When Calls the Heart Season 9 Episode 4: Straight from the Heart

Mei stares at one headline, "Hit-and-Run Suspect Still at Large," on the Valley Voice bulletin as Rosemary approaches and lets her know a new issue will be out in a day or two.

Later Mei arrives at the jail and offers to work with Newton and Nathan together. She admits that being inside a cell makes you think twice about doing something to land there. Nathan admires Mei's work with his horse, whose recovery has really come along; Mei says the key is to know and accept your limitations.

Joseph is swamped with the paperwork from Coulter Construction as he is covering for Lee in addition to his own duties. He is considering asking for a raise or part ownership. Minnie had the same thought about her work at the cafe, having covered for Clara for so long.

After Lucas arrives to watch Little Jack at home, Elizabeth heads off to work. While at the schoolhouse she and her students look at clouds when they spot Lucas passing by pulling Little Jack in a wagon.

A student asks whether she and Lucas will get married. Elizabeth evades the question as Superintendent Landis arrives with bad news: Elizabeth's accreditation to teach Angela came from outside the district, making it worthless.

At the Coulter office Bill has news that Wyman is leaving town but will surely be back. Rosemary offers to contact her informants to keep track of Wyman's moves.

Nathan asks Mei to dinner to thank her for her work with Newton.

Landis monitors Elizabeth's class as she teaches. Privately Cooper takes a moment to tell Elizabeth he does not like Landis. When Elizabeth discusses her accreditation with the superintendent, he states his hands are tied. Elizabeth loses her temper, telling him to leave as he has no jurisdiction over how she runs her classroom. When Landis grabs his hat, he finds it is stuck to the table, glued down by the students.

Mei hires Bill as her attorney, admitting she is a fugitive of sorts from her husband. Bill is startled to learn Mei is married.

Elizabeth shares what happened with Landis with Rosemary. She also cannot help but think it was Cooper who glued the hat down. Rosemary mentions seeing Lucas and Little Jack together and believes Lucas will be a great father.

Mei arrives for dinner with Nathan at the saloon. Nearby Bill catches her eye, aware of the fact she has a husband.

Elizabeth finds Lucas reading to Little Jack as he puts him to bed. Afterward she admits to Lucas she feels more for him than she had let herself admit. He gives her a kiss goodnight, promising to return tomorrow to watch Little Jack again. Soon after he leaves her house, Lucas is hit with a fist from a stranger in the dark.

The next morning when Lucas arrives to watch Little Jack, he has a black eye. Elizabeth wonders what happened. He tells her it is no big deal, that he just walked into a door.

Elizabeth asks the class who glued down the hat. Cooper admits he did it. When speaking with Elizabeth and his parents, Cooper admits he is not sorry for what he did, though he does give Elizabeth a hug and apologizes for causing her trouble with Landis.

Bill learns from Rosemary's informant that a merchant in Brookfield was shot when Wyman was there. When Bill sees Wyman arrive with Spurlock, he demands that Wyman turn over his gun. Wyman claims not to have it and insists he is not here for trouble.

Lucas approaches Spurlock and Wyman as they head towards the saloon. He says he got their message last night, but warns them they had better not go near Elizabeth or Little Jack.

Elizabeth finds a phone in her house, a gift from Lucas.

Outside the cafe Joseph spots a man in a car with a busted taillight. When Joseph tries to talk to the man he runs, and Joseph chases him.

At the Coulter office Rosemary notices a commotion outside. Joseph has caught the man who hit Nathan with his car.

The episode closes the Season 9 premiere's hit-and-run thread: Joseph spots a man with a busted taillight outside the cafe, chases him when he runs, and catches the man who hit Nathan with his car. What happens to the driver afterwards is not confirmed within the episode.

Lucas's black eye is left deliberately unexplained to Elizabeth. A stranger punches him in the dark after he leaves her house, he tells her he walked into a door, and he confirms to Wyman and Spurlock only that he received their message; the reason for the attack and whether Elizabeth learns the truth are both left unresolved within the episode.

Elizabeth's accreditation to teach Angela remains worthless at the close. Landis says his hands are tied and leaves the classroom, so whether Elizabeth can keep teaching Angela is not confirmed. Mei's position is also left open: she hires Bill as her attorney and calls herself a fugitive of sorts from her husband, but no claim against her is resolved within the episode.