Season 1 episode 2, Jack has been hiding something regarding his personal life.
In the Virgin River pilot recap Mel arrived in the small town and met Jack amid
flashbacks to her former husband, whose wedding ring she still wore. This week,
Soaps.com has the season 1 episode 2 recap where Mel and Jack deal with an abandoned baby left on the doorstep of Doc Mullins’ office.
Mel examines the baby left on the porch as Jack reads a note, “I’m sorry but she’ll be better off with someone else. Make sure she knows I’m doing this because I love her.” Doc Mullins arrives and overrules Mel’s decision to call social services. Mayor Hope enters, followed by town busybody, Connie, with baby supplies. Privately, Hope confronts Mullins about Mel giving her notice. He’s unconcerned but will leave the baby with her. Elsewhere, Jack’s phone rings and he tells the caller he’ll be in touch later. After Doc leaves, Jack and Hope decide they’ll convince Mel to stay. Once alone, Mel video chats with her sister, Joey, who is relieved to hear she put in her notice. Mel explains she won’t return to L.A. – there are too many memories there. After disconnecting, Mel flashes to childhood when Joey revealed they had a baby sister, Chloe, who died. She’ll call the abandoned baby Chloe.
At Mel’s cabin, Jack has his young employee, Ricky, there to help fix it up and learns he wants to join the Marines. He’ll help the young man tell his grandmother. When glass smashes, Jack flashes to the war and swigs from his flask.
At Doc Mullins’ office, Mel is joined by Lily, a concerned resident checking on the baby. Connie returns – she’s heard through the grapevine that Mel wants to give the child to social services. Mel explains the town can’t just keep her. Connie fumes that in Virgin River they take care of their own and storms out. Lily, glancing apologetically at Mel, follows.
At his bar, Jack fields tension between his long-time employee, Preacher, and the troubled war buddy he’s hired, Brady, then heads to Paige’s bakery truck for coffee, where they discuss the abandoned baby. Paige suspects the mother didn’t feel she had a choice. Her young son, Christopher appears, and Jack invites him to help Preacher with the pancakes tomorrow.
Jack rejoins Mel at the doctor’s office, where she’s frustrated that the baby’s not eating and Doc’s still out. Jack holds the baby as they discuss whether to call social services. Mel flashes to flirting with her husband before they got together.
Doc Mullins arrives at an illegal marijuana camp in the woods with workers and men patrolling with guns. He asks about a young pregnant woman, Maxine, and is told she left. Doc then sees workers needing medical attention.
Mel brings the baby into Jack’s restaurant and Hope relieves her. Jack and Mel end up at his homemade batting cage, where he stands close behind her to help with her stance. Walking back to the restaurant, they agree the baby needs her mom. Jack reveals he’s close with his mother, but not his father. Mel explains she lost her mother at age 11 to cancer and her father a few years ago. Her mother’s death is what made her want to be a nurse.
Back at Doc Mullins’ office, Hope realizes Mel’s going to call social services and urges her to do what she thinks is best. Lily returns with baby clothes and learns Mel’s calling the newborn Chloe. She likes it and offers to feed the baby while Mel goes to the Bed & Breakfast to shower. Outside, Mel calls social services’ after-hours number.
At Jack’s Bar, Brady wants to quit but Jack asks him to sleep on it. Afterward, Preacher tells Jack that Brady thinks the job is beneath him – he hasn’t changed. Jack takes a call and says, “I’ll see you soon.”
Mel returns to the doctor’s office, where Doc has returned and is incensed to hear she called the authorities. Mel counters she waited all day out of respect for him. Doc knows it’s a formality since she gave notice, but tells her she’s fired. Mel walks to the backroom to tell Lily she’s back and is stunned to find her breastfeeding the baby.Jack arrives at a house, opens a beer, and a woman greets him. She starts unbuttoning his shirt. He sighs, “Ah, listen…” then succumbs to her kisses as she straddles him.a
