Tensions are higher than ever within the O'Brien clan, and things may never be the same on Chesapeake Shores Season 3 Episode 9. The family needs to deal with the issue that Bree's book has become as Trace and Mick go head to head.

I completely understand Kevin being slightly nervous about meeting Sarah's family. That's a tense situation to begin with, but when her dad was a Navy SEAL? Yikes. But Sarah seemed way more nervous, and I can't help but wonder why.

Kevin: You look nervous. You worried your parents aren't gonna like me?
Sarah: Nope. No. I'm nervous you're not gonna like my family. My dad can be pretty intimidating.
Kevin: I'm sure I will survive.
Sarah: He used to be a Navy SEAL.
Kevin: I'm pretty sure I will survive.

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Sarah's parents seemed pretty welcoming and impressed with Kevin right off the bat. But it was entertaining to see Sarah's father test Kevin throughout their stay.

I think Kevin and Sarah's trip brought them closer in a lot of ways. They seemed a lot more relaxed at Sarah's parents. For the most part. It seems like a step in their relationship, and I think it will prove to be a good one.

What cinched it was watching Sarah's father give Kevin the nod of approval to be with his daughter. What had me tearing up was Kevin arguing with the man and saying Sarah is the one that makes him better, not the other way around.

Jess and David will be running Sally's for a while, and that's some pretty exciting news. The really surprising part is that they invited Bree to stay with them. After everything with her manuscript, that's pretty shocking.

David and Jess are going into running Sally's with full force. But I think Jess may be a little too excited over a situation that is only going to exist for a short amount of time. I would just hate to see Jess upset all over again.

Megan seems to be splitting the family down the middle, intentionally or not. Her anger over the manuscript can be understood, but at the same time, if that's the way Bree saw it, she reserves that right.

Yes, it does invade some privacy with her putting all of the emotions of the past into a book. But the only people who would know the stories were true would be the family. While that may hurt, the truth is the truth. No matter how hard it may be to face.

As always, Nell came in with the best advice, and I couldn't have agreed with her more. To move on from Bree writing about the family, they are going to have to sit down and talk about it. No matter how much they will surely hate it.

Everything comes to a head in that family meeting, and some deep, dark secrets are revealed all around. But there doesn't seem to be a lot of healing going on, just a lot of blame. There are quite a few years of anger between all the O'Briens.

Bree: Fine, the book has everything to do with us. And maybe, it's not who we are today, but it is what happened, okay? At least from what I remember. And what happened can't be undone, but at least we can take some responsibility for it, and, for me, that means not hiding behind my book anymore, and not waiting for somebody to bless it so that I can publish it. I'm going to publish it, it's the truth. It's my truth.
Megan: There's a lot you don't know.
Bree: I know that, Mom. We've been through it.
Jess: Okay, I still don't know anything.
Megan: Jess, I wasn't well, so I left to get help. But honey, I tried to take you, and you, and all of you with me.
Mick: Megan, you were the one who left, that didn't give you the right to take the kids with you.
Connor: Yeah, and not to mention, it would've been completely illegal.
Kevin: Wait. She was just trying to keep the family together.
Jess: By leaving us?

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The truth about the family always sweeping their issues under the rug is called into question by both Megan and Bree. By the end, it's clear there is a lot more at issue than just Bree's book.

As if Bree doesn't have enough to deal with, Simon chooses the moment she meets Caroline to make his reappearance. I'm starting to wonder if Simon can be trusted either. Why can't the O'Briens all just find trustworthy loves?

Simon insisted that he and Caroline had never had a fling, it's pretty clear there is some type of tension between the two of them. At least Bree seems to pick up on it as well.

I can understand where Abby is coming from, but I'm going to have to side with Trace on this one. Trace is doing his best, and it's something between him and Mick. So Abby needs to let the two of them handle it alone.

Kevin: Where's everyone else?
Abby: Uh, Bree didn't come because of, uh, Mom, and Mom didn't come because of Bree, and with Jess and David cooking, Gran left early to go pick up some burnt sienna and yellow ochre.
Sarah: Burnt sienna?
Kevin: Yeah, sounds like Gran is painting again.
Mick: How's Trace doing?
Abby: Still pretty upset.

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I was glad to see her come around to Trace's way of thinking fairly quickly. She just needed to take a step back and realize how important the club truly is to Trace.

But Abby has more significant issues on her plate as well as she confronted Mick about reading Bree's book. I was surprised by both of them when it came to the situation. It was surprising that Mick was against the book and even when Abby seemed okay with it.

Abby: Your new office?
Mick: It was too late to drive into Baltimore, so I thought I'd do a little work here. How'd you find me?
Abby: Mom spilled the beans.
Mick: Ah. Our own Benedict Arnold.
Abby: Hmm. You know, I could say the same about you.
Mick: I thought we'd already gone over the club.
Abby: I'm not, uh, talking about the club. I was talking about Bree's book.
Mick: I, I just don't get why she wrote it.
Abby: Well, she's trying to understand what happened.
Mick: Well, all she had to do was ask.

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In the midst of all the legal troubles, the decision to fight with Mick is nothing compared to the decision Trace has to make about the next year of his life. But if he says yes, I don't see how things can work between him and Abby.

I completely understand how strong of a couple they are, truly. But they've already been put through the ringer more than once, and I'm just not sure their relationship can take such a big hit.

John and Leigh trying to pressure Trace into staying really had my temper rising. I get that their band is great, and their opportunities won't be as big without him, but he has the right to live his own life.

If they were genuine friends, they wouldn't fault him for wanting to choose Abby and Chesapeake Shores over his career in music. It clearly isn't an easy decision for him to make, but it is his to make.