Previously…
– Natalie forced a fix-up between Sonja and Conrad, who wound up hitting it off.
– Samantha and Tempest announced that they want to slow down the wedding planning process and move back the wedding date.
– Rosie joined Travis’s legal team, also consisting of Conrad, Sarah, and Landon. They determined that they should study security camera footage from the gym to determine who might have planted the vial of poison in Travis’s gym bag.

Remnants of dinner rest on the table in Tim and Claire Fisher‘s kitchen. Tim gathers plates and cutlery while Claire wipes down the countertop. Sonja Kahele enters from the hallway, already in a red coat, her black hair styled in loose waves.

“Are you heading out?” Claire asks.

“I’m about to, yeah,” Sonja replies. “Are you sure you don’t mind looking after TJ?”

Tim sets the small stack of plates in the sink. “I’m his father. It’s not looking after him. You don’t have to ask.”

“Still, I appreciate it. For so long, I couldn’t make a move without considering how to bring him with me.” Sonja’s eyes drop to the floor. “And I’m still sorry for that. For keeping TJ away from you for so long.”

Tim and Claire trade a quick, barely perceptible look, a moment of silent communication in which they reassure one another that Sonja doesn’t need another drubbing about having gone on the run with her and Tim’s little boy.

“What matters is that he’s here now,” Tim says, “and that he’s getting healthier every day, and that you and I can co-parent.”

Sonja smiles gratefully. “I’m grateful for that, too. And for you opening your home to us. I won’t be here forever, I promise. Now that TJ is getting better–“

“There’s time to figure all of that out,” Tim insists. “For now, focus on having a nice time tonight. You’re meeting Natalie for dinner?”

“Oh. No. It’s, um, someone else.” Something glimmers in Sonja’s eyes.

“It’s definitely none of my business… but do you have a date?” Claire asks.

Sonja nods. “I guess so. Yeah. It’s actually someone you both know.”

Again Tim and Claire look to one another.

“Conrad,” Sonja fills in.

Tim’s eyebrows lift with surprise. “As in, Natalie’s ex-husband Conrad?”

“She insisted on setting us up,” Sonja explains. “I know it’s a little unconventional, but…”

“Conrad is a nice guy and a great father,” Claire says. “Where’s he taking you?”

“Windmills.”

“Good choice,” Tim says. “Excellent bread basket, for one.”

Sonja laughs. “I’ll make sure to have some of the bread. I promise I won’t be too late.”

“We’ll get TJ to bed in a little while,” Tim says, “so don’t worry about it. What’s he up to upstairs?”

“He’s playing a video game. He might want a snack before bed, but he should be okay otherwise.”

“We’ve got it!” Claire says. “Now go and enjoy your dinner.”

“Okay. Yeah.” Sonja bobs her head up and down, as if rallying herself. “I’ll try my best. Thanks again.”

“No need to thank us!” Tim calls after her as she scurries off.

When they hear the front door close behind her, Claire says, “Sonja and Conrad, huh?”

“She could do a lot worse,” Tim muses. “And if she’s in a serious relationship with someone based in King’s Bay, she’ll want to stay here…”

“Which means TJ can have both of you in his life full-time.”

“Exactly.” He moves toward Claire and slides his arms around her waist. “And once we put TJ to bed, we’ll kind of have the house to ourselves…”

“I like the way you think,” she says with a wink before leaning in to kiss him.

—–

Landon Esco‘s apartment smells faintly of coffee. His laptop is open on the kitchen peninsula, a tangle of charging cords and notebooks nearby. Travis Fisher perches on a wooden stool, his shoulders tight. Rosie Jimenez is right by his side, arms folded, as Landon works the laptop. The cursor hovers over the thumbnail for another video file.

“I didn’t realize there would be so much footage,” Travis groans wearily.

“Think about how many weeks we’re covering here,” Rosie says.

Travis presses his two fingers to his right temple. “I’m doing nothing but thinking of that. It feels endless. And hopeless.”

“It’s not hopeless,” Landon offers. “We’ll do this all night if we need to, but we’re going to see something. There aren’t that many people using the Edge of Winter gym.”

Landon taps the trackpad. The next video begins. Grainy footage fills the screen, displaying an awkward angle of the arena’s hallway. On the left is the entrance to the gym; though the door itself cannot be seen, there is nowhere for someone to go if they turn left besides the gym.

Travis’s fingers tap nervously against the countertop.

“There you are,” Rosie says, as a figure moves in from the top of the screen. Another two or three seconds pass as Travis and Landon squint at the footage.

“How did you know that was me?” Travis asks, swiveling his head toward his wife.

“It’s my well-trained eagle eye,” she teases. “Or the fact that I know you so well.”

They watch Travis turn toward the gym’s entrance and disappear offscreen. Another several seconds of nothing play out on the screen, the shot so motionless that it would seem paused if not for the faint reflections of light coming from the rink itself, located to the right of the camera. Landon fast-forwards the footage.

“Stop!” Rosie calls out, again a split-second before either of the men see the figure entering from the bottom of the screen. The individual, a stocky figure who appears to be male, wears sweatpants and a sweatshirt with the hood pulled over their head, making it impossible to tell who it is from the back.

The figure turns and enters the gym, too.

Travis feels his breathing slow. “Now who the hell is that?”

All three of them lean forward.

Sonja sits across from Conrad Halston inside the main dining room of Windmills, at a table for two by a window overlooking the street. A steady but lazy rainfall patters down upon the pavement and cars. Two drinks rest on the table, and the bread basket is already half-empty.

“Okay, the bread is good,” Sonja comments. “But I should probably stop, or I’ll fill up before our appetizer gets here.”

“That’s the strategy, though,” Conrad tells her. “Lure you in with carbs… make you forget how long you’ve been sitting here so you order another drink before dinner even comes…”

She smiles, easy. “I’m not complaining. It’s nice to sit and have dinner with you.”

“I feel the same way. Thank you for making the time, Sonja. I know you have a lot going on with your son.”

“I love TJ more than anything in this world, but it’s nice to get dressed up and feel like my own person now and then. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

“Me, too.” He flashes an easygoing grin before lifting his Old Fashioned and taking a sip. “Lately I feel like all I’ve been doing is trial prep. I hope you didn’t think I was dragging my feet on scheduling.”

“Not at all!”

“So,” he says as he sets down his drink, “how are you holding up? How’s TJ doing?”

“Getting stronger every day. The doctor said his numbers looked excellent at his check-up on Thursday.”

“That’s great news. You must be so relieved.”

“I don’t quite believe it yet… but I am.” She lifts her Cosmopolitan to her lips but pauses. “But I still wake up at 2 a.m. in a panic, thinking we’re still in the worst of it.”

“I remember my share of those, too. But you’re through the worst of it. And things are only going to get better from here on out,” he says.

“I sure hope so.”

“I know so,” he tells her, warmth radiating from his smile.

—–

The house has settled into nighttime quiet. TJ is asleep upstairs, his door left ajar, a thin line of light spilling into the hallway. Downstairs, Tim and Claire sit side-by-side on the couch, a shared bottle of wine open on the coffee table between them.

“I’m thankful he didn’t put up too much of a fight at bedtime,” Tim says. “I know it’s still strange for him when Sonja goes out alone.”

“He’s adjusting well,” Claire replies. “And he’s looking so much healthier. You can see the color in his cheeks.”

Tim wipes a hand over his face and lets out a whoosh of relief. “Thank god. I couldn’t have even faced the possibility of…”

He trails off, not needing to say it. She reaches over and takes his hand.

“He’s going to be okay,” she says. “Everything is trending in the right direction.”

“I really hope it stays that way. And as much as I love having TJ in this house all the time, I can’t say I’ll be devastated when Sonja is ready to get her own place.”

“You said it, not me,” Claire says with a tiny laugh.

“Seems like love is in the air, huh? Sonja and Conrad… Samantha and Tempest planning a wedding…”

Claire cradles her glass, not moving to take a drink. Tim recognizes her hesitation.

“What?” he finally presses.

“I might be reading too much into it… but did you notice something a little weird between them the other day?”

“Between Sam and Tempest? What do you mean?”

“When they were telling us and Diane that they’ve decided to push the wedding back,” she explains. “There was something on Tempest’s face — just a flicker, but I caught it. I know that girl very well.”

“I know you do. Do you think she’s having second thoughts?”

“No. I don’t think so.” Now Claire takes a gulp of her wine as she contemplates her next words. “I think she wants to be okay with this postponement… but she was eager to get engaged. Especially after what happened with Samantha’s surgery.”

“Sam’s been through a lot,” Tim says, not exactly defensive, but with a certain edge to his voice. “Not wanting to rush into marriage makes sense.”

“Of course it does, and Tempest knows that. But I hope they’re being fully open with one another. That kind of thing can fester.”

“Yeah, it can.” Tim reaches for his wine. “You’re going to say something to her, aren’t you?”

Claire sighs, caught. “Yes. But just to check in. Not to interfere.”

“If there’s anyone she might open up to, it’s you,” Tim admits. “Do you, um, ever think about doing it again?”

She smirks. “Interfering?”

“Very funny. No, I mean getting married.”

“Tim Fisher… are you asking me to marry you? Again?”

“No. Not because I don’t want to, but if I were to do that, I wouldn’t do it while we’re sitting on the couch.”

“After everything we’ve been through, being happy and on the couch feels right,” she says. “And it’s even more right because we’re together.”

Tim squeezes her hand, which has been resting in his.

“That’s how I feel, too,” he says. “It took us a long time to find our way back to one another. And I know the time isn’t right — not with Samantha and Tempest planning a wedding, and Travis facing a trial, and Sonja still living here — but it’s something I would want.”

“Me, too,” Claire tells him. “I don’t want you to doubt that for a moment. The universe tried its best, but we belong together, Tim Fisher.”

“I feel the same way,” he says, setting down his wine so that he can move in to kiss her, even more passionately than she kissed him in the kitchen earlier.

—–

Inside Landon’s apartment, the trio tensely watches the footage. Landon intermittently fast-forwards, then slows down when there is any hint of movement onscreen. Save the occasional murmur, all three of them are too tense to speak.

“Okay, you guys keep an eye on this for a minute,” Landon announces. “I’ve gotta…” He tips his head in the direction of the hallway bathroom.

“Don’t let us keep you,” Travis says with the familiarity of an old roommate and even older friend. Landon slips away and into the bathroom.

As the door closes, Travis expels a loud sigh.

“We’re gonna find something,” Rosie says.

“We have to.” Travis lowers his voice as his hand grazes her stomach. “Especially because of this little guy or girl.”

She smiles while keeping one eye on the screen. “Yeah.”

“I feel weird not telling Landon — or anyone — yet,” he whispers.

“We will. Soon.”

They straighten up as they hear the toilet flush and the sink running. Moments later, Landon returns.

“What’d I miss?” he asks.

“Not much,” Travis says.

“Wait, there’s someone,” Rosie says, and they all settle back in to watch as a janitor crosses through the frame, and later, a blond woman exits the gym.

“That’s the woman from like an hour ago.” Landon jots down something in his open notebook. “So she was in there for at least 20 minutes while you were there, too.”

“I’ll check against the member logs and follow up,” Rosie says efficiently.

“I see her at the gym pretty often,” Travis says. “I have no idea who she is, but she’s a regular member.”

“Doesn’t mean someone couldn’t have paid her off,” Landon replies.

Travis scrunches his face up as he processes that thought. “Why would someone be so determined to frame me?”

Rosie places a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll only be able to figure that out once we know who did it.”

“Shhh. Look!” Landon says, pointing to the screen. “The guy in the hoodie is coming back out.”

Travis squints for a moment. “No, that’s me. Also in a hoodie.”

Landon freezes the footage. “Are you sure?”

“That’s me,” Travis says. “And look, I’m in shorts. The other guy was in long pants. And also, like, built completely different from me.”

“And you have the gym bag,” Rosie adds.

“So that person came in and was in there for a couple of minutes while I was,” Travis says. “If he was in there to plant evidence, wouldn’t he just… do it and leave?”

Landon scrubs through the video until he sees the other man emerging. This time, his head is uncovered, and it is plain to see that he is a middle-aged man with a shaved head and close-cropped beard.

“I know that guy,” Travis says.

Rosie grasps his arm. “You do?”

“He’s one of the hockey coaches,” Travis explains, his voice steady and without excitement. “We’ve never met, but I see him at the arena all the time.”

“Someone could’ve paid him off to do it,” Landon suggests.

Travis drops his head into his hands. “That seems like a long shot.”

“We’re going to leave no stone unturned,” Rosie says.

Despite her reassurance, Travis looks between his wife and best friend. “We’re not exactly finding a smoking gun here, are we?”

“Not yet,” Landon says with forced enthusiasm.

Travis swallows hard, but the lump in his throat persists. “If we can’t find anything on this footage… then what?”

The lack of immediate response says it all.

“I’m so screwed,” he says.

“Don’t say that,” Rosie tells him as she wraps an arm around him. “There are a lot of avenues we haven’t explored yet.”

Travis shakes his head despondently. “But if that vial wasn’t planted at the gym… then where was it planted? And how?”

END OF EPISODE 1288

Are Travis and his team barking up the wrong tree?
Do Sonja and Conrad have a future together?
Are Tim and Claire ready to remarry?
Talk about it all in the comments below!

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