Paul sat at his cluttered coffee table playing with paper footballs and assured Josie he hadn't lost his marbles — yet. Josie noticed his divorce papers, and pointed out signing them could actually keep Meg in his life. Cooperating with her was a "sign of good faith." Paul eventually came around and Josie offered moral support. Dusty visited Meg at the farm. She couldn't believe she'd be raising Eliza alone. "Don't ever let her go," Dusty sighed, before asking her for help with his custody problems. Could Meg talk to Craig and get him to admit he tried to kill Paul? Meg agreed to try. At the Lakeview, Dusty set Meg up with a short-range recorder and listened in as she talked to Craig about Paul's erratic behavior and apologized for how their marriage went down. As the conversation went on, she wondered if Craig had tried to kill Paul. He feigned innocence. Meg kept fishing. Craig pointed the finger at Dusty and thanked Meg for her offer to make peace. Later, Josie spotted Meg hugging Dusty and asked Dusty what was up. Dusty said that he couldn't trust her and joked about her jealously punching Meg out. They discussed their respective friendships with Meg and Paul. Meanwhile Meg came home and found a contrite Paul waiting to sign their divorce papers. Meg said they could talk about visitation with Eliza if he stayed calm and reasonable. Paul calmly, reasonably signed the papers — and Meg let him spend time with Eliza, just like Josie had theorized!

Craig visited Carly, who refused to "accept any marriage proposals." Craig claimed he was there to visit Parker. Carly dared him to "sweep me off my feet." Unconcerned, Craig said he wasn't about to hire a mariachi band and left. At Al's, Jack questioned Parker about Craig's influence. Janet cautioned Jack about turning his kid into a spy. Craig ran into Parker and offered him Blackhawks tickets. When Jack caught up, he wondered why Craig was "stalking" his son and warned him not to cozy up to Carly and Parker. "The last thing I want is any trouble," Craig demurred. Later, Jack confronted Carly about Craig's behavior. "I know his history, and I also know he's trying to turn his life around," she defended. Jack couldn't believe she was sticking up for Craig and wanted to "have this out." Carly assumed he was threatening to take the kids. "This is about Craig!" he insisted. She accused him of not wanting another man in his place. "Get out!" she snarled. Later, Janet pointed out that if Jack pushed this, Carly would hang out with Craig just to spite him. "I'm so glad I married such a smart woman," he sighed. Parker got home from school and found Carly upset over the argument. Right on cue, Craig showed up to be his sardonic yet comforting self. He said someone needed to tell Jack to treat her with respect. She didn't think that should be Craig. "I might surprise you," he smiled. At Al's, Craig learned from Janet that Jack was already off apologizing for his attitude. Craig was impressed by her "hidden talents." In Milltown, Jack copped to overreacting and said he wouldn't tell Carly what to do. When Craig returned to Carly's, he took all the credit for Jack's turnaround. "I've always got your back," he beamed. "This is what I do best: protect the people I care about." "This from the man who put my sister in a coma?" she countered. Craig assured her he regretted that and kept working her about her single and financial statuses. "Wouldn't you like a real partner in this life?" he murmured. Carly impulsively, finally, agreed to his proposal. At Al's, a clueless Janet and Jack were happy to have yet one more Carly crisis tabled. "I'll take 'yes' for an answer!" Craig crowed to Carly. "You've just made me the happiest man alive."