After George confesses his feelings to Zoe, she finds herself having to make a tough decision between George and Wade, leaving the two guys at odds on how to handle the situation. In search of some much needed girl advice, Zoe makes a new fast friend in former BlueBell resident Ruby Jeffries, who no one is excited to see. Lemon decides it’s time to get her own apartment and a job, but it’s tougher than she thought. Continuing to forge ahead with her new life, Lemon proceeds to return the wedding presents, but a sudden detour to Zoe’s while holding a cake knife creates a stir with the townspeople.

Zoe is trying hard to stay away from Wade, but when Rose enlists her help in throwing the first BlueBellapalooza, she is forced to ask Wade to convince his old band mate to be the musical act on short notice. Wade convinces George to start playing the field and agrees to be his wingman, but when Wade stands him up, he decides to follow the seemingly questionable advice solo. Meanwhile, Brick tries to trick Lemon into working for him, but she is determined to keep her waitressing job, that is until one of her customers ends up needing medical attention.

When Zoe reads about her fellow classmates’ accomplishments in her Alumni magazine, she is upset that they list her as “retired” and invites the reporter to BlueBell for an interview. However, Zoe has a hard time convincing the reporter that she actually has a thriving medical practice in BlueBell – that is, until she comes across a rare and potentially serious disease. Trying to be considerate of Lemon’s feelings, George informs her that he is going out on a date, making her feel that she too needs to find a date. Meanwhile, Lemon and Lavon both find themselves in competition with their nemesis Ruby.

While Zoe tries to keep things casual with Wade, she becomes jealous after she sees him with another woman. Zoe decides to two can play at that game, and sets up a date with Ruby’s cousin. Reluctantly, Lavon agrees to let Lemon be his campaign manager, but he unexpectedly becomes part of a town scandal when he takes the fall for her, a move which could end up costing him the Mayoral race. Meanwhile, with Lemon out of the house, Brick and Magnolia struggle with the household chores and devise a plan to get Lemon to come back.

With Halloween right around the corner, Zoe begins to notice some odd occurrences happening in her home. She is shocked to discover that the culprit is George, but she soon realizes that he may have a sleepwalking issue. Concerned for his safety, they decide to conduct a sleep study, forcing her to cancel her big plans with Wade. Meanwhile, the Mayoral race between Lavon and Ruby is close, and AnnaBeth comes up with an unusual plan that may help him clinch the election leaving Lemon feeling uneasy.

Kelen Coleman guest stars as George’s potential new romance. With the upcoming Mayoral election looming, Lavon and Ruby continue to be tied in the polls, leading Lemon to use some creative methods to win.

After Zoe treats the high school football team, she learns that Max, who happens to be Rose’s new crush, has become infatuated with Zoe instead.

Both Zoe and Lemon are having a difficult time accepting Lavon and Ruby’s new relationship, so they decide to find out Ruby’s true intentions. Wade agrees to supervise a Little Ranger’s camping trip to avoid a potentially awkward conversation with George. However, when George unexpectedly shows up on the trip, Wade has nowhere to hide, and their talk makes him see his relationship in a different light. Meanwhile, Brick wants to take the next step in his relationship with Emily, but is shocked about who is not on board with the plan.

Wade struggles with feeling like he’s a placeholder in Zoe’s life, so he decides that they should go on a date. Despite Zoe’s apprehensions, she decides to bid on Wade’s basket at the upcoming charity picnic auction, but is surprised that she is not the only one interested. Lemon mistakenly wins Lavon’s basket and decides to keep her true feelings for him to herself and instead offers some advice about his relationship with Ruby. Meanwhile, George is interested in dating Tansy and creates a basket that he hopes she will bid on.

Zoe (Rachel Bilson) finds herself anxious that her ever-critical mother will be visiting BlueBell soon for the holidays. In order to avoid spending quality time with her mother, she busies herself with a patient, but potentially ruins Christmas Eve for the whole town.

Lavon’s big plans of making BlueBell a Spring Break destination hits a roadblock when the competing town tries to lure the partiers away. With the help of Ruby Jeffries, Lavon creates a competition that is bound to attract some attention. Eager to join in some much-deserved fun, Zoe agrees to give partying a try with Jonah, but seeing them together makes George jealous. Wade and Lemon decide to compete in Lavon’s contest in order to win the grand prize to buy the Rammer Jammer, which they have learned is for sale. Meanwhile, Brick has been acting odd and when everyone begins to notice they force him to seek treatment.