stalker?

“That’s not cool,” Lucy says defiantly, though she folds her arms in defense at the same time.

“It’s not cool to want to talk to my girlfriend?” Bryce retorts, with more than a hint of derision in his tone. “Luce — I’ve been trying to get in touch–“

“Maybe she doesn’t want to talk to you right now,” Tori says.

“With all due respect,” Bryce replies mockingly, “this ain’t none of your business.”

“Hey. Hey,” Landon says, as he steps around the women to place himself squarely in front of Bryce. “Don’t you dare talk to her like that.”

Bryce sneers. “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m–” Landon sets his jaw and then clenches his fists. “I’m a guy who isn’t gonna stand here and let you bully either of these girls.”

—–

“All right, let’s try and cool off for a minute,” Samantha Fisher says as she forcefully steers Spencer away from the rest of the group. Tempest Banks, in spite of her hearty skepticism about Spencer, follows her girlfriend for support. The fiddle-backed stomp-clap sounds of Chappell Roan’s “The Giver” play over the bar’s sound system.

“I’m not the one who needs to cool off,” Spencer fumes, continuing to cast glances back at Travis as he speaks.

“Spencer,” Samantha firmly says to her half-brother.

The dark-haired man lets out a hefty exhale and then holds up his palms. “Fine. It’s cool. I’m chill.”

“You seem about as chill as Satan’s personal sauna right now,” Tempest comments.

Spencer rolls his eyes back at her.

“Just answer this for me,” Samantha says in a calm, steady tone. “What do you hope to get out of talking to Travis?”

“The truth!” Spencer exclaims.

“What truth? And why?” she presses, almost soothingly.

“About what happened to my– to Loretta. Someone murdered her in my house.”

Tempest shrugs. “Okay, now that’s not unreasonable.”

“No, it isn’t,” Samantha agrees. “I understand why you want that. But coming in here firing all scattershot like this won’t magically get you answers. If anything, it puts people on guard and gives them time to cover their tracks.”

That thought dangles in the air for several seconds, before Spencer begins nodding. “I wish everyone would stop lying to my face,” he says.

“That’s completely understandable,” his sister says, in that same gentle tone. “Maybe that’s more what this is really about.” Spencer grimaces at her, but she pushes onward: “Loretta lied to you your entire life about who your parents really were. My Aunt Natalie hid Peter’s paternity from you for a long while. Now you feel like Elly is keeping things from you.”

“She is!”

“You’re having a natural reaction to feeling like you were deceived again. It’s triggering all this trauma you have stored up. Just try and acknowledge that’s what this is about. Punching out Travis because he had a conversation with Elly isn’t going to erase all of that.”

“You’re right,” Spencer says with a sigh. Nevertheless, he gazes off toward the table where Travis and Rosie are now engaged in an intense conversation.

Behind his back, Tempest mouths to Samantha, “Good work.”

—–

Puffing out his chest, Bryce derisively scans Landon up and down. Landon swallows hard as he attempts to stand firm, although it is rapidly becoming clear to him who would win in a physical showdown between the two of them.

“No one invited you, man,” Landon says anyway.

“It’s a public place,” Bryce responds.

Lucy’s arms remain folded, a shield against threats. “Bryce…”

“Just talk to me for five minutes,” he says, downshifting right into a more soothing voice. “We can get this right. I want you to come home.”

Though she shuffles her feet, Lucy says nothing.

“I don’t think she wants to talk right now,” Landon says.

Bryce takes a step closer to Landon. “Nobody asked you.”

“Stop,” Tori says, as she grabs onto Landon’s arm.

“What’s goin’ on here?” another voice interrupts, and the four look as Jimmy Trask walks into the fray.

“Nothing,” Lucy says reflexively. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine,” Landon states. “This guy is harassing our friend.”

“She’s my girlfriend,” Bryce cuts in.

“I don’t think she wants to talk to him right now,” Tori adds, which earns a glower from Bryce.

Jimmy squares his shoulders toward Bryce, matching his stature in a way that feels like a challenge.

“This is my bar,” Jimmy tells him. “Bought it for my wife and named it after her. I’m gonna strongly suggest that you leave right now if you’re not wanted.”

“All I wanna do is talk to my girl,” Bryce says.

Jimmy, Tori, and Landon all pivot their attention to Lucy, who casts her eyes downward.

“I don’t think that’s what she wants right now, man,” Jimmy says. “You’re free to grab a drink and hang out. But if you don’t leave his lady alone–“

“Fine. I’ll go outside,” Bryce says, barely bothering to cover his irritation.

Jimmy motions for him to turn around. “Good. Let’s get on with it, brother.”

As Jimmy escorts Bryce to the exit, Tori, Landon, and Lucy all breathe a collective sigh of relief.

“Are you okay?” Tori asks Lucy.

Lucy bobs her head, a little too fast. “Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks.”

“Do you want to go get a drink?” Tori asks her.

“Yeah,” Lucy says, brightening a little. “That would be nice.”

“We’ll be right back,” Tori says, touching a hand to Landon’s wrist. “Do you want anything?”

“I’ll do an IPA,” he says, though his eyes drop to her fingertips on his arm. “Thanks.”

Tori smiles at him. “You got it.”

She and Lucy walk off, and Landon watches them go, unable to keep a grin off his face despite the tense situation they just averted.

—–

Mere feet away, Travis and Rosie face one another, held in the tractor beams of a tense confrontation.

“What is Spencer talking about?” Rosie asks.

“I don’t know!” Travis exclaims. “He’s putting together all these pieces that don’t fit.”

She regards him with quiet skepticism and plants her hands on her hips.

“Rosie, I swear,” he continues. “I explained what’s going on.”

“It’s just weird,” she says.

Landon steps up to join them.

“You guys good?” he asks.

Travis casts a wary look at Rosie, then at his best friend. Rosie relaxes her arms at her sides and exhales.

“We’re fine,” Travis says, not very convincingly.

Landon cocks an eyebrow. “You don’t seem fine, but let’s go with that. Spencer came in here with an axe to grind, guys. Don’t let him get between you.”

“We’re not,” Rosie and Travis declare, not quite in unison.

“Keep in mind what’s important,” Landon says. “You guys love each other.”

“We do,” Rosie says without hesitation. In response, Travis nods and grasps her hand.

“Then remember that. Both of you,” Landon advises them.

—–

Over by the bar, Tori and Lucy lean onto the counter, their shoulders touching as they attempt to make conversation over the noise.

“That was really nice of Landon to stand up to Bryce,” Lucy comments. “And that other guy who threw him out — he’s married to Travis’s mom, you said?”

Tori nods as the bartender sets one drink down in front of them, then goes back to make another.

“Jimmy, yeah. His wife is Kathleen, Travis’s birth mom,” she says.

“I’m just glad Bryce is gone.” Lucy shudders. “He can be such a nice guy and then… he gets like that.”

“That’s not a nice guy. It’s someone pretending to be a nice guy.”

“Maybe. Yeah.” Lucy frowns as the bartender delivers another drink to them.

“That all?” the bartender asks.

“And that IPA,” Tori reminds him, and he moves off to fill the order.

“You’ve got a good one there,” Lucy says with a smile.

Tori crinkles her brow. “What do you mean?”

“Landon. He’s an awesome guy. How long have you been dating?”

“So… we’re not officially dating. It’s complicated.”

“Really? You guys have been out to dinner, and you seem so natural together,” Lucy says.

Tori casts a cautious glance over her shoulder before saying, “We actually haven’t even kissed yet.”

Lucy’s eyes go wide. “What? Really?”

“We’ve been friends a long time. He and Travis have been best friends forever. I think we’re both scared to mess it up.”

“You never know if you don’t try. Besides, it seems like you are both interested.”

“We are.” A smile curls the ends of Tori’s mouth. “That much I know.”

“Then go for it!” Lucy tells her. “You’re lucky, Tori. To have someone who likes you and you can actually trust.”

“Yeah,” Tori says, unable to suppress her smile. “You’re right.”

—–

As Tempest rejoins Travis and Rosie — who also seem to have deescalated things, thanks to Landon — Samantha walks Spencer toward the exit of the bar.

“Don’t do anything impulsive,” she tells him. “If Elly really is hiding something — if she did do something crazy — screwing up the investigation doesn’t serve anyone.”

“You’re right,” Spencer admits. “I just got so pissed off when I saw Travis.”

“I know. There’s an explanation for all of this.”

He chooses not to respond to that statement. Instead, they stop by the saloon doors.

“I’ll check in with you tomorrow and make sure you’re okay,” Samantha says.

“Thanks. I appreciate your level-headedness… even if it annoys the hell out of me, too.”

“That’s what sisters are for. Get home safely, okay?”

With a nod, Spencer gives her a quick hug and then exits the establishment. Samantha turns to go back to their group, just as Tori and Lucy are making their way over with the round of drinks they ordered.

Outside the bar, Spencer makes an immediate right turn to walk toward his car. He pulls his cell phone from his pocket and checks his notifications… completely overlooking the fact that Bryce is sitting in his truck, intently eyeing the bar.

END OF EPISODE 1260

What is Bryce going to do next?
Will Tori and Landon finally move things along?
Does Travis know something about Loretta’s death?
Discuss it all in the comments below!

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