Previously…
– Desperate to break Zane’s hold over Tori, Sarah came clean about how Zane blackmailed her and got close to Tori in order to force Sarah to pay up. Heartbroken, Tori went to stay with her cousin, Travis, while Matt was disappointed in his wife and decided to spend time at his brother’s house.
– Tim and Sonja went on an official date, but things became prickly when he confessed the truth about Samantha’s conception and Sonja objected to him allowing Diane to be a part of his life.
– Jesse, the busboy at Bill’s on the Pier whom Rosie knows from her past, had a chat with Travis and then placed a phone call to tell someone he’s suspicious about Rosie.

“Thanks for bringing this by,” Brent Taylor says as he sets the file folder down on his desk and slaps it closed.

“No problem,” Rosie Jimenez responds. “I wanted to update you before I left for the day.”

The overhead lights in Brent’s office at the King’s Bay Police Department are turned off, and the only source of light in the room at present is a single desk lamp and the fading winter sunshine outside, the last vestiges of which are still creeping through the single window.

“I appreciate how thorough you’ve been with this case,” he says, coming around the desk.

Rosie shrugs. “I want these robberies on the North Side solved and done as badly as you do. It’s so clear they’re connected.”

He nods in agreement. “They’ve got to be. I’ll go over everything again tonight, and we can all put our heads together some more in the morning. Go enjoy your evening.”

“Thanks,” she says. “I’m actually meeting up with Travis. We’re cooking dinner for his grandmother and hanging out at the house with her.”

“I bet Paula will really appreciate that.”

“Hope so. She’s so close to the end of this house arrest thing. She must be going nuts.”

“I can only imagine,” Brent says as he leans back against the desk. “Sounds like things are going well with you and Travis. Claire said she saw you guys for dinner last weekend.”

Rosie is unable to suppress a grin. “Yeah. We’re good. We hit a little rough patch, but… I think we kind of managed to meet in the middle on a few things.”

“Good. Glad to hear it. That’s important,” Brent says, his voice tinged with regret. “One thing I’ve learned along the way is that if you don’t find a way to compromise, you’ll wind up giving up something much more important than whatever issue it is you’re disagreeing on.”

“I think this one is worth saving.”

“I think so, too. You guys are both great kids.” He stops himself and shakes his head. “God, I sound like an old fart.”

“Nah, I appreciate it,” she says. “I should get going.”

“Thanks again for bringing that file,” Brent says. “Have fun tonight.”

“Thanks, Commander.”

Rosie exits the office and makes her way down the corridor and out of the station. As she crosses the parking lot, she looks at her phone to double-check the short list of items that Travis texted her to pick up at the store on her way over. She is so focused on the list that she has no chance to notice the man sitting in an idling car at the end of the row, watching her walk.

He picks up his phone and places a quick call. “She’s leaving the PD now. I’ll be on her tail.”

—–

“Hey, Grandma,” Travis Fisher says as Paula lets him into her house. “I’m running a little late, sorry. I got held up at the restaurant.”

“Please, no need to apologize. I’m so happy that you and Rosie decided to come over tonight,” Paula tells him as she locks the front door.

Travis removes his jacket and shoes, and Paula leads the way into the living room.

“How’s your day been?” he asks.

“Very nice. Don came over earlier to give me another painting lesson. I’m afraid I’m a lost cause, though.”

“I don’t know about that. I bet you’re getting good.”

She lets out a wry laugh. “Don’t be so sure of it. He’s tried, bless his heart, but I don’t think painting is where my talents lie. But it’s awfully nice to have a friend come over and spend time with me.”

“You must be seriously ready to have this over with,” Travis says as they pass through the dining room.

“You have no idea.”

In the kitchen, Travis immediately goes to the refrigerator and begins taking out various items.

“Rosie offered to swing by the store, so I asked her to grab a few things,” he explains, “but I can get started prepping.”

“What can I do?” Paula asks.

“Sit at the table and relax.”

“Travis, dear–”

“I mean it. You do enough for everyone.”

“Oh, you’re sweet,” she says as she hesitantly makes her way over to the table and takes a seat. “So, tell me: how is your poor cousin doing?”

Travis turns back from the open fridge. “She’s really bummed out. Still kind of doesn’t believe it, I think.”

“Has that son of a you-know-what Zane been by to bother her?”

“No, she hasn’t told him where she’s staying.”

“Good. Part of me keeps hoping he’ll turn up here looking for her so I can give him a piece of my mind.” Paula shakes her head sadly. “It’s such a shame. She put so much trust in him.”

“It’s so twisted.” Travis carts several items over to the counter and closes the refrigerator. “It sucks to see her like that and know I can’t really do anything.”

“You’re doing plenty. Letting her stay at your apartment for a while is important. I wish she were still here, but I understand why she wouldn’t want to be around her mother right now.”

“It doesn’t sound like Aunt Sarah had much of a choice.”

“Maybe not,” Paula says, “but that girl certainly has a way of getting herself into scrapes like this. I just hope Matt and Tori can find it in their hearts to forgive her.”

A waitress sets down a beer and a glass of pinot grigio on the table with a pleasant smile. After asking her customers if they need a few more minutes to place their orders, she moves back into the sea of diners and servers filling 322 Bar & Grill.

“Guess we could both use these,” Matt Gray says as he picks up his beer.

His daughter reaches for her wine. “For real. How are Uncle Jake and Aunt Mia?”

“They’re good. Nice of them to let me crash. How are you, though?”

Tori lets out a heavy sigh. “I’m fine. I don’t know.”

“I know I’m not the best at all the emotional stuff,” Matt says, “but you don’t have to be fine. Not after what you’ve been through.”

“I know. I just, like… it kind of doesn’t seem real.”

“I get it.”

“Have you talked to Mom?”

Matt pauses over the rim of his beer. He has been over this many times in his mind. He doesn’t want to speak negatively about his wife to Tori; he knows it won’t do any good, and it will only make things more complicated for her. But it is also the one thing over which they can so easily commiserate.

“Not really,” he says. “A little time to cool off is probably good for everyone, you know?”

She nods. “Totally. Part of me wants to see her just so I can yell at her. But I know it won’t change anything.”

“It won’t. And I’m sorry about that. You know that if I could change this…”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Tori sips her wine as her eyes wander toward the ceiling, her mind clearly racing. “I don’t get why she didn’t just tell me.”

“Because.” He has no further thoughts laid out beyond that, so he drinks his beer. “She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

“You’re mad at her, aren’t you?”

“I’m…” He hesitates. “I’m not happy, I’ll say that. This was a big thing to keep from us. And she knew it would probably end with you getting hurt.”

“But she did it anyway.”

“Yep.” He takes another swig of beer as he looks her over, taking in the sadness in her gaze and the slump in her shoulders. “I wanna know how you’re doing. Have you talked to Zane at all?”

“No. No way. I’m not– I can’t. He’s texted and called me, but I don’t even want to deal with it.”

“Makes sense to me.”

Tori looks over the menu idly. Anxiety radiates from her being in waves so strong they are nearly visible.

“He’s such a bastard,” she finally says. “How could someone fake liking someone for so long?”

“Because he’s a… what do you call it… a sociopath. Something like that.”

“I guess. It just seemed so… so real. You know? Like it doesn’t make sense.”

“Listen,” Matt says, reaching out to touch her arm over the table. “I know I’m biased, but you’re smart, and you’re funny, and you’re a knockout. Wouldn’t be hard for a guy to justify spending time with you.”

“Yeah, but it was all fake!”

It stings Matt to hear the anguish in her voice. If there were anything he could do to make her pain stop this instant, he would do it. He always thought he would be able to protect her from whatever life threw her way, and it agonizes him to be reminded that that is not true.

“You know what’s not fake?” he says, setting down his beer. “That you are gonna find someone who’s a thousand times more worthy of you than Zane. The guy is a snake. He’s getting what he deserves. I know it hurts right now, but there are so many bigger and better things out there waiting for you.”

“I hope so,” Tori says glumly.

“Try and believe it.”

“I want to.” She looks down at the table as her voice tightens. “I don’t know how I could be so stupid.”

“You are not stupid. You believed what you were shown. This guy played you — he played all of us. You think I don’t feel like a moron for not realizing he wasn’t genuine?”

“Mom knew, and she never said anything. She could’ve stopped me from…” She trails off with a huff, overcome by emotion.

“Your mom loves you,” Matt finds himself saying. “Don’t doubt that.”

“But she let Zane do this to me.”

“She tried to stop it the best way she knew how. She didn’t handle it too well—”

“So what? You’re on her side now? You’re just gonna forgive her?”

“I didn’t say that,” he tells her, his mind swirling with confusion. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

“She should’ve told me,” Tori says. “She should’ve told me, and we all could’ve figured out how to stop him together. Instead, she let this happen…” She shakes her head ruefully. “And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive her.”

—–

Night is falling over the charming neighborhood as Rosie parks her car by the curb. She retrieves the single paper grocery bag from the trunk and makes her way up the front steps to the door. Mere seconds after she rings the bell, Travis pulls open the door with a broad smile upon his face.

“There you are,” he says as he ushers her inside. “Thanks for hitting the store.”

Rosie plants a quick kiss on his lips. “It’s the least I could do. And definitely safer than having me cook something.”

He laughs. “No comment. Come on. Grandma’s in the kitchen.”

Travis closes and locks the door as they move into the house.

Several houses down, the man sits in his car, watching intently.

“What’s going on?” a crackling voice asks through the cell phone.

“It’s the boyfriend’s house,” the man says.

“You’re sure?”

“He just let her in. His car’s in the driveway. It’s his place.”

“Then let’s do it,” the voice on the phone says through a thin film of static.

—–

The car winds through the subdivision and pulls into a driveway. When Tim Fisher turns off the engine, his passenger begins to open her door, but Tim hurries out of the car.

“Hang on,” he says. He jogs around to the other side and opens the passenger door.

“There you go,” he tells Sonja Kahale before helping her out of the sedan.

“Thank you,” she says.

Tim escorts her through the settling darkness toward the front of the house. When they reach the door, he stops and turns toward her.

“This was a lot of fun,” he says.

Sonja cocks her head. “What are you doing?”

“I’m dropping you off, like I’m supposed to on a proper first date.”

She lets out a giggle. “This is your house.”

“And you live here, too, for the time being. I’m being a gentleman! Just play along.”

“You’re adorable,” she says with another laugh. “Thank you for dinner. That was really nice.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

“And…” She hesitates for a moment. “I’m sorry for losing my cool over Diane. I was taken aback by your story, that’s all.”

“I understand.”

“You don’t have to be so understanding all the time, Tim. It’s your life. You’re allowed to get upset — at Diane, at me, at anyone.”

“I know.” He sighs as he studies her; beneath the soft glow of the porch light, she is truly striking, and there is an inherent kindness to her face that he finds so comforting. It makes him feel as though he really can open up. “It’s tough. I constantly feel so grateful just to be here – to be alive, to be with my kids. Shouldn’t that be enough? Why waste time on regrets or anger?”

“It isn’t wasted time if something genuinely bothers you. You’re allowed to have emotions. But I see what you’re saying. I just want you to know that, if you ever want to talk – if you need to vent even if you don’t have the actual answers, I’m here.”

“Thank you. And I mean it: this was a really lovely night.”

Their eyes meet, and he leans in to place his lips against hers. They are so soft and inviting, and he finds himself immediately craving more. He makes himself pull back.

“This really was great,” he says, “and I’d love to do it again.”

“Me, too.”

“Good.” He smiles back at her as he opens the door. “Now get inside. It’s chilly out.”

She looks back at him in confusion. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to move the car so Samantha can get out in the morning, and then I’m going to come inside and change.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” she says as she touches her index finger to his chest.

“This is one time that I really wish my kids didn’t live here.”

“I know what you mean.”

He has to pry himself away from her. “Now you go inside and change. Maybe we can put on a movie?”

“I’ll make the popcorn,” Sonja says as she lets herself into the house.

Tim walks back to the door, grinning in a way that he hasn’t in years.

—–

At the kitchen table in Paula’s house, Rosie doubles over with laughter, nearly placing her face flat on the tabletop.

“You have to be kidding,” she manages to say through her guffawing.

“It’s all true,” Paula says with amusement.

“I wouldn’t say all true,” Travis protests from his post at the counter, where he is chopping vegetables.

“Did you or did not you split your pants during a school play and then fall off the stage?” Rosie asks.

He rolls his eyes. “Well, when you put it like that…”

“Where is the lie?” Paula asks. Both Travis and Rosie look to her with surprise. “I keep seeing Christian say that on Facebook!” she explains.

As their laughter abates, Paula gets up to pour herself more water.

“I really can’t thank you both enough for making time to come over,” she says. “It means a lot.”

“It’s good to spend time with you,” Travis replies. “Especially when it isn’t some huge, crazy thing with the whole family.”

“You guys do have some… interesting family get-togethers,” Rosie says. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Paula assures her. “We’re well aware of our track record.”

Travis is moving toward the oven when the doorbell sounds.

“I’ll get it,” Paula says.

“No, I can do it,” Travis insists. “Keep an eye on the tenderloin for me, would you? It only has a minute or so to go.”

Paula agrees, and Travis hurries back through the house. When he whips open the door, he freezes in shock.

“Rosie here?” a man asks through the slits in a black ski mask.

Travis’s adrenaline pumps as he moves to slam the door closed. The man stops it with a swift shot of his arm.

“Is Rosie here?” the man repeats, more firmly and more menacing.

“W– what do you want?” Travis stammers, feeling his jeans for his cell phone as he realizes that he left it on the kitchen counter.

The man forces his way inside as he pulls a gun from inside his jacket. “It’s time we all had a serious talk.”

END OF EPISODE 916

What does the masked man want with Rosie and Travis?
Will Sarah be able to repair her family and regain their trust?
Can Tim and Sonja really have a future together?
Talk about it all in the comments below!

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