As Abby settles in and starts her job at her firm's Baltimore office, she wonders if she can remain just friends with Trace.

As Kevin remains missing, Mick, Nell and the rest of the O'Brien family nervously wait for more news; Abby goes to New York to fight for custody of her daughters; Trace continues to hide from his past, but a surprising new idea may have him returning to his music dream after all.

Kevin's fiancée arrives in town, surprising the O'Briens. Meanwhile, Abby gets tangled in a fraud investigation; and Trace receives bad news about the water-house property he covets.

Abby and Trace seem finally ready to move forward; Jess, David and Bree attempt to untangle their complicated love triangle; an emergency phone call puts Trace in trouble with the law.

As Abby and the rest of the O’Briens prepare for the town’s annual lantern festival, Trace must return to Nashville to face a mistake from his past. Mick takes his granddaughters back-to-school shopping while covertly working on a business deal that is bound to cause family conflict.

Mick makes some unpopular business decisions when he plans to sell the nightclub that he and Trace had built together. When planning her cousin’s wedding goes awry, Jess turns to an unexpected source for help. Bree fights to regain control in the production of her play.

As Abby sends her girls off to their first day at a new school, conflict arises between Trace and Wes about their roles in the family—complicated further by a Nashville recording label taking interest in Trace’s new demo with a former flame. Mick butts heads with his brother over family land.

Trace hits the road to record an album with his ex-girlfriend but has trouble channeling creative inspiration while he is away from Abby. A well-intentioned Jess creates trouble for Bree when she advertises that a famous author will attend a book reading at Bree’s new bookstore.

Nell discovers a treasure map that Bree made as a teen, leading Bree and Kevin to hunt for a family time capsule in the backyard. While Trace is in Nashville fighting his producer Mark Hall to keep Leigh on an upcoming album at the risk of his own career, Abby meets a handsome widower in the PTA.

As the nightclub opening nears, Trace spends late nights practicing with Leigh and his band, while Mick fights city hall to receive a live music permit. Abby receives a promotion at work, but it leaves her with less time to spend with the family and Trace.

After his band’s video goes viral, Trace receives offers from music executives, but tries to convince his band to give Mark Hall another shot. Abby, Nell and Megan spend some family time together preparing a princess birthday party for Carrie.

After Mark offers Trace and his band a worldwide tour deal, Trace and Abby worry about how it might impact their future together. As Nell ponders a lost love from her past, Abby, Jess and Bree are faced with the possibility of losing their new loves in the present.

Just in time for the Chesapeake Shores Oyster Festival, Trace returns to Abby after three months on tour, only to discover a family in turmoil: Bree's completed manuscript turns out to be a thinly veiled story of the family, and Mick ends the fight over the family Trust but begins a feud with Connor after a fateful mistake.

While Jess and Bree discover David's parents' secret plans, Abby joins Trace on tour, realizing that it will be impossible to stay clear of Trace's newfound fame. Thomas's vow renewal sparks Mick and Megan to re-examine their own relationship, as Connor reconciles with Kevin.

Abby is burdened by continued paparazzi attention from Trace’s growing fame. As he works through his loneliness while on tour away from Abby, Trace writes a song for Abby, which prompts an unexpected reaction from Leigh. Mick tries to repair his relationship with Connor at Megan’s insistence, but their tumultuous history makes Connor reluctant to reconcile. Kevin is concerned when Sarah seeks adventure after a near-death accident at work, noticing similarities between her behavior and his after his wartime injury. Bree edits her novel with Simon’s help, and realizes she and one of her characters share the same drive for self-preservation that stunts their relationships. Meanwhile, Jess fears her relationship with David is over.

Abby learns her ex-husband is in a serious relationship navigates their new family dynamic. Abby misses Trace by her side as she explores the new co-parenting roles with Wes and his girlfriend. Pulled in many directions with work obligations, Trace misses out on family moments with Abby and the girls. Mick and Megan’s relationship continues to evolve, but is influenced by their past. Having worked independently for months, Jess adjusts to David’s return to the bed and breakfast. Also adjusting to a man in her life is Bree, who attempts to define her partially professional, partially romantic relationship with Simon. At the Chesapeake Shores Fire Department, Kevin enjoys a week of on-the-job training with Sarah. Meanwhile, Nell recruits Connor to investigate a contestant who is breaking the rules in an annual gardening competition, but a surprising discovery makes her rethink the plan.

Chaos reigns with the closure of the Bridge, and the O'Briens are at war over Bree's manuscript. Meanwhile, Kevin is heartbroken visiting Sarah's family in Philadelphia, especially after he's offered his dream job back in Chesapeake Shores. When Trace realizes that he might not return to Chesapeake Shores, his relationship with Abby is cast into doubt, as Jess wonders if her relationship with David can survive without the B&B.

On the eve of the Chesapeake Shores Regatta, with Mick recruiting family members to join him on the water, Abby finally has to make a decision whether or not to break up with Trace for good. Meanwhile, Bree's relationship with Simon is rocked when Caroline appears, and David and Jess have to finally figure out their relationship without the B&B. In a surprise twist, a letter from Ireland might decide Nell's future.