Life at the Shady Rest is going well despite Kate's absence. The girls and Uncle Joe receive a letter from Cousin Mae who is planning on coming by to take charge. Cousin Mae's meddling quickly wreaks havoc for everyone. This includes the hotel's relationship with Drucker's Store, Steve and Betty Jo's remodeling plan for the cottage, Bobbie Jo's love life with Jeff and Billie Jo's singing career. Fortunately, sane and stable Aunt Helen arrives. As Helen too ends up a victim of Mae's meddling, she comes up with a plan to convince Mae that her time at the Shady Rest is at its end.

Jeff Powers is looking for a big story in his final week working as a reporter for the Hooterville World Guardian. He misses what may be the biggest story to hit Hooterville when Sam and Joe are held up by an armed masked bandit at the store. Joe is certain that he could identify the bandit if he saw him again. What Uncle Joe and the rest of the family are unaware of is that newly checked-in hotel guest Mr. Lawson is the bandit. Joe bad mouths Pixley's Sheriff Crandall for not doing enough to stop the bandit. The bank in Pixley is next to be robbed. Sheriff Crandall decides to deputize Joe. Uncle Joe's newest labor saving device at the hotel, a rubber life raft and a hat pin may be just what he needs to catch the crook.

The Cannonball arrives at the Shady Rest with a "For Sale" sign and Homer Bedloe. The train will go to the highest bidder. One bid has already come in from a junk dealer who wants it for scrap. Bedloe also tells them that the sale is out of his hands because the C & FW Railroad has been sold to the H. Greene Company. The people of the valley decide to try and raise the money to outbid the junk dealer. They find out that bid is higher than what they can possibly raise. Uncle Joe and Sam decide to go to Chicago and meet with H. Greene. They discover that H. Greene is Henrietta Greene. Once Henrietta realizes how much the Cannonball means to the valley, she calls off the sale.

Sam has decided to remodel the general store. It will be closed for five days while he goes on vacation. Sam decides spend his time at the Shady Rest. Joe is excited to have all this time with his best friend. But what Joe doesn't account for is that Sam may have plans of his own. Sam ends up spending most of his time helping Helen around the hotel. When Sam finds out on day four why Joe has been in a bad mood, Sam tries to make it up to him all in one day, even if it kills both him and Joe.

Steve's is returning from a crop dusting convention and Betty Jo is celebrating with a large homecoming party. Everyone notices that Steve is not wearing his wedding ring. A suspicious Betty Jo later learns that Steve took it off to get it engraved, which Betty Jo had been wanting him to do for some time. They make a pact never to remove their wedding rings ever again. But when Betty Jo takes her ring off to show Bobbie Jo her engraving, she accidentally drops it down the kitchen sink drain. Betty Jo doesn't want Steve to find out. Uncle Joe tries to help, but that doesn't go well. Betty Jo then calls plumber Mr. Peck. But when she doesn't have the money to pay, Mr. Peck takes the ring until she can come up with the money. Uncle Joe comes up with a plan to get the ring back.

In this valentine to Kate Bradley the citizens of Hooterville pull out all the stops to welcome Kate home, including a parade with floats, songs and fireworks. But first, arguments begin about where her official welcoming celebration will take place and who will preside over such an event. Mayor Potts wants to preside over it at a downtown location. Sam wants to preside over it outside his store. Selma wants to preside over it in her garden. And Joe wants to preside over it at the Shady Rest. They all wait for Kate's three o'clock arrival in front of Sam's store. Then they read her message to Uncle Joe and realize that Joe didn't read the part that said she will be arriving in Pixley. Amid the chaotic festivities, Kate muses "There's no doubt about it, I'm home.