Chris M. Keegan

After revealing Sutton's real relationship with Ethan, the Mercers insist she invite him over for dinner. Hesitant because of his obvious feelings for Emma, Ethan obliges, only to have the dinner cut short by a disturbing visit from his brother, Dan (recurring guest star TYLER CHRISTOPHER - Into the West, General Hospital). As Emma and Ethan struggle to keep order in Arizona, Sutton and Thayer (recurring guest star CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER - Eastwick) discover shocking revelations in Los Angeles pertaining to the search for the girls' birth mother. Although the outcome may not turn out to be what Sutton had hoped for, it does lead her to wonder what it is that everyone around her has been hiding all of these years. Will Sutton be able to find the answer about why she and Emma were separated, or will her curiosity put her and her loved ones' lives in danger?

After waking up from a terrifying nightmare, Emma learns that Sutton has been suffering from the exact same dream for years. With this discovery, Sutton asks Emma to try to remember all the memories she has of her childhood with their birth mother, which, for Emma, is slim to none. It is not until during a nighttime rendezvous with Ethan that Emma remembers pieces of her former life, allowing Sutton to locate the house which Emma shared with their long-lost mother, as well as secrets many around them have tried to hide. Will the house and the new information be the missing piece of the puzzle, or are the superstitions true? Can curiosity kill? Meanwhile, with Ethan facing a lot of trouble, Emma tries to convince Ted that Ethan is innocent. But when she pushes, Emma sees she has hit a nerve with Ted, leading her to believe that he might be hiding something. Although she does not know what, it appears Ted is feeling guilty and knows more than he is willing to share.

With the Homecoming dance fast approaching, Emma is shocked to find out that Sutton is running for queen. Panicked, Emma devises a plan to not have to attend the dance, thus dropping out of the race against Nisha, which raises red flags for all who know Sutton. Realizing that she must go through with it, Emma is rushed back into the spotlight and finds herself clinging to Ethan for support and comfort. Although both know Sutton wants the relationship kept a secret, the homecoming dance electrifies feelings that have been present from their first meeting. Will Ethan and Emma go behind Sutton's back and finally take the "secret" relationship public? Or, by doing so, will a much anticipated relationship emerge?

In the season premiere, Alec (ADRIAN PASDAR) is in jail after his arrest for murder, but he still manages to unnerve Emma. Rebecca and Sutton formulate plans for the Mercer family.

Now that Sutton has realized there is more than just a friendship brewing between Emma and Ethan, she decides to get revenge in her own way. In doing so, she ends up hurting Thayer (recurring guest star CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER), the one man who has never let her down. Even though she knows she should make amends, Sutton cannot bring herself to allow any distractions to get in the way of finding Annie Hobbes. Back in Arizona, Emma has begun to conduct her own investigation, possibly endangering her secret switch with Sutton. Will Sutton and Emma be able to find Annie Hobbes, or will their search endanger not only their lives but the lives of others as well?

When Ethan is implicated in a serious crime, he and Sutton leave town and hide out with his father, Ben Whitehorse (recurring guest star GIL BIRMINGHAM – The Twilight Saga), on the reservation where he grew up. A burgeoning tension between father and son has Sutton playing mediator, but, despite the awkwardness, she appreciates seeing a side of Ethan that she did not know when they were together. Meanwhile, Emma is left to deal with the aftermath of Ethan's situation when she must pretend to be witness to a scene where she was not present.