“The Bachelor”: Joey Graziadei Hopes His Connection with 1 Woman Grows to 'Where We Actually Are in Love'

Tuesday's episode of 'The Bachelor' also saw the tennis pro's remaining suitors try to solve a problem they perceived to be Maria

Looks like Maria will be staying in Malta.

Tuesday’s episode of The Bachelor kicked off with Maria, 29, cooling off and deciding to continue fighting for Joey Graziadei’s heart, even though Lea tried to question his decision to keep her while speaking with the tennis pro, 28. After the cocktail party drew to a close, Joey hosted his first international rose ceremony.

“I think each and every one of you are incredible women that deserve nothing but the best,” The Bachelor told his remaining suitors. “But if you don’t get a rose tonight, it’s just because I’m trying to be honest and truthful to how I’m feeling.”

Related: Joey Graziadei Calls Himself a 'Fun-Size Bachelor' and Maria Decides Her Fate Following Sydney Drama

With that, Joey proceeded to extend roses to Kelsey A., Katelyn, Daisy, Rachel, Jenn, Autumn, Jess, Madina and Lea, 23. That left Allison and Edwina to say their goodbyes.

Joey announced that the remaining ladies would be heading to Andalusia, Spain.

FIRST ONE-ON-ONE

Kelsey A., 25, nabbed the first one-on-one in Spain. She and Joey started the date by going to get some cured ham and feeding each other meat.

“There is something with Kelsey that feels so right, so natural,” Joey said in an on-camera interview.

They continued the day by joining a pickup soccer game.

During the evening portion of the date, Kelsey A. wanted to open up to Joey about her mom. Kelsey A. explained that her parents met in the military and that, two years ago, her mom got diagnosed with breast cancer.

“They gave her six months,” Kelsey A. said. “After that, it was very aggressive, and after I think about two months, she passed away. This is a little hard just because I’m like, I know that at the end it is an engagement, and it’s just hard for me sometimes to think about my mom not being there at my wedding.”

Joey gave Kelsey A. a comforting hug — and a rose.

“I had such a good time exploring Spain with you,” Joey told Kelsey A. “I couldn’t have asked for a better day in so many ways. I knew coming into this I needed to find someone that was compassionate and was kind, empathetic, just understanding and loving and it just oozes out of you. And I want you to know that your mom would be so proud of the woman that you’ve been through this whole thing. I just feel so lucky and so excited about a potential future.”

Kelsey A. accepted the rose. “I’m on cloud nine right now,” the junior project manager told the cameras.

GROUP DATE

For the group date, Lexi, 30, Daisy, 25, Jenn, 25, Autumn, 26, Maria, Katelyn, 25, Madina, 31, Lea, 23, Jess, 24, and Kelsey T., 31, met with mixed media creator Paula, who asked the women to pick a quote and turn the quote into a painting. Whoever conveyed the quote most clearly won extra time with Joey.

Joey partook, too, painting himself with an engagement ring. Maria painted her fighting Sydney on one side, and then her and Joey happy on the other side. Joey thought Katelyn painted him pulling at her heart strings, while he saw an elephant in Kelsey T.’s painting of half a heart.

“Definitely not what I envisioned,” the actress told the cameras.

Jess depicted an engagement ring and a wedding band, which earned her the win. She and Joey stripped down to bathing suits and painted each other during their extra time together.

At the afterparty, Joey began by pulling Jenn to talk.

Related: Joey Graziadei Says Giving Out Roses as the Bachelor 'Sucks': 'Not Fun to Be That Guy' (Exclusive)

“It was nice as you turned your painting around, I knew know exactly what it was, a reminder of how special that day was, too,” Joey said to Jenn. “So I just want to let you know I did take notice of it.”

Joey said in an on-camera interview that he thought he and Jenn “make a lot of sense together.”

Then he chatted with Kelsey T. “There is this level of ease,” he told her of their connection.

When Maria spoke with Joey, she told him about her mom’s absence from her life growing up.

“Her and I got into a really, really, really bad car accident when I was like 1,” the executive assistant revealed. “A cement truck basically fell on top of my mom’s car. It was really bad. It’s like crazy to even think about. My car seat was in like pieces. I was literally pronounced dead at the scene. Like it was in the newspaper as miracles at the time and like … it was a very scary situation. My mom broke almost every bone in her body.”

As a result, “My mom kind of wasn't around for most of my childhood, wasn’t capable of being the mother she really wanted,” Maria said.

Joey appreciated Maria opening up to him. “There’s just so much more to Maria and I’m just finally happy that I’m starting to see it,” he said in an on-camera interview.

Accordingly, Joey gave Maria the date rose, which upset Lea.

“My heart is in my ass,” Lea told the cameras. “I don’t know who Maria is when she steps into the room with Joey but she’s putting on a damn good performance."

SECOND ONE-ON-ONE

Rachel and Joey took in a flamenco show for their one-on-one — and then learned how to do the moves themselves. They both changed into proper dance shoes, but Joey didn’t like how they looked with his shorts.

“The shorts and boots combo today is something I really should have thought through,” Joey told the cameras. “Just say what it is: no one can tell me I look good right now, it’s just impossible.”

When Rachel, 26, saw Joey in the shorts and boots, she said, “The legs are giving.”

Joey said he felt uncomfortable at first learning the steps, but watching Rachel move with ease helped him. “She not only has rhythm, but she’s bringing so much fun to it,” he said in an on-camera interview.

Once they learned to flamenco, Joey and Rachel changed into dance outfits and performed for a crowd. “He made me feel very comfortable and safe with him,” Rachel told the cameras.

At dinner, Rachel shared with Joey that previous partners of hers struggled with her job as a nurse. “It’s a lot emotionally to take on when you have a partner in the medical field,” Rachel said, adding that “it’s a huge part of me.”

Joey understood. “You have to have someone to talk to about that,” he said.

He offered Rachel a rose and hoped to see their relationship grow.

“I hope that slow burn with Rachel is going to continue to burn and it’s going to be a whole raging fire at the end of this where we actually are in love,” Joey said in an on-camera interview.

COCKTAIL PARTY AND ROSE CEREMONY

The cocktail party seemed to be going smoothly until Maria interjected Katelyn and Joey’s conversation to ask if she could snag some time with him. When Katelyn reported that back to the group, Jess took major offense since Maria already had a rose.

“It’s giving disrespect,” Jess declared.

However, Katelyn defended Maria. “She was very, very sweet interrupting,” the radiochemist said.

Lexi told the cameras she thought, “Jess is just a little jealous of Maria.”

After Maria returned to the group, Jess confronted her, reiterating that she found it disrespectful for Maria to talk to Joey when she had a rose already. Maria asked “in what way” Jess found it disrespectful, and Jess didn’t have an answer.

Instead, Jess stood up and walked away crying. Lea followed her.

Related: Who Went Home on The Bachelor Season 28? Joey Graziadei's Order of Elimination

“I’m just so over this s--- with Maria,” Jess cried to the cameras.

Host Jesse Palmer declared an end to the cocktail party, so everyone headed to the rose ceremony.

Joey gave roes to Jenn, Kelsey T., Daisy, Lea, Lexi, Katelyn and Jess, leaving Madina and Autumn to pack their bags.

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The Bachelor resumes Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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