In the first of a two-part story, a heated fight between Marin and Jack is the result of an invasion of wild wolves in Elmo. Annie's mother arrives in town as a series of unfortunate events could ruin Patrick and Annie's wedding. Meanwhile, Ben's new hockey team causes problems and the church elders of Eric's church attempt to stand in the way of his relationship with Sara.

The First Annual Elmo Talent Show begins as Marin receives a large check for her latest book. Sam's frugality annoys Jane when he decides to drive to Elmo from New York Patrick redoubles his efforts to win back Annie.

After Jane leaks an excerpt from Marin's new book on men to The New Yorker magazine, Marin is forced to defend her career to Jack. Elmo receives a special guest singer-songwriter Jewel, whose car has broken down. She runs into her former bandmate, Theresa, in the Chieftain. Meanwhile, Celia and Patrick's new stepmother, Mai, face each other in an alpha showdown for the role of "top mom."

Marin wants to find out if you really can be friends after you've spelt together. She asks Jack to take her to Anchorage so she can get a dose of culture. Patrick begins to wonder if there is a problem in his relationship with Annie, because she always asks him to leave right after they've been intimate. Meanwhile, Ben gets tired of having to sneak around with Sara, and he asked Theresa to move out.

Marin is still adopting to her new lifestyle and her new job as relationship adviser on Patrick's radio station. Meanwhile, she has opened the door to a new romance with a handsome stranger.

Marin finds a mysterious woman's phone number in Jack's belongings while he is away on a research ship. Celia suggests that Annie help Patrick remember his old life. Ben begins to put his hockey team ahead of his friends and family. Buzz and Mai offer dating advice to Jerome and Mary Alice.

Upon Marin and Jack's return from New York , they discover Cash is in the hospital and needs a kidney transplant. Terri still feels guilty for Patrick's being struck by lightning because of the bobby pin he put in his hair at the wedding. Patrick continues to be upset with Celia for putting him in jail, and Celia is having issues with Dick's smothering ways. Meanwhile, Ben's sexy, young, new hockey player, Ivan, arrives in Elmo and is immediately enamored with Annie.

While Jack and Lynn's relationship gets more complicated, Patrick decides that he wants Annie's father to agree to their marriage. Meanwhile, a new visitor, Cash, moves into Marin's cabin temporarily in exchange for repairing it.

Because Marin has been away from New York for awhile now, people there are beginning to forget her and are starting rumors she could be dead. When the Elmo town elder passes away, Elmo's sister city breaks its ties with the town just before the New Moon Festival, and Marin sees an opportunity to be useful by finding a new sister city for Elmos.

Marin volunteers to help at a rummage sale to deal with writer's block and her problems with Jack. She also gets an unexpected visit from Stuart Maxson, who wants to discuss the second chapter of her new book.

This year the town's charity Bachelor Auction host will be -- Marin Frist! Meanwhile the relation between Patrick and Annie is ready to go to the next step, meeting Patrick overprotective mother, and another relationship gets more complicated - that of Ben and Theresa.

When Marin goes back to New York during Thanksgiving week to meet with editors regarding publishing her new book, the emotions between her and Jack escalate. Although she is happy to be back in a more familiar environment, she misses her life back in Elmo.Meanwhile, Jack has decided it's time for him to make his move concerning his "friendship" with Marin, but an unexpected event changes his plans. Thanksgiving week is a headache for most of the Elmoians. Patrick must choose between spending Thanksgiving with Annie in New York or with his new family, and Ben is hoping Theresa will help him prepare for their annual Orphan Thanksgiving.

While Jack is waiting for Marin to return from New York, he receives an unexpected visitor who has arrived in Elmo with a secret. In the meantime, the relationship between Annie and Patrick hasn't gotten better after he neglected her at Thanksgiving dinner. Theresa and Ben ponder their future, Jane and Sam ("Plow Guy") spend a romantic time together in New York.While everyone is busy with their own lives, Buzz faces a medical crisis.

While Marin is waiting for Lynn to leave Elmo and Jack, Annie thinks that Patrick can't have a relationship until he can survive without his mother. Meanwhile, Celia gets a visit from her out-of-town boss, Sarah comes back to Elmo and gets a surprise when she sees Ben and Theresa back as a couple. Back in NY, Jane wonders if she wants to keep a long-distance relationship with Sam "Plow Guy."

Jack invites Julia and her husband to dinner with Marin so the two women can meet each other. Meanwhile, Sam gives Jane an engagement that he found in an unlikely place, and Annie catches Patrick in a compromising situation.

Marin gets lost in the woods while looking for a special root for a stew and is found by Jack, who is filming a documentary. Lynn becomes envious of the passion she sees in other couples and wants the same kind of affection in her own relationship. Meanwhile, Patrick wants to change his surname and Sara's ex-husband wants full custody of her son.

Marin tries to help Patrick and Buzz build their relationship, but things go haywire when Celia reveals they are actually related to one another. Marin and Annie need to unwind and go to a beauty salon. Sara begins to feel nervous about taking her EMS exam as she thinks about the future. Marin and Jack head out in search of friends who have been trapped by an avalanche caused by minor earthquake tremors.

Jack and Marin decide to move in together, but the happy couple doesn't anticipate the difficulty of merging their different lifestyles. Meanwhile, Jane is on a mission to get her marriage to Sam announced in the coveted New York Times; Patrick gets an adrenaline rush while flying Buzz's plane and wants to experience more, much to Celia's chagrin; and after doing a favor for Sara, Theresa has a surprise announcement for her unsuspecting husband, Ben.

Marin meets Cash, an attractive loner, who is the local handyman, when she can't get her construction crew to do what she wants on her cabin. Buzz's attempts to be supportive are thwarted when he learns George's secret. Meanwhile, Marin is torn as she tries to decide if she should attend Lynn's baby shower, and Jane tries to establish her New York business in Elmo so she can spend time with Sam.

To help Marin get rid of issues that weigh her down, Cash takes her to visit a guru. On the way back down the mountain trail, an arctic cyclone erupts.

Marin wants Cash to recuperate in her home after he is released from the hospital. Patrick gets a job in New York with Jane's company as Jane pursues another client who also writes relationship books. Meanwhile, Mai moves in with Celia, and Buzz steps in for Patrick at the inn so he can earn enough money to pay off his gambling debts.

As Elmo experiences a record heatwave, Marin realizes the energy bars she has been feeding the raccoon are making him sick. When she turns to Jack for help, she discovers something between them has changed.