When Calls the Heart Season 9 Episode 6: Past, Present, Future

Nathan tries to put a saddle on Newton, but the horse backs away, a clear sign he is still spooked from the accident.

As Nathan walks into town with Newton by his side, he notices the streets are congested with cars and finds himself having to direct traffic.

Nearby, Elizabeth and Rosemary speak outside the Valley Voice office about Elizabeth's concern over Lucas's business with Wyman.

Elizabeth makes her way over to the saloon and gives Lucas a kiss. He is preparing for a call with Jerome finalizing the sale of the oil company. Elizabeth sees a window to ask what is next for Lucas as far as business, to which he simply replies, "I'm keeping my options open."

Florence laments over rude customers, wondering where this town's manners have gone. Molly, the perfect example of a polite person, enters and shares that her parents always stressed the importance of a customary code of polite behavior, which gives Florence an idea.

At Bill's office, Nathan and Bill listen to Lee complain about the traffic. He does not like what has happened to the town and wants Bill to do something, but Bill states that because neither of them are Mayor there is nothing they can do. However, Lee and Rosemary run a newspaper, which would be a great outlet for Lee's concerns. Bill then turns his attention to Nathan: he saw how skittish Newton was while Nathan directed traffic, and orders Nathan not to ride Newton without his approval.

Rosemary asks Elizabeth for ideas to help increase readership at The Valley Voice when suddenly they hear screams and see kids run out of the Soda Fountain. They rush over and find the shop, as well as Robert and Allie, covered in ice cream. The ice cream fight followed Allie finding out that Robert had taken Angela on a bike ride.

Henry levels with Lucas and says he has figured out what Jerome may really want out of their sale: to reopen the mine.

At the infirmary, Hickam pops by to ask Faith out to dinner. He needs her advice as a doctor to help him learn how to better assess situations and make decisions. Faith agrees to dinner as it would be nice to get out.

Rosemary finds Lee pouring himself into an editorial. Outside the window she notices Joseph and a group of men working on something, which is strange as Lee does not have any work in town today.

Lee goes out to see what is going on and is informed by Joseph that a private contractor ordered the work. When Lee tries to ask the other man what is being built, he is pushed away, creating a fight.

After the fight lands Lee at the infirmary, he insists he is okay. Rosemary says it was good Joseph was there to help stop the fight. Faith wonders what they were building, and Lee says it was a billboard for jobs at the Foundry.

Later that night, Elizabeth asks if Lucas is selling the saloon as she has seen Wyman at his office. Lucas assures her he is not. Elizabeth thought the sale may have caused his black eye, and Lucas comes clean about being jumped by one of Wyman's men over pushback on another matter.

The next morning the town is buzzing about Lee's scathing op-ed about Mayor Hickam. Meanwhile, at the Valley Voice office, Rosemary shares reservations about Lee's piece as she does not feel Hickam is responsible for all the town's problems.

Since Lucas refused the space for etiquette lessons, Molly and Florence have a new idea: instead of a class, they can create a column on etiquette called Minding Your Manners with Molly.

Bill gets some ice cream from Mei at the soda fountain and asks if she has told Nathan about the situation with her husband. An upset Mei reiterates that when Bill was hired as her attorney she explained that Jeffrey is not her husband, and wonders if he believes her. Bill finds that sometimes people who are upset by the truth are living a lie.

The next morning, Hickam places a sign on his new office door and accidentally locks himself out of the office. Bill asks him to take a walk with him and explains he had to learn a lot as Mayor. As Hickam follows in his footsteps, and literally behind him as they walk, Bill wants people to see that he trusts him and therefore the town can trust him, a good way to help overcome the bad press.

As Elizabeth and Little Jack go past the stables, she finds Nathan. He wants to take her up on the offer to teach him how to drive, as he thinks it is finally time he learned. Elizabeth is happy to help and continues past the stables to speak with Joseph, asking whether he can build her a book wagon to deliver books to those who do not have access.

The episode leaves the mine question open. Henry tells Lucas he has worked out that Jerome may really want the sale in order to reopen the mine, but nothing is settled: Lucas tells Elizabeth only that he is keeping his options open, so whether the mine reopens is not confirmed within the episode.

Mei's position is also unresolved. She insists to Bill that Jeffrey is not her husband and asks whether he believes her, and Bill answers with a remark about people who are upset by the truth, so whether Bill believes her account is not confirmed. Elizabeth's certification to teach Angela remains outstanding as well, with the ruling still being overseen off-screen.

The episode closes on two new threads rather than on a resolution: Bill walking Hickam through town to repair the damage from Lee's editorial, and Elizabeth asking Joseph to build her a book wagon to reach families without access to books.