Synopsis:

Avery feels overwhelmed by Juliette's success; money trouble makes it difficult for Rayna to sign new artists; Deacon runs into an old friend at an AA meeting; Scarlett gets more wrapped up with Liam.

(From ABC)
After performing her manifesto song at her Opry induction, major pop labels are vying to sign Juliette, overwhelming Avery, who can barely afford to take her to dinner. Rayna has major money troubles of her own, since Tandy’s been bouncing checks around town for Highway 65, affecting Rayna’s ability to sign new artists. Deacon finds that life on the road is filled with temptation when he runs into an old friend, Ruth Bennett (Charlotte Ross) at an AA meeting, and Scarlett becomes more enmeshed with Liam.

(Recap From ABC)
Rayna assures Luke Wheeler that she’s doing just fine after her daddy’s death. She has other issues to deal with once she hears her business checks are bouncing. Tandy is the one who handles the books. Rayna orders her sis to get it together. She brings a new check to a recording studio vendor that got stiffed. During delivery, she catches Scarlett and Liam getting hot and heavy when they should be laying down tunes. Rayna is furious. She wants Liam to break off things with Scarlett pronto. He’s fired.

Liam lets Scarlett know that he’s off to Tokyo with no return date. It’s an abrupt goodbye. Scarlett is left with a broken heart. Tandy gets the books in order, but the damage is done. The bounced checks have artists bailing on Rayna’s label. Luke Wheeler offers to take her mind off all this in the bedroom. As for Scarlett, she’s hurting. Rayna assures her they’ll press on with a new producer.

Teddy finds some pills that prove Peggy lied about being pregnant. He’s drowning his sorrows in booze until Megan pries him away from his office. The two of them have a heart-to-heart chat that turns into a night of hand-holding. Megan’s boyfriend, Deacon, is out on the road and looking to avoid temptation. That’s not easy when you’re playing in bars, hanging with party people and nursing an aching wrist.

Deacon meets an attractive old acquaintance named Ruth after attending an AA meeting. The two of them grab a cup of coffee and share some laughs. Ruth asks Deacon if she’d like to spend the night with her. He politely declines and promptly calls Megan. There’s no answer. That’s because she’s busy getting busy with Teddy in her car. When Deacon returns, he literally sweeps Megan off her feet and carries her into the bedroom. He has no idea what went down between her and Teddy.

Will’s star is on the rise. Layla, on the other hand, isn’t even able to get Jeff Fordham to return her calls. She wants to call Brent for advice. Will puts the kibosh on that idea. Instead, he gives Layla some free PR during his own events. This ticks off Jeff Fordham. He’s considering dropping Layla, who is so grateful to still have Will. She was going to save herself until she got married before she met him. As for Will, he’s playing the part of the good boyfriend but it’s obvious that all is not well in this relationship.

Juliette is being wooed by some big time record labels, but she wants to sign with someone who will allow her to stay in the country genre. Even Jeff Fordham wants her back. He hopes some pricey champagne will help seal a deal. Juliette accepts the $10,000 bottle of bubbly only long enough to spill it all over Jeff’s table. The Edgehill exec is down, but not out. He makes Juliette an offer that would include Avery getting his own deal. That’s not going to happen. Avery doesn’t want to ride on his girlfriend’s coattails. He lets Juliette know that she has no idea how it feels to have her always picking up the tab for him.

Juliette signs a new deal with Edgehill. All references to Avery have been nixed from her contract. In other news, a gung-ho Gunnar is taking charge of the new band venture, but Avery isn’t happy that he booked a gig without asking him first. The two men get into a heated argument. They almost come to blows when Gunnar brings up Avery’s rich girlfriend. Nevertheless, the band puts on a good show for an appreciative crowd.

When Avery returns home, Juliette informs him that she tore up the Edgehill contract. It’s a respect thing. Speaking of respect, Juliette asks Avery to ask her out on a date. He’s buying. Later, Juliette meets up with her old frenemy, Rayna Jaymes. One of these ladies needs a label and the other needs an artist. Rayna believes there may be a way they can help each other out.