Chesapeake Shores Recap: We’re Gaining A Daughter

By: Jessica Wolff

Forty-eight hours after receiving the news that Kevin (Brendan Penny) has gone missing during his tour, the O’Brien family is unable to get any more information from the Army. Abby (Meghan Ory), about to head to New York to start her custody battle, says goodbye to her family. Nell (Diane Ladd) wants to pray for Kevin before she leaves, but Abby refuses to take part. Ex-boyfriend Trace Riley (Jesse Metcalfe) texts words of encouragement to a nervous Abby as she and Mick (Treat Williams) drive to Mick’s plane. After venting her frustrations over Nell’s over-reliance on prayer, Abby and Mick climb into the cockpit and take off for New York City.

To Abby ‘s surprise, Megan (Barbara Niven) and Connor (Andrew Francis) have come to the courthouse to support Abby. Back in Chesapeake Shores, Trace’s ex Leigh Corley (Brittany Willacy) tries to convince him to change his mind about staying in town. Trace refuses to go back to Nashville and Leigh gets frustrated with him. Jess (Laci J Mailey) watches an old home video of Kevin’s first deployment with Nell. As he drives into town, Trace looks at an old abandoned building, which he sees is for sale.

Nell visits the grave of her husband and places the old wedding ring on top of it before walking away. On their walk to the courtroom, Abby’s lawyer gives her some last minute instructions and words of encouragement and Connor offers advice of his own. Abby and Wes Winters (Michael Karl Richards) stare each other down before going in. Abby says goodbye to her family as she walks into the custody hearing with her lawyer.

The hearing begins and the judge begins by questioning Abby her about violation of her custody agreement by bringing her daughters to Chesapeake Shores without Wes’ consent. Abby defends herself and her lawyer hands the judge their petition for sole custody of the kids. Jess takes Carrie and Caitlyn (Abbie and Kayden Magnuson) outside and they ask her about living with separated parents and whether they can be one happy family. Jess avoids the question and distracts them.

Trace asks the realtor about the abandoned building and she tells him that there is already an interested buyer looking to open a microbrewery. He expresses his interest in buying the building himself. Nell goes to church and speaks to the pastor and asks him about God and punishment. The pastor tries to soothe her worries about Kevin, but Nell becomes upset. As she leaves, she takes the old wedding ring off her husband’s grave.

As Abby waits for the next stage of her custody hearing, the family argues with each other. Mick gets a call from the Army telling him that Kevin has been found and the tension in the room evaporates. Back in the hearing, Abby tells the judge that the family reunion in Chesapeake Shores has changed her perspective on things. She announces her move to Chesapeake Shores and explains that she wants the girls to spend time with their family. The judge grants Abby the right to have the girls live in Chesapeake Shores for the summer and to work out her visitation rights with Wes. She warns Abby and Wes that they will need to come back if they can’t work out an agreement on their own.

Trace talks to the realtor about the building and they discuss how to outbid the interested buyer. At the end of the hearing, the O’Brien family piles into the elevator at the courthouse. Before the door closes, Wes and his lawyer get on. During a tense elevator ride, Wes gives Abby an old shirt for Nell’s family quilt and expresses his desire for custody now that he is getting remarried. Trace tells Leigh that he wants to resume work on the album, but that he wants to end their working relationship after it’s done. He tells Leigh that he wants to buy the abandoned building to build a music venue and that the money from the album will help him buy it. Leigh tries to kiss Trace, but he pulls away and insists on keeping things professional.

Jess plays hide and seek with the girls, but loses sight of them. She frantically searches for them, but soon finds them sitting nearby. Megan and Connor attempt to reconnect and Connor asks her if she can get tickets to a hockey game for them. Abby and Mick arrive back in Chesapeake Shores and Mick shows her an old picture of their first flight together. Mick assures her that things will be alright and that Chesapeake Shores will be good for the kids. On the way back to the house, Trace drives behind them and Mick pulls over so that Abby can talk to him. Abby tells him the results to the custody battle. Trace goes to the bank to talk to his father about taking out a loan.

Back at the house, Abby apologizes to Nell for walking out during her prayer. They discuss why Bree went to Chicago and Jess theorizes that she’s breaking up with her boyfriend. Abby asks if Leigh is still staying at the B&B and Jess informs her that she left earlier that day. Later that evening, Nell finds Mick sitting at the church and they have a heart to heart about the husband and father they lost. Mick laments his strained relationship with his children, but Nells encourages him that there’s still time to fix those relationships. Trace begins to design his new music venue and Abby spends her evening with her daughters.