A deluge of rain causes flooding, which brings difficult situations. Jimmy visits and ends up getting stuck at Grace's house, while Russell runs out into the storm to get Faith's insulin.
A new woman is brought into Grace's crew but is transferred back to her old crew when she complains about the men's language. Nadine and Wade have fertility problems.
Grace meets her new boss, John, who is buying time until he can retire. She also has money problems resulting in cutting back on child care costs and allowing Quentin to babysit.
Jimmy visits, bringing his girlfriend Ramona. When Jimmy loses his temper she goes to Grace for advice. Grace also deals with a fight between Nadine and Wade, and problems with credit at her local grocery store.
Grace deals with Quinton's denial of her when in public, and her boss's daughter Julia, who is pregnant, visiting and trying to get the father to just talk with his daughter.
When the oil refinery has an explosion, Grace finds that Quinton and Libby just aren't interested that she could have died. Meanwhile, Grace takes a temporary job as a secretary at the refinery and realizes it's not her forte.
Grace realizes Wade and Nadine are having sex when she finds a pair of his boxers in her garage. Grace slips on Wade's icy property, and at Wade's insistence, sees a physical therapist. Wade accuses Grace of drawing out the sessions when he finds out she is attracted to Travis, the therapist. Grace later decides to date Travis.
Grace is forced to deal with her depressed ex-mother in law during the holidays, and she also receives an invitation from Dougie, and decides to attend a holiday party with him.
Grace sends a story to the local paper and is thrilled when she is told they will print it. She later finds they have heavily edited the story. Quentin tells Grace he wants to live with Jimmy and Jimmy agrees it is a good idea. Grace relents for a two week period, but Jimmy brings Quentin back after only one week, saying he isn't cut out for full time fathering.
Russell asks Grace to go with him to a a real estate seminar, Grace thinks it is a scam but goes with the intention of writing a story about it for the local paper.
Grace speaks to Nadine about the Travis's controlling nature and how she feels it might be a problem she needs to work on for herself. Grace and Travis break up, but for differing reasons. At the refinery, Vic thinks his wife is cheating on him.
Grace receives a letter from her college-aged son Matthew, that she gave up for adoption when she was a teenager. They later meet and Grace finds Matthew has several misconceptions and questions about her.
Grace takes the kids camping, but when Quentin pushes a little girl in a neighboring camp, she finds out that Jimmy has told Quentin that Grace hit him during their marriage.
Grace's father in law, Emmett, is admitted to the hospital with chest pains and finds he has to have bypass surgery. Wade tells Nadine it's okay if they can't have kids, he'd be just as happy adopting.
Grace's first child Matthew visits in order to get to know Grace's other kids better. When Quentin treats him badly, Grace asks Matthew to step into another room so she can speak to Quentin alone. Matthew then realizes he's mad at Grace for giving him up and storms out, but comes back later so they can work things out.
Grace wins two tickets to the opera and goes alone when she can't find someone to go with her. There she meets a tall, dark stranger she believes was a set up by Nadine. She later meets up with Russell to visit his father.
Grace takes a road trip to Memphis with Faith and Russell in order to see her little sister Evie get married to a man who ends up hitting on Grace. Along the way she meets an enigmatic stranger who seems to know things about Grace and her visit.
Quentin ends up in a fight with a boy after using a racial slur and Grace is horrified. At the plant, John decides to retire and the gang throws him a party.
Grace finds Matthew's father in Joplin. Despite Matthew's enthusiasm, Grace wants to inform the father herself. The professor is not interested in meeting his son.
Quentin's shy soccer coach finally asks Grace out and Kurt calls and also asks her out. While at the pharmacy, Grace runs into Ryan, who also asks her out. Ray, the pizza delivery guy asks her out. Grace and Nadine try to figure out what all these guys have in common and we see the coach, Ryan, Ray and Jimmy at an AA meeting.
Grace and Ben are really enjoying themselves dating, for a couple of months now, but every time they get close, Ben backs away. Eventually Grace asks what the problem is and Ben tells her he is celibate.
Jimmy gets a new job that requires him to move to Ohio. Grace goes to a dinner of businessmen with Russell and he has her bring her own car (in case he gets lucky). Fred from Fred's Copy down on Third talks to Grace while Russell is circulating and follows her to her car, trying to convince her to go back to his place. A couple other men hear the commotion and ask if she needs help. She gets a little braver and makes sure they all know who it is and where his business is.
