Cedar Cove Episode 3.04 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Grace gleefully reads responses about the Cedar Cove town photo while Cliff busies himself hanging a picture on her office wall. The overwhelmingly positive reactions to the town photo almost cover Grace's less than inspiring response to Cliff's proposal. She's still not wearing the ring and Cliff can't help but notice. Cliff doesn't want to push the issue but does ask Grace if she will put the ring on before he leaves for a cattle auction at the end of the week. Grace responds with a noncommittal nod.

Justine arrives for work at Charlotte's house and finds Will already meeting with a contractor. She pulls him aside and asks if he's told Olivia about his plans for the house. Just then Olivia shows up and angrily asks Will what he is doing. Will and Olivia argue about the fate of the house and about their own relationship, but in the end, Will insists that their mother put him in charge and he is going to sell the house.

At the offices of Saget Development, Warren and Alex arrive at work to find an unexpected guest waiting. The woman introduces herself as Warren's wife, Kelly. With Alex still standing there, Kelley tells Warren that she wants a divorce. Sensing the awkward moment, Alex hastily excuses herself from the room. Alone with Warren, Kelley tells him that she's in love and, while they've spent years fighting over their divorce terms, she's now ready to make it final. She agrees to the terms of their original agreement but demands that a judge oversee the process. Kelley makes it clear that she's not taking any chances and intends to fully move on.

Meanwhile, at the Thyme & Tide, Paul stops in to the woodshop to again try and make nice with Bob. Bob pointedly asks Paul if he's called Alex. Paul reminds him that he's recently divorced and not dating. The topic of conversation catches Paul off guard and, rather than continue, he makes a hasty exit. As he leaves, Peggy arrives with a plate of fresh cookies. She cheerfully offers Paul a cookie before turning to Bob and remarking how friendly and handsome Paul is. Bob couldn't disagree more and says he wants Paul to leave Cedar Cove. Bob's worried Paul could take Olivia from Jack and "the guy code" means he must do anything to stop that from happening.

It's lunchtime in Cedar Cove and when Olivia runs into Paul on the courthouse lawn. As he snacks on food from the vending machine, Paul gets a text from his mother wishing him a happy birthday. Hearing the news Olivia immediately wants to know how he plans on celebrating. Paul insists he has no plans and hates celebrating birthdays. Olivia doesn't argue and instead invites him to a welcome dinner at her house. Since the dinner falls the day after his birthday, Paul can't refuse.

Along the waterfront Bob spots Jack and Alex chatting together. When Alex leaves, Bob approaches Jack and pulls him aside for a talk. Bob's noticed Jack and Alex developing a closer relationship and he is not a fan. He asks Jack what he's doing with Alex, saying he shouldn't be out with her. Jack explains that he's trying to give Olivia her space, but Bob suggests that Paul is putting the moves on Olivia. Jack brushes off his suspicions and tells Bob that he everything is good.

Outside at Moon's Will and Warren drink coffee chat about Charlotte's house. Warren advises Will to tear the house down and develop the lot. As they discuss the idea, the conversation turns to the topic of fathers. It turns out that Buck had a habit of scaring off the women Warren dates. Buck's even paid women to leave Warren. All but one fled: Kelley. No matter what Buck did, no matter how rude he was, Kelley wouldn't let it bother her. Instead of running from Buck, she married Warren. As he recalls the story Warren cocks a smile, abruptly ends the conversation, and leaves.

Back at Grace's house, Grace and Maryellen unpack groceries and discuss the men in their lives. Grace tells Maryellen that Cliff is pushing her to wear the engagement ring. Maryellen argues staunchly that Cliff needs to be more patient and recognize that what Grace want's matters too. Maryellen's passionate argument is reflective of her own feeling about her situation with John. It's obvious that both women have encountered non-negotiable points in their relationships and neither is willing to stand down. They instead agree to stand by each other and remain firm in terms of what they want.

As the afternoon wears on, Jack and Alex again find themselves walking through town together. Jack is busy avoiding Jeri's calls, while Warren has changed the locks on Alex's office door. With nothing better to do Jack decides to go with Alex and see if he can help. Jack wiggles the office door handle as Warren appears from around the corner. He tells Jack that his son left town without returning the office keys leaving him no choice but to change the locks. Instead of arguing, Jack leans into the door, snapping the door jam. Jack then tells Warren how thankful he is that the office is as shoddy as everything else Warren has built.

Back at the courthouse, Paul and Olivia discuss his latest case. Paul tries to talk about a judge's ruling but it's clear that Olivia has other things on her mind. She tells Paul about her issues with Will and bemoans the stress her brother is causing. Paul then tells Olivia that the two of them are going on a mystery trip and, since it his birthday, Olivia can't refuse.

A short time later Olivia finds herself at the putting green. She's out of place and unsure that she should have played hooky. Paul insists that the outing is therapeutic and moves in close to help Olivia with her stance. Skeptical, Olivia follows his instructions and smacks the ball off the tee. Excited by her own success, Olivia can't believe this is how Paul wanted to spend his birthday. Paul looks directly into her eyes and tells her that this is exactly how he wanted to spend his birthday.

Back in town, as Linette walks into her apartment, she catches a glimpse of her new neighbor Gloria. Linette and Rebecca met Gloria earlier in the day when she was moving in. Now, with the moving trucks gone, Linette convinces Gloria to take a break and invites her over to dinner with the other roommates. Gloria tells the women she's a police officer and just recently transferred to Cedar Cove. While they talk, Gloria excuses herself and, as she does, her purse falls on the floor. Rebecca reaches for the bag and, as she does she, catches a glimpse of Gloria's license that identifies her "Laura Moore".

Later that day, Olivia stops by Jack's house for an unannounced visit. She is somewhat shocked when Alex greets her at the door. Olivia explains that she was not spying on Jack but came to tell him about her day with Paul. Jack expresses concern about her friendship with Paul and Olivia confides that she was taken aback by Alex's answering the door at Jack's house. For her part, Olivia insists that she and Paul are just work friends. Jack then reveals that Alex is also in AA and that she wanted Olivia to know so she didn't get the wrong impression. With the air cleared about the other people in their lives Olivia and Jack are again taking steps to rebuild trust and their relationship.

The next day Grace and Justine busily help Olivia prepare for Paul's welcome dinner. It's then that Grace reveals her concern for Maryellen and John's relationship. She also shares what she thinks is a secret about Warren's wife being back in Cedar Cove. Judging by Olivia's response it's clear she already knows, but she can't say anything else about it to Grace. Unbeknownst to Grace, Olivia had presided over the Saget's divorce hearing earlier in the day. During the hearing Olivia was forced to recuse herself because Warren was engaged to Justine while still married to Kelley.

In the backyard, the guests greet each other and take their seats. As Olivia prepares to sit she hears a voice say, "Hey, Sis." Olivia turns to see Will and Warren walking towards her. Olivia is incensed at the fact that Will brought Warren to tell her they are planning to level their childhood home. For his part, Will is angry that his sister had a party and didn't invite him.

Trying to move past the awkwardness, Paul asks Jack about his wine preference. Paul is completely oblivious to the uncomfortable stares around him and proceeds to pour a glass for Jack. Jack finally breaks the awkwardness and tells Paul that he's a recovering alcoholic. An embarrassed Paul makes a labored apology but is cut short by a sarcastic quip from Warren. Jack angrily confronts Warren but decides it would be better just to walk away and calm down.

Looking to change topics, Peggy asks Cliff and Grace about their wedding plans and invites them to hold the ceremony at the Thyme & Tide. Cliff fumbles through an answer, and Peggy realizes her mistake. Oblivious to the tension, Bob pointedly asks them if they are engaged. Peggy tries to nudge him but the damage has already been done. Cliff angrily storms off.

With a few empty chairs at the table, Warren decides to take a seat and relax with the other guests. But, before he can, Justine grabs him buy the scruff of the neck and pulls him to the side. She angrily tells him to stop meddling with her mom, her uncle and Jack. Warren smugly says he knew their working together would be difficult due to Justine's lingering feelings towards him. She glares at him as he talks, but before he can finish, Luke arrives. The two men shake hands and Warren introduces himself as Justine's former fiance. Justine never mentioned Warren to Luke, leaving Luke puzzled in yet another awkward dinner moment.

Exiting the house, Will and Olivia continue to argue. Will feels inferior to his sister and believes that, like during much of their childhood, Olivia intentionally excludes him from her life. Olivia can barely get a word in edgewise before Will storms off, saying he'll see her in court. Before she can catch her breath, a teary eyed Grace emerges. Still unable to commit to her engagement with Cliff, Grace now finds herself alone. She grabs a bowl from Olivia and announces that she's returned Cliff's ring and that the two have broken up for good.