Cooper and Toby go to Nathan and Bill to tell them about the cooking fire they are worried may have started the fire. The boys insist that they did everything to make sure their fire was out. Elizabeth tells them she is proud for telling the truth.
Bill and Nathan inform Joseph and Minnie of the potential consequences if it is found that the boys did start the fire, including the Canfields being responsible for the damage caused by the fire. Bill advises them to prepare a lawyer in case they need to fight it in court.
Lucas finds Edie to apologize for missing the legal clinic. Edie tells Lucas she thought he was different than other politicians and wanted to make a real change. Lucas tries to apologize again but she walks out.
Nathan informs Allie that Oliver’s birthday is on the weekend, and she rushes off to prepare. Bill and Nathan decide they are going to bring McGinty in for questioning, in hopes of absolving Cooper and Toby of the blame.
Gwen and Lee proudly present their latest wood creations to Rosemary and Goldie. They made a house for Goldie’s dolls and a play sword for Gwen.
Lee tells Rosemary he wants to expand Coulter Lumber into Coulter Construction, to combat the rising construction prices for Benson Hills residents. Rosemary tells him it’s a wonderful idea.
At the schoolhouse, Elizabeth tries to prevent the kids from talking about rumors of how the fire started.
Nathan and Bill bring in McGinty for questioning. He claims he wasn’t carrying fuel, but he was using the can to bury his cat in the woods. Nathan and Bill are hesitant to believe him, and McGinty says that he left immediately after the burial to a bar in Benson Hills.
Minnie goes to the jam shop to see if she can give them more to sell. She is informed they can’t pay upfront and can only give her the profits they make off it.
After investigating his alibi, Nathan tells Bill that McGinty’s story checks out. Bill insists they keep looking for more leads of how the fire could have started.
Nathan tells Elizabeth about the bad news but promises to redact the boys’ names from the report while they investigate more leads. Allie arrives home and excitedly tells them about her ideas for Oliver’s birthday. They reassure her that anything she does will be special and offer to help.
Mike and Mei discover Maisie is trying to donate clothes from their home. Maisie tells them she used her fashion sense to make some executive decisions for them. Mei tells Mike to talk to her.
Allie finds Toby to invite him to Oliver’s birthday party. Toby tells her it’s not a good idea for him to come because he thinks they started the fire.
Rosemary tells Lee about the police report. Not only is he upset that McGinty was cleared, he is also worried about the report suggesting two boys from Hope Valley could be responsible for the fire. Rosemary refuses to publish the information in the paper, but the story is still picked up by the Benson Hills publication.
Elizabeth suggests Nathan should call a town meeting to prevent rumors and speculation.
Joseph sees Minnie scrambling in the kitchen to make more jam. She tells him that the defense lawyer is expensive, and they can’t hire Edie because she is a victim of the fire. Joseph tells her to have faith but also decides to help her with the jam. Cooper overhears their conversation from the other room.
At Nathan’s town meeting, the Benson Hills residents grill Nathan and Bill with questions. Nathan tries to assure them he is being transparent, but they believe he is keeping secrets. One resident even brings up that Nathan’s daughter was one of the hikers on the day of the fire. Elizabeth speaks up to quell their frustrations. She emphasizes that even if two kids from Hope Valley did start the fire, it was an accident.
After the meeting, Elizabeth and Nathan agree to make sure Cooper and Toby feel supported.
Cooper walks out of the house with a packed bag. Minnie chases after him. He tells Minnie he was planning on leaving so he can’t burden them anymore. Minnie praises him and reminds him that the accident doesn’t change how much she loves him. She gives him a hug.
At the saloon, Lee runs into McGinty as he in on the phone getting denied a bank loan. McGinty hangs up the phone and tells Lee that he got his wish.
Allie suggests to Elizabeth that she should cancel Oliver’s party because nobody from Benson Hills wants to come. Allie sees Oliver in the distance and goes to talk to him. He is still upset about how the town meeting went. Allie asks him to meet at the cafe later and he agrees.
Mike finally musters up the confidence to confront Maisie about boundaries in his home. To his surprise, Maisie agrees to his terms. Mike also invites Maisie to come to Oliver’s birthday party, to show that the people of Hope Valley and Benson Hills are together.
Lee finds Joseph and offers his support with everything going on. Joseph tells Lee he doesn’t know how they will get through it. Joseph encourages Lee to apologize to McGinty.
Over the radio, Lucas announces he is campaigning for reelection. He promises to oversee the Benson Hills rebuild and claims it will be done within one year. Edie applauds as Lucas promises to bring the community back on its feet.
The whole town is helping prepare for Oliver’s birthday party. Nathan points out that nobody from Benson Hills is there but is interrupted by Maisie’s arrival. Elizabeth thanks her for coming. She is accompanied by many other Benson Hills residents.
Allie goes to fetch Oliver for the surprise. He is happily shocked and thanks Allie for putting it together. Oliver notices Cooper and Toby aren’t there and runs off to go find them. He finds them at the lake and tells them he isn’t going back unless they come with him.
As they all arrive back at the party, Oliver gathers everyone’s attention. Toby and Cooper confess to the crowd that they are the ones suspected of starting the fire. Maisie steps up and tells the crowd about the time she lost Mike when she was babysitting him. She reminds everyone that people make mistakes, especially when they are young. The party resumes.
Minnie and Joseph thank Elizabeth for stepping up at the town meeting. Elizabeth reassures them that Cooper is a great kid.
After the party, Oliver tells Allie it was the best party ever. She gifts him her favorite poetry book. He tells Allie he also has a gift that he never gave her. It’s a wolf pin, to symbolize her bravery and love for nature.
Nathan tells Elizabeth he is proud of her and says that the kids learned their honesty and forgiveness from her.
Rosemary and Lee arrive at McGinty’s residence. Lee apologizes and offers to build a cabin for McGinty after his place was burned down. He is initially hesitant to accept, but Lee emphasizes it will benefit them both, because he can use it as a model for his new construction company. McGinty agrees. Lee and Rosemary also surprise him with a new kitten since finding out he recently lost his cat.