Plot

As Middleton's annual Lights Festival approaches, final decisions about the Maldives dig and London Abroad are made, but circumstances could bring about second thoughts.

Cassie and Sam's planned dinner announcement bellies up, Brandon aims to protect Tara from a phone call, Grace attempts to patch up a friendship, Sam and Eve strive to revive their clientele, Stephanie and Ben deal with a kitchen cave in (of sorts), Martha and Stephanie rally to save the annual Lights Festival, Nick struggles to save face, and Abigail accepts credit were credit is sorely not due.—statmanjeff

Having earlier seen Cassie and Sam kiss in the kitchen, Grace, Cassie, Sam and Nick sit down for a somewhat awkward dinner. With Nick and Grace still feuding after their disagreement, Grace accidentally reveals Nick having second thoughts about London. With Nick angry, and Sam and Cassie confused, the dinner ends abruptly without Sam and Cassie having the chance to disclose their new relationship.

Cassie and Sam agree it may not be the best time to be open about their developing relationship. John calls but Cassie doesn't answer. She's decided not to go on the Maldives dig; there are too many things calling her to stay home. Sam is a little surprised to hear that but happy.

Martha enters Bell, Book and Candle to share concerns about Abigail's total avoidance of all responsibilities (and Martha herself) in managing the town's forthcoming Lights Festival, only to find Cassie awaiting her with herbal tea to reduce stress and anxiety.

Brandon makes Tara breakfast for her first day working for Cassie. Tara still worries about becoming an abandoning mother just like her mom. Brandon advises leaving the past in the past.

Stephanie working with Ben, stresses over agreeing to make eight designer cakes for the festival. She and Ben differ over cleaning as you go or not. An old girlfriend calls Ben, pricking Stephanie's insecurity.

At the diner (with Abigail watching hungrily from afar), Cassie gently turns down John's invite to the Maldives archaeological dig. John exits (gently let down), so Abigail quickly joins Cassie to discuss Cassie's love life. Cassie easily turns the conversation towards Abigail's avoidance of Martha and the town festival.

Grace catches up with Nick to apologize for spilling his secret about questioning the decision to school abroad in London. Grace wants to talk; Nick doesn't. After talking so much about going to London, Nick's afraid his school chums will think him a wuss for backing out. Also, living with his dad has been nice - a marked improvement to how things were in New York - but now that his dad has a whole hospital to run, things may likely return to how they were - or maybe worse. Nick would rather work out his issues by himself.

Sam and Eve wonder what happened to their clientele. Sending out e-mails only resulted in canceled appointments from their few remaining patients. Eve will call Jill, their first canceling patient, and get to the bottom of this circumstance.

Cassie finds Stephanie preparing cookies for Abigail, which Stephanie hopes will pierce Abigail's avoidance and bring up the issue of the non-managed festival. Stephanie feels stretched thin but promises to deliver the cakes for the cake auction to help the Children's Library Fund. Stephanie shares her additional concerns over Ben meeting up with a former girlfriend. Sam enters and Stephanie gives him his lunchbox with an extra for Eve. Since Sam's headed for the hospital, the extra treat will be his. Sam shares his concern that his patients feel he'll abandon them like the previous town doctor did. Cassie advises perseverance.

Stopping by home, Brandon picks up Tara's ringing cell phone (accidentally forgotten). His happy disposition changes as he promises the caller he'll let Tara know.

At Bell, Book and Candle, Cassie guides Tara through their inventory computer. Tara discovers she's forgotten her phone and reveals that she's waiting for a call from her mother - an issue she wants to keep from Brandon, as he thinks she'll likely get hurt from the mother who abandoned her.

Martha finds the door to the flower shop locked. Stephanie arrives with Abigail's cookie order to also find the door locked. Martha may have to cancel the festival. As the two leave together, Abigail steps out from the recesses of her store and unlocks the door, smiling as she watches the two women walk away.

At Gray House, and under the shadow of the festival's cancellation, George finishes the first of the display trays for the cake auction. Faith in the face of doubt. Sam drops by before returning home for dinner, planning to discuss his relationship with Cassie to Nick.

As Nick prepares dinner, Sam starts to discuss the plans for London Abroad. Soon into it, Sam gets a call. He avoids his cell phone but the house phone rings. Nick answers. It's the hospital. Sam takes the call, unaware of Nick drifting away from facing the old story of Sam's work pulling him away.

Martha frets over calling all the vendors to cancel the festival. Stephanie volunteers to handle those calls since she knows nearly all the vendors. As Martha picks up Cassie's tea container, Stephanie's words about "helping hands" inspires Martha. Instead of calling to cancel, how about calling to confirm?

At the hospital, Sam discusses positions to fill with Dr. Charles and finds the hospital inexorably demanding more of his time than he wants to give (specifically taking time from telling Nick about romantic interests in Cassie).

Abigail debates over what earrings to wear with her green velvet dress. Cassie thinks she'd want to keep a low profile, but Abigail counters that the festival is currently being handled by those who should have been handling it all along. Sam enters; Abigail exits (doing her best to pair them up good and tight). Cassie and Sam discuss how they will meet up at the festival. Sam pulls out tickets for the Ferris wheel. They'll meet at 8:00. "Don't be late," says Cassie. "For you, I'll be early," says Sam.

At the office, Eve reveals that it's her fault their clientele collapsed. A joke she made in the office confirmed (or produced) everyone's fears that Sam was leaving his practice. She may make bad jokes when worried, but Sam should have said something - which he doesn't like to do before signing contracts. Sam notices a basket sent by Cassie, full of craft stuff for kids to share at the festival. Crafts. This may be the way to win back the confidence of Middleton residents.

Brandon drops by Bell, Book and Candle with lunch for Cassie and Tara before returning to work. Tara asks if he answered her phone yesterday. He says no. Cassie says there's only one sandwich in the lunch order (a lie for a lie). Tara heads to the bistro for the other sandwich. With her gone, Cassie asks Brandon if he's going to tell her. Brandon realizes he's been caught lying.

With eight cakes made (yet to be frosted and decorated), Stephanie and Ben declare more prior notice before they'll do this again. As Ben speaks of the festival, Stephanie alludes to their still being a couple in a year (which Ben doesn't catch). Suddenly, Stephanie notices that a three-tiered cake has collapsed to one side. Refusing Ben's help to fix it brings Ben to realize Stephanie's anxiety over his old girlfriend's recent call. That relationship never would have worked out, but spending three days making cakes with Stephanie should have bespoke his interest in her for the long haul. He'll fix the eighth cake while she gets the other seven to the festival.

In their driveways, Sam shares Nick's distress over London Abroad with Cassie. Cassie suggests she might find another adventure suitable for Nick. They reconfirm meeting up at 8:00. Having a feeling, Cassie warns Sam about being careful.

Inside, Cassie finds Grace tired out from studying. Grace feels she really messed up with Nick in trying to convince him he wasn't really ready to leave home. Grace senses something, and Cassie finally talks about her romance with Sam. Grace asks for time to get used to the idea. Cassie hands Grace a letter to give to John.

Nick tells Sam he officially backed out of the London trip, and Sam finally talks about having a romance with Cassie. As another phone call interrupts Sam, Nick answers the door. It's Grace with another apology. Nick reveals his cancellation of London. Sam enters and sends the kids to the festival without him, saying he'll catch up later.

The festival starts coming together, with the sheriff joining a couple of his patrolmen eating donuts. Martha micromanages a guy hanging lights. George's display tables are finished and lovely. Cassie's finishing touches on the indoor display astonishes Martha - so beautiful.

Nick and Grace talk of their parents starting to date. Grace drops off Cassie's letter to John, who's operating the Ferris wheel. The envelope contains a coin for luck that Cassie found in India, and a note in Sanskrit simply saying good luck. Hearing that John will be taking along high schoolers for a two-week shift of grunt work gets Grace's mind-wheels turning. The idea of the trip tweaks both Grace's and Nick's interest.

Inside, Cassie declares Stephanie's cakes amazing. It was just what the festival needed this year, and what Stephanie needed, too - with Ben's repaired cake looking like a stack of gift-wrapped presents.

It's night when Abigail arrives, saying it looks like "her" festival is coming along flawlessly. For years, the absent Bonnie had made Martha think that she (Bonnie) was doing all the work when it was actually Martha who was calling all the shots. Now, thanks to Abigail, the festival is back in the right hands. Abigail excuses herself to talk to two reporters from a "big Chicago paper" doing articles on businesses owners in small towns - like her flower shop.

On the merry-go-round, Brandon's mood is up but Tara's is down. Tara reveals she contacted her mom but got no reply and, kicking herself for reaching out, emailed the woman to never contact her again. As Tara goes to fetch a couple of candied apples, Cassie comes up to Brandon and says that people can be hurt more by others trying to protect them. Cassie walks away. When Tara returns, Brandon reveals that Tara's mom called but he decided not to tell her. Affronted that he lied and may have ruined the one chance to reconnect with her mother, Tara hands him his apple and walks off.

At the children's craft booth, Eve runs the show, handing out cards to parents offering free "well check" visits to Dr. Radford's (Sam's) office. Cassie calls Sam's cell phone but only reaches his voice mail.

It's nearly 9:00 and George is bristling to conclude the cake auction, which closes in one hour. Abigail takes the mic and thanks everyone for coming. She begins to take full credit for the festival but then turns the spotlight (as it were) to Mayor Tinsdale (Martha) for her contributions. Martha is surprised and delighted by the recognition, but as Abigail continues to self-promote her store, she leads everyone outside where a surprise awaits.

Outside, as Cassie makes another attempt to reach Sam, Abigail leads a countdown for a fireworks display. Everyone is caught up in the excitement, except for Brandon and Tara, who aren't speaking to each other, and Cassie, who can't enjoy the festival any further, accepting she's been stood up by Sam.