Chesapeake Shores – It’s Always Nashville

By starrymag | September 1, 2017

By: Jessica Wolff

 

Abby O’Brien (Meghan Ory) brings Trace Riley (Jesse Metcalfe) coffee as he works on construction of the music club.  She admires his hard work and Trace takes a break as they talk about his upcoming trip to Nashville.  He is excited about recording his single, and Abby asks what will happen after he is finished recording.  He admits that he is uncertain about it and asks if she is okay with it.  She says that she is, and he assures her that they are going to be fine.

 

Jess O’Brien (Laci J. Mailey) brings over freshly baked muffins from David.  Connor O’Brien (Andrew Francis) calls David the best baker, but quickly adds that he’s the best outside of the family as Nell O’Brien (Diane Ladd) enters the kitchen.  Abby tells Caitlyn and Carrie Winters (Abbie and Kayden Magnuson) to get ready for school, and Bree O’Brien (Emilie Ullerup) asks Kevin O’Brien (Brendan Penny) about Sarah Mercer (Jessica Sipos).  Abby asks Jess how things are at the B&B and she tells her that business is picking up since she changed the name to the Inn At Eagle Point.

 

Kevin laughs at a romance novel by Simon Atwater (Oliver Rice) on the table and Bree says that it is horrible.  Jess however, loves the book and excitedly talks about it.  Mick O’Brien (Treat Williams) comes in and addresses Bree by her full name, causing Jess, Kevin, and Connor to leave the house in fear.  He confronts her about buying the bookstore, and tells her that she should be writing instead.  Bree declares that she can do both, but Mick is worried that she will be stretched too thin.

 

In Nashville, Trace and Leigh Corley (Brittany Willacy) admire the records in the studio.  The producer, Mark Hall (Jerry Trimble) greets them and tells them that he’s seen a couple of their shows and is impressed.  He mentions that their former bass player, John Rawl (Bradley Stryker) plays down at the nearby club and that he now wants to work with them because he thinks they are finally ready.  Trace is in disbelief that he wants to work with them and is excited about the prospect.

 

At Sally’s, Kevin asks Connor about work and he admits that he hates it.  Kevin asks why he doesn’t quit and he says that he doesn’t want Mick to address him by his full name.  Sarah walks in and Connor attempts to flirt with her with a hand gesture.  Kevin calls his flirting weird, but Connor sees Sarah come over and believes that it worked.  She approaches the table and sarcastically tells him how flattered she was by his efforts.  Kevin laughs and apologizes for not calling her.  Connor is surprised that they know each other, and she tells Kevin that he still has to pay his fine.  Once she leaves, Connor criticizes Kevin for not calling and he admits he wasn’t ready after his break-up.  Connor believes he has a chance with Sarah, but Kevin reminds him that she hated his flirting attempts.

 

Bree is annoyed about having to sell copies of Atwater’s novel at her bookstore.  Megan O’Brien (Barbara Niven) tells her that she liked the novel, and asks how Mick took her purchase of the store.  Bree tells her that he wasn’t happy about it, and Megan tells her that she believes that Bree can make her own decisions.  She tells Megan how important the bookstore is to her, and Jess suggests a reading group to boost traffic.  Bree likes the idea and suggests that they discuss classic authors.  Jess points out that all of the authors are dead and suggests doing a reading group around Atwater’s novel.  Bree does not like the idea, but Jess and Megan convince her to try it.  Jess asks to be put in charge of the publicity, and Bree reluctantly does.

 

At work, Abby meets with Mick and tells him that she has to protect the interests of her employer over his.  She reminds him that his brother, Thomas O’Brien (Gregory Harrison) is already threatening a lawsuit over the property.  Abby asks him why he wants to work on this property, and he doesn’t give a reason, explaining that business isn’t always complicated.  Mick can tell that Abby is upset, and she admits that she’s worried about Trace.  In Nashville, Trace and Leigh record their single, but Hall doesn’t like the recording for a reason he can’t figure out.  Trace and Leigh finish the song, and Hall tells them that they are done for the day.

 

Abby meets with Thomas and she tells him that her employer is looking at the property.  She asks him why he is protesting development, and he reminds her that he wants to protect the environment.  She asks why he’s trying to give away the land now, and that Mick wouldn’t be developing the property if he wasn’t trying to give it away.  She shows him a picture of him, Mick and Megan as teenagers and asks what happened between them.  Thomas tells her that they just grew apart, and Abby tells him that it doesn’t have to be like that.

 

In Nashville, Leigh and Trace find it odd that Hall didn’t comment on their performance.  Trace notices the club that Hall mentioned that John worked at and they decide to go inside.  Jess is excited that people are signing up for the book club, but Bree is still not happy about the book choice.  Reading the flyer for the event, Bree is horrified that it says that Atwater is coming to the bookstore for a reading and reminds Jess that he isn’t coming.  Jess shows her that he will be signing books in Baltimore, and suggests that they go and invite him.  Bree thinks it’s crazy, but Jess thinks it’s worth a shot.

 

Abby and Thomas talk about the photo and tells her that it was taken at a fair before he left town.  She mentions that Mick wasn’t happy, and Thomas tells her that he wasn’t either.  He explains that Mick had been fighting with their father, and corrects Abby’s assumption that Thomas was favored over Mick.  Kevin goes to the firehouse and tells Sarah that he tried to call her.  She is mad at him for not calling in the first place, and he asks her out.  After telling her that Connor won’t be there, he explains that it would be a date.  She asks why he didn’t call, and he explains that timing was the issue and refuses to elaborate.  She agrees to dinner and tells him to meet her at the firehouse.

 

After entering the bar, Trace spots John at the bar and tells Leigh that he has to talk to him.  John is not happy to see him when he approaches and tells him that he heard about him being in Nashville.  Trace tells him that he wants him back in the band, and assures him that it’s because he is the best bass player he knows.  John rejects him, telling him that he hopes he got everything he wanted.  Trace and Leigh go up on stage and they perform their song for the crowd.  John watches for a bit, and then walks out of the club.

 

Abby comes home and drinks wine with Megan, telling her about her day talking to Mick and Thomas.  She tells Megan about the photo, and Megan tells her that Mick and Thomas were inseperable back then.  Abby asks what happened, and Megan explains that time and jealousy pulled them apart.  Abby goes to see Mick, and asks him to tell her what happened between him and Thomas.  Mick tells her that his father made him the trustee of the property giving him control over the entire property.  Abby asks if Thomas was mad about that, and Mick tells her that things changed after their father’s funeral.

 

Trace and Leigh record the song, and Hall stops them.  After telling them to start again because their performance is emotionless, he comes into the recording booth and asks them where they are.  He orders them to do it again, and then stops them.  Bree and Jess approach Atwater at the book signing, and Jess tells him that they are huge fans of his book. She then corrects that only one of them is.  Bree introduces them, and Jess shows him the flyer.  She asks him to come by, and admits that this is her fault.  Atwater asks Bree what she thinks of his book, and she calls it a page turner.  She tries to explain that it is a positive thing, and says that the book is interesting.  He asks her if she thinks he is a hack, and she tries and fails to deny it.

 

Kevin arrives at the firehouse with flowers, and finds that Sarah is making dinner for the other firefighters.  She hands him an apron and suggests they get to know each other while cooking.  He asks why she invited him there, and she tells him that he has to get the other firefighters’ approval.  Before they can begin, the alarm goes off and the firefighters leave.  At a bar, Trace and Leigh commiserate over failing to impress Hall and Trace gets a call from Abby.  He updates her on the trip, and she asks what’s going to happen when they’re done.  Trace admits that he’s not sure, and she tells him to keep her posted as they hang up.

 

Trace and Leigh go back to the studio, and Hall tells them that he’s figured out the problem with their performance.  He explains that he can’t hear who they are singing too and he tells them to think of the person who they want as they perform.  They go in the booth and Trace closes his eys as he sings the song, while Leigh looks at him.  Hall tells his partner to mute Leigh so that Trace is the only one singing.  Megan and Nell talk about Mick and Thomas’ feud.  Nell explains that her husband helped fuel the problem as he didn’t know how to talk to Thomas.  Nell is unsure if they will be able to resolve things, and Megan reminds her that she’s always said that things work themselves out.

 

Bree sits with Abby and Jess at the bookstore and admits that she should have stuck with dead authors.  Jess apologizes, and Bree reminds her that this is all her fault.  She questions whether buying the bookstore was a bad idea, and Abby assures her that it wasn’t.  Mick and Thomas walk and talk about their relationship.  He assures Thomas that isn’t just about business, and reminds him that they are family.  Thomas tells him that he had everything growing up, and Mick tells him that everything was easy for him.

 

Abby tells Mick that she has made her decision to move forward with the development.  She tells him that it’s risky, but she believes that he will do the right thing in the end.  Bree prepares what she’s going to say to the assembled book club, and Megan tells her that it’s time.   She gets everyone’s attention to break the news, but sees Atwater walk in through the door.   He tells her that she appreciated her honesty about his work and she gives him the floor.  He reads a passage from his book and tells them he met someone recently who reminded him of it, looking at Bree.

 

Trace listens to the recording and asks Hall where Leigh’s voice is.  Hall explains to him that he sees him as a solo act.  Trace tells him that Leigh is his songwriting partner, and Hall tells him that she can stay on as a writer.  He resists the idea, but Hall tells him that he’ll come around.  Hall warns him that he won’t get another shot in the industry if he walks away.