I know very little about fellowships, internships, or apprenticeships, but I touch upon all of them in this chapter. I didn't go into great detail, so I hope I it sounds somewhat realistic. Thanks for all the story/author alerts. And my apologies to those who are still interested in this little story. Writing sometimes doesn't come easy for me.. I hope you enjoy. Comments are always welcome.

I don't own any of Hart of Dixie, and I more than likely never will.

Compass, Chapter 3

Zoe closed the office door and walked home. Over the past month, home was a combination of her guest house and Wade's carriage house, with some meals at Lavon's. Wade's text said he was studying at his place and making dinner, so she headed there.

She smiled to herself as she turned into the plantation driveway. So much had changed in the past four weeks—Wade started technical school, they spent almost every night together, and her feelings for him ran deep. Almost too deep, Zoe feared, and she couldn't bring herself to think about the consequences of that. "I'm no good at this relationship stuff," he had told her. But over the weeks, Zoe could see he was trying to become more thoughtful and responsible, especially where school was concerned. But it was not without some drama.

One day last week at Lavon's, she had found Wade and the mayor locked in battle as they played a raucous game of Call of Duty. Zoe marched in front of the TV, blocking their view, and narrowed her eyes. "Your text said you were studying," Zoe said, folding her arms.

"I was. I took a break. See?" Wade pointed to his books on Lavon's counter.

"He was studying, Zoe. I can vouch for him," Lavon said.

"You have important exams next week, Wade," Zoe said.

"Baby, you know I have a B average in both classes. I'm gonna ace those tests."

"Getting cocky already. That's not a good sign." She sighed. "I'm going back to my place and make some dinner. Bring your books and I'll help you study."

"Is she as relentless as I think she is?" Lavon whispered to Wade as Zoe walked to the door.

"Like a bulldog on a bone."

"Well, I hope you appreciate what she's doing for you."

Wade smiled as he put down the controller and piled up his books and laptop. "I do appreciate it, but don't tell her that."

##

"Hi," she called out to him as she entered the carriage house.

"Hey, darlin'." Wade looked up from his textbook. "Dinner's cookin'."

"I can smell it." She opened the oven door to see macaroni and cheese bubbling in a casserole dish. "Wow. From scratch?"

"Yep. My momma's recipe."

"You're the best, Wade." Zoe took his face in her hands and gave him thank-you kiss.

She ducked into Wade's bedroom and found a pair of her yoga pants and one of his flannel shirts folded in a pile. She changed quickly and came back to the kitchen. "I bought some green beans from Jeanne Miller at the farmers' market," Zoe said, holding up a plastic bag.

"Great. Let's dip 'em in a batter and fry 'em up," he said, closing his laptop and pushing back from the table.

Zoe looked at him in fake horror. "Absolutely not frying. How's this for a compromise: I'll steam them for three minutes, then sauté them quickly in olive oil and garlic and parsley. How about that?"

"You are killin' me, woman. I haven't eaten fried anything since we've been together." He stood beside her at the sink.

"That's not quite true," Zoe said with a grin, her eyes wide. "You're still working at the Rammer Jammer, right? So my sources tell me you're eating your fair share of fried chicken, eggs, and bacon."

"Damn that Shelley," Wade cried out. He bent down to whisper in Zoe's ear, "Aren't you always talkin' about finding a balance? Well, that goes for food, too." He nuzzled her neck as she filled a saucepan with a some water.

Zoe shut the faucet and turned to face him. "At least you're listening," she said, pressing her lips to his. "After dinner, we're going to review some of the questions you'll most likely face on the tests tomorrow."

"What?" Wade cried, taking the pot from the sink and putting it on the stove. "I've already studied. And besides, I have other plans tonight," he said. He slipped his hands underneath her borrowed shirt, but she wiggled away.

"Not until you get more studying done, Wade. You have to make sure you're prepared."

He put his arms out in surrender, then sat down in a huff. "You know, Zoe, I think you're using sex as a weapon."

"A weapon? No! Think of it as an incentive." She walked slowly toward him and sat on his lap. "You study, you get what you want. Easy enough."

Wade thought for a few seconds. "OK. But what if I asked you to help me study while you're wearing only my shirt?"

Zoe paused, smiled, and said, "Deal."

##

Over the next few months, their life together settled into a sweet, soulful rhythm. School and studying for Wade, work for both of them, dinners and nights and mornings together. Zoe struggled to get more patients, but she at least was hitting her agreed-upon percentages over the past two quarters. Wade plugged away at his studies, although sometimes reluctantly. He occasionally would get sidetracked with fishing, playing video games—and his passion for Zoe. ("I need to concentrate on something other than electrical codes," he would say, carrying her to the bedroom as she protested in mock annoyance.)

Zoe had recalled that first date and how Wade described what the sex—no, love making, as he called it even then—would be like between them. And she was not disappointed. The way he touched and treated her embodied his personality—playful, sweet, thoughtful. And together they created a powerful chemistry that satisfied them beyond their expectations.

##

The Rammer Jammer was packed on Saturday night with the usual crowd. When Zoe came in, she spotted Didi and Lavon waving at her to join them at their table in the corner. Before she did, she walked to the bar, kneeled on a stool, and shared a quick kiss with Wade.

"See you later," she whispered to him.

"Count on it," he whispered back.

"I see you're getting a little more comfortable going public with your relationship." Didi smiled at Zoe as she sat down.

"A little, yes," Zoe replied. She stared at Wade as he laughed at a joke from Billy Rogers. "Things are good."

A couple of hours later, all heads turned to the door when a fiftyish-looking stranger wearing an overcoat entered the bar. Zoe's eyes widened as she recognized the man. "Dad?"

"Zoe!"

She dashed to the entryway and threw herself into his arms. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

Her dad squeezed her quickly, patting her on the back. "Maybe I should have. Then it wouldn't have taken me so long to find this backwater town."

Zoe prickled at his remark but let it go. "Let me introduce you to my friends." She pulled him by the hand to the table. "Dad, this is Lavon Hayes, the mayor of the town. Also my landlord. And this is his girlfriend, Didi." She turned to her dad. "This is my father, Dr. Ethan Hart."

"A pleasure, Dr. Hart. Zoe speaks about you often," Lavon said, shaking his hand.

"Thank you. I think you should know, Mr. Mayor, that my GPS couldn't locate Bluepoint."

"Actually, sir, it's 'Bluebell,' but—"

"Do they serve top-shelf here, Zoe? I could really use a good scotch," her father asked.

By this time, Wade saw the commotion at Zoe's table and walked over. "I thought I heard someone needin' a drink here," he said, gazing at Dr. Hart.

Zoe smiled at Wade and said, "Oh, Dad, this is Wade, . . . my . . . neighbor and boy. . ."

"Pleased to meet you," he said, taking his coat off and looking around the room. "I'll have a Glenlivet on the rocks."

Wade shot her a questioning look when she hesitated at "boyfriend" but then said "Comin' right up" and walked back to the bar.

Zoe felt queasy at Wade's glance and tried to ignore it. She turned to her dad and said, "So, you finally came to visit. I'm so happy you're here."

Ethan took a seat and said, "I thought it was the right time. Wanted to see how you are doing, talk with you about a couple of things. Can we get together for breakfast tomorrow? I'm at the Tidewater B&B."

"Sure, that's not far from my office," Zoe said, bubbly with enthusiasm. "Tomorrow's Sunday. The office is closed, but I'd love for you to see the place anyway."

"Good. I won't be staying here long, though. Maybe a day or two tops." Ethan turned to the bar. "Now, where's that drink?"

Zoe left the Rammer Jammer with Lavon and Didi while Wade stayed back to close the bar. When he reached home, he saw the light on in his place, their signal for where to meet at the end of the day. "Still up?" he asked as he saw Zoe on the sofa.

"Yes. I've been waiting for you," she said softly, wrapping her arms around him as he plopped down next to her.

He pressed his lips to her head and sighed. "Hey, I have to ask you somethin'."

She turned to him, half knowing what was coming.

"You were a little wobbly when you introduced me to your dad. Couldn't get that word boyfriend out." He saw her eyes soften a bit, so he continued. "What was that about?"

Zoe sighed and looked away. "I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't want to hit him with too many things too fast." She checked Wade's reaction, which made her uncomfortable. "That's not a good reason, I know." She paused for a moment. "You know, sometimes it still amazes me that we're actually together, considering where we started from. It's been a beautiful surprise."

Wade took her hand and kissed it. "So, do you think you can tell him about me?" he asked with hope in his voice.

"Yes, I will. Tomorrow at breakfast. Do you want to come?"

Wade shook his head. "No. You need to be alone with him. Spend the day with him. How long has it been since you've seen him? A long time, right?"

"Yeah." She leaned into him and kissed his arm. "Thanks for being so understanding. I need that right now. Having him here seems weird. Good but weird."

"Come back to Lavon's for dinner tomorrow. I'll cook something special."

##

"So this was Harley's office," said Zoe's dad as he entered the reception area.

"Yep. He lived here, too, upstairs," she said as she closed the front door, "but I haven't been up there. Eventually I'll take a look."

"Kinda small, don't you think?" he asked as he poked his head into one of the exam rooms.

"Well, remember, the town is pretty small. We only have two doctors and—"

"Oh, yeah, that Breeland character. You mentioned him." He looked at some paper charts on Addie's desk and snickered. "Where are your laptops?"

"Oh, we don't have those quite yet," Zoe replied, distracted by his question. "I share the practice with Brick, yes. Our working relationship has improved somewhat. But I think in all honesty he'd like nothing better than to see me gone."

"Yes, about that." Ethan turned to face her. "I have some good news, Zoe. I came here to tell you that the application you sent in for that cardiothoracic surgical fellowship at Cornell came through. You're in."

Zoe's eyes grew wide. "What? Daddy, I can't believe it. I don't believe it." She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Really?"

He hugged her quickly, then pulled away. "Well, I admit I treated you badly when I found out about . . . well, you know. I know some people on Cornell's fellowship committee. I made a couple of calls to them, asked them to review your transcripts and resume personally, and they were impressed. They want to meet you, of course, in the next couple of months. They want you to finish your year here. Then you can join them. What do you think?"

Zoe sat down on a chair in the waiting room, her hands on her head. "I'm overwhelmed," she said as tears formed in her eyes. "It's all too much to think about."

Her emotions flooded over her, and she started to laugh and cry, reflecting her good fortune . . . and what she knew would be her great loss.

They spent the day walking and driving around town, then took a ride to Mobile and the shore. At the end of the day, Ethan pulled up to Lavon's house for dinner. Before they got out of the car, Zoe placed her hand on his arm and said, "Dad, wait. I need to tell you. . . . Wade and I are dating. . . . We're . . . together."

"What? Zoe, he's a bartender. What are you doing with him?"

"Look, there's nothing wrong with being a bartender, but he's also going to school. He's studying to be an electrician. He's really smart."

Ethan shook his head. "I find that hard to believe, sweetheart. He probably hasn't even stepped foot out of Alabama."

Zoe avoided responding to that, but she said, "Please do me a favor and don't mention the fellowship. I had applied months ago, before Wade and I started dating. I'll tell him myself."

Her dad shrugged his shoulders. "You tell him whenever you need to. That's not my concern."

With Lavon in Birmingham at a mayoral conference, the three of them had the house to themselves. They sat down to Wade's meal of shrimp casserole with rice, okra, and tomatoes, roasted cauliflower, and a blueberry pie from Agnes's shop.

"Zoe tells me that you're studying to be an electrician," Ethan asked as he eyed Wade across the table.

"Yes, sir, I am." He smiled at Zoe. "I'm real grateful to your daughter for giving me the confidence to do it. Which reminds me." He turned to her. "I forgot to tell you: I got an apprenticeship."

"Really? That's terrific, Wade," Zoe said, grabbing and squeezing his hand. "Who's it with?"

"Joe Reddy in Mobile. He repaired a few things at the Rammer Jammer a while back, so I know him pretty well. Nice guy. And a top-notch electrician, so I'll be gettin' real good on-the-job training."

"An apprenticeship, huh? Is that anything like an internship at a hospital?" Ethan asked as he finished off his wine.

Wade heard what he thought was sarcasm in Ethan's voice. "Well—"

"I think you can say that, Daddy," Zoe interrupted, trying to frame the conversation in a positive way. "Everyone needs experience and hands-on training in their chosen field." She looked at Wade and took his hand again. "I'm so proud of you."

Ethan narrowed his eyes on Wade. "I'm assuming you're Zoe's age. Didn't you go to college?"

"No, sir. When I got out of high school, I guess I was too interested in having a good time. Didn't really have any direction. My momma died when I—"

"Now, don't blame it on your parents. By the time one finishes high school, everyone should have some idea of what he or she wants to do. Look at Zoe," Ethan said, pointing at her. "She wanted to be a doctor since she was a little girl."

"Dad, I think I'm the exception. Most high school kids—"

"I find that hard to believe, Zoe. What do electricians make these days?" Ethan asked, turning to Wade again.

"Well, I know it's more than I make as a bartender. But I really don't want to be an elec—"

"That's not saying much, is it?" Ethan tossed his napkin down. "Zoe, put on some coffee. I'll be going back to the hotel soon."

"I don't think he likes me. He didn't even let me finish a sentence," Wade said as he turned off the bathroom light at the end of the evening.

"Yes, he does," she replied, already under the bedcovers. "My dad rarely shows his feelings. He told me he enjoyed your shrimp dish."

"So he's happy that I feed you good," he said, slipping in beside her.

"Yes, but you have so many other skills that I greatly appreciate." She lifted her body to meet his and lightly kissed his bare chest.

He raised her chin. "You're changing the subject," Wade whispered, "but I really don't mind." He covered her mouth with his as they pressed their bodies close.

Tomorrow. I have to tell him tomorrow, Zoe said to herself, and then her need for him pushed any other thoughts away.

##

Zoe had joined her father for breakfast at the Tidewater, where they said their good-byes.

"I despise the thought of you working down here in this medical wasteland," he said to her as they hugged.

"I used to think that way, Dad," Zoe replied, "but I don't anymore. The place has its charms. It's the people, you know. They make a town what it is." She shrugged and waved to him as she walked up the street to her office.

Later in the afternoon, on his way to Mobile's airport, Ethan stopped to gas up his rental car. As he parked at the pump, he saw Wade coming out of the convenience store.

Wade looked up and waved. "Hey, Dr. Hart. You leavin' now?" he said, walking to his car.

"Yes." He paused for a moment, then said, "Thanks for that dinner last night. It was a real treat."

"You're welcome. Hope you come down again sometime and visit."

"Since Zoe will be leaving soon, I don't think I'll be coming back."

Wade stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean?"

"I thought she would have told you by now. She won her fellowship. I told her yesterday. She'll be heading back to New York in three months."

Wade steadied himself on his car and took some shallow breaths. "I . . . yeah." He looked at Ethan but didn't really see him. "Well, have a nice trip back."

##

As she waited for Wade to come home from class, Zoe paced the floors at the carriage house. She didn't want to break the news to him at her place. If he reacted badly, it would be easier for him to storm out. She saw headlights approach and then go dark. "Hey," she said as he came in. "How was school?"

Wade glanced at her and headed for the refrigerator for a beer. "School? Was I at school? I don't remember. I couldn't concentrate."

"Why?"

"Why? Because your dad told me you got your fellowship!" he cried, his voice rising. "Why did I have to hear it from him?"

"I'm sorry. I was going to tell you tonight. I couldn't find the right words last night. . . ."

"I'm sure he was gloating on the inside about taking you away from me. And why did he come all the way here to tell you in the first place?"

"He said he felt bad that he turned away from me after he learned about Harley. He said he talked to some people on the committee—"

"So he pulled some strings for you. Showed you he's a big man—"

"No, it's not like that. He may have encouraged some people on the committee but—"

"He's playing, you, Zoe! He's manipulating you. You're fearless, but when it comes to your dad, you melt like wax on a summer day."

"Wade, this is what I wanted my entire life! You've known that all along." She sunk into the couch and put her hands over her face, tears coming to her eyes. "You made this more complicated than I ever wanted it to be," she cried. Her face twisted in pain as the tears dripped down her cheeks.

"Me? You're no innocent bystander here, baby. You're the one who asked for that rain check. I hung back til then. You're the one who said "let's go" when it came to us having sex. Those were clear signals, Zoe. Don't put this all on me." He stood in front of her now and stared at her. "Are you in love with me?"

Zoe stayed quiet, her head down.

"Please answer me," he said softly.

She nodded, and her tears began again.

Wade's jaw softened. He sat down next to Zoe and grabbed her tightly. "Shhh," he whispered over and over, smoothing her hair as she wept. Her hands tugged at his shirt. "Zoe, I fell in love with you a long time ago, you know that already. I'm just happy to hear I'm not the only one suffering from this crazy love sickness."

"You didn't play fair," she said between sobs. "You made it hard not to."

He sighed and managed a weak smile. "Your dad knows you idolize him. This is another way of controlling you. You've already followed him into medicine," Wade said softly. "Does it mean that you need to be a heart surgeon, too?"

"But I want that," Zoe said, sniffing back tears.

"But is that all you want? What about the other parts of your life? You talk about balance. If you take the fellowship, it'll be all work all the time. How much time will be left for everything else?"

"I'll figure it out," she mumbled, trying to make her tears stop.

Wade sighed. "You've got nothin' figured out, 'cept you're leavin' me and goin' back to New York."

They sat in silence for a while, still clinging to each other. For now, that was enough.