In episode 8 of Virgin River season 7, Mel and Jack find a bloodied Clay in the barn. He claims that he got into a bar fight and returned for his wallet. Mel is skeptical and worries about Clay's safety to work for them. Jack promises to figure out what's going on with Clay the following morning.
Meanwhile, Mike calls Brie and informs her that he arrested Wild Bill, but he hasn't said anything about Charmaine yet. At the restaurant, Jack tells Preacher that he's not ready to expand the bar. Preacher asks to buy him out and get a new cook. Jack promises to talk to Mel and get back to him.
At the clinic, everyone celebrates Vernon's first day back. Mel talks to Denny and Lizzie about their medical options to cure Lizzie's postpartum anxiety. She suggests a few drugs, but Lizzie turns down the idea. In the end, she opts for mediation to see if it will help, and Denny offers to teach her.
Meanwhile, Jack arrives at the farm and finds Clay on his way out. He wants to quit and walk away before he gets Mel and Jack in trouble. It turns out he owes a loan shark some money. He used to be a bull rider, and the loan shark bet a lot of money on him. Clay used part of the money to try to find his sister. Now, he wants Jack's help to figure out a way to pay the loan fully, but he doesn't want to accept Jack's financial help.
On the other hand, Kaia and Brady return to town. Brady assures Preacher that Kaia loves him, but no one is there to warmly welcome Brady home, and he can't stop thinking about Brie. Unfortunately for Hope, she is forced to work with Roland after checking out his ranch. He invites her and Vernon to the rodeo later that day. Jack also asks Mel for permission to assist Clay, who wants to return to bull riding and wager the remaining money he has on himself. Mel agrees on the condition that she joins them at the rodeo.
Elsewhere, Denny and Lizzie have their first meditation lesson, and although she has a difficult time focusing, he convinces her to at least research the drugs Mel mentioned. It turns out that she is just scared to admit she needs help because she thinks it makes her weak.
Returning to town, Brie unexpectedly encounters Grant, Charmaine's boss at the salon. He mentions that the salon staff are his extended family. However, Brie notices a package of diapers in his car and decides to follow him after leaving a message for Mike. Meanwhile, Wild Bill informs Mike during interrogation that Calvin hired him because he was concerned that Grant was overly obsessed with Charmaine. Unfortunately, Vernon is delayed at the clinic after a group of young scouts suffers from poison ivy.
At the rodeo, Mel advises Jack to consider Preacher's offer. Afterwards, Mel helps Clay, noticing his injury from the previous night and suspecting a broken rib. As they talk, Mel realizes the importance of betting on what she believes in. She asks Jack to place a bet on Clay so he can pay off the loan shark and continue his search for his sister.
At the rodeo, Roland tries to charm Hope, and she begins to relax around him. Vernon is not pleased to see how close they are, and he becomes jealous after realizing that Roland named his favorite horse after Hope. In the meantime, Preacher prepares a thoughtful dinner for Kaia and apologizes for being busy. He also informs her about the situation with the bar expansion. Kaia is sad to hear that he is parting ways with Jack but remains supportive. She talks about what she learned while away and promises to find more for herself in Virgin River while Preacher pursues his dream.
Back to Brie, she discovers that Grant is holding Charmaine and the twins hostage. He killed Calvin in self-defense when Calvin caused a commotion at Charmaine's house. Later, he tracks Charmaine down and keeps her and the twins locked in his house. Brie tries to reason with him until Mike and the police arrive and save the day. Afterwards, Mike acknowledges that they made a good team.
At the rodeo, Clay wins despite his injury. He later thanks Jack and Mel for believing in him and allowing him to stay on at the farm. Jack then speaks with Preacher and agrees to buy him out, promising to always support him and never hold him back.
The scene shifts to Brie visiting Brady to share the good news about Charmaine. He finally admits that he is struggling with being her friend because he wants more. He challenges her to admit the truth to herself or walk away. Annoyingly, she turns and walks away!
The episode ends with Mel and Jack deciding to go on their honeymoon before things get hectic. Unable to decide between Italy and Hawaii, they rely on fate and a map.
