Get ready for a romantic ride on When Calls the Heart! Jack Wagner, who plays Judge Bill Avery, is teasing what's ahead for his character after sharing a kiss with Melissa Gilbert's Georgie McGill on the season 12 finale.

"They have a backstory and a history, and I kissed her in the final episode last year. So that sprung a whole well of romance for my character," Wagner shared with Entertainment Weekly. He also mentioned that Gilbert's return to the series has "given me the opportunity to kind of exercise something in myself that has been a little dormant for a while."

Gilbert's return for season 12 was first confirmed during the annual Hearties Family Reunion in Vancouver, British Columbia in September 2024. Earlier this month, the 61-year-old actress announced she would be reprising the role for the upcoming 13th season. During an appearance on Hey Dude... The 90s Called podcast, she shared that she was "very excited to go back."

Wagner also compared his The Bold and the Beautiful character Nick Marone to Bill, saying, "The difference in being able to do The Bold and the Beautiful, coming back as Nick, are the layers. This guy is completely about romance."

Gilbert had previously expressed her excitement to see how the story between Bill and Georgie played out, "I would love to see what happens with Bill and Georgie going forward, because it is left as a romantic cliffhanger." She also praised the portrayal of romance between two people over 60, "Just because you're over 60 doesn't mean you're dead."

When Calls the Heart is set to return in 2026. In the meantime, catch up on more entertainment news:

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