Elizabeth is feeling caught between overprotective Jack and new miner Billy Hamilton. When Jack tells her he has proof Billy lied to her, Elizabeth has had enough.
Abigail takes in a very pregnant widow Carla Noonan to keep an eye on her health while Coal Valley's doctor is away. Meanwhile, the new coal miners arrive to start working while bunking above the saloon.
Schoolteacher Elizabeth and Constable Jack's relationship starts to heat up as they are forced to spend more time with each other. They especially bond in the wake of their shocking arrest of widowed mother Cat Montgomery.
Elizabeth helps a mute student who is struggling to cope with the death of her father; Jack investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding the burning of Coal Valley's only church.
When all the widows in Coal Valley receive eviction notices from the Coal Company to make way for new miner recruits, Elizabeth hatches a plan to keep the widows from moving out of the only town they know.
When a wooden plank inscribed with a sentimental message is discovered in the mine, new constable Jack Thornton tries to discover the plank's rightful owner; Elizabeth struggles with capturing the enthusiasm of her students.
