"It's not much but it is home," Wade told Zoe suddenly feeling nervous about his house. He didn't really add anything to make the place homier and he spent the better part of the last hour making sure the whole downstairs was clean enough, he didn't want to come off as the slob he really could be. This was the first time she had been inside his house. Abel stayed outside to play with Hobs.
"It's lovely," she assured him, perching herself on a kitchen stool, her eyes looking around the kitchen. She could see part of his living room from where she sat and but she couldn't see any family pictures. "Dinner smells spicy," she commented.
"My Uncle Moe's recipe for his famous gumbo," he smirked, standing at the stove to stir.
"Famous huh?" Zoe asked raising an eyebrow.
"Somethin' like that," he shrugged. "Things okay with Abel?"
"Yeah, he's trying to fit in," she replied looking out the window to watch her son. "He's always wanted his own dog," she commented with a sigh.
"Why haven't you gotten him one?" Wade asked coming to lean on the counter across from her. "Being his age at a different school can be a challenge."
"We couldn't have pets in New York, not where we lived and now?" She sighed. She kept pushing that topic off; she wouldn't mind having a dog she was more concerned if they'd even have time for a dog. "It's not the right time." Wade nodded. He's had Hobs since he was around 20. The dog looked so helpless in the shelter he had walked by. He had taken a spur of the moment drive to Atlanta. Pets were a lot of work. "What questions did you have about your dad?" Zoe asked moving on to why she was here.
"If you don't mind can we wait until after dinner?" He asked.
"Of course. So your uh brother," Zoe was saying watching the muscles in his back tense up under the tight grey tee he was wearing. "Earl never talks about him just mentioned he had two kids," she continued walking a fine line on the topic.
"He's a sore topic. Took off when I was younger after my ma died. He went to live with our grandparents. He comes around every couple of years but it's never pleasant. Hell Zo, I don't even know if has a permanent place, he's always moving around city to city different state every few months. I know nothing when it comes to my older brother, not that he's much of a brother," he explained. Zoe could hint some agony under the anger that seeped out. He figured it was better to get that out there then to let it settle between them and come up any other time. It was nice to tell someone other then the people in Bluebell that knew, to have a different look on this whole thing.
She wanted to say sorry but she didn't want him to think she was pitying him in any such way. "I didn't know," she finally told him. Wade nodded. "I knew a man like that. Thought I could change him was I ever wrong, should've knew better but. .." She trailed off taking a deep breath. This was the topic she wanted to avoid because it wasn't going to end well and she didn't want to scare off the one man that she just clicked with.
"Ex-boyfriend?" Wade guessed, pulling bowls from his cupboards.
"Close, ex-husband," she replied grabbing some utensils from the dish drainer.
"Ouch," Wade commented. "Didn't want to run across the country?" He asked in what he hoped was a joking tone.
"Oh ya know it was a lifelong dream of mine to see every town in this great country of ours," she replied over dramatically. The longer she stayed quiet the more he knew a but was coming up. "I thought I loved him and I got the greatest gift in the world," she replied looking out the window, she had already said more than she wanted to on past relationships.
"He wouldn't stay for Abel?"
"No, and that hurt more than the rest but I wouldn't change it, ya know?" She asked. "I love my son."
"It shows, it really does. Walking into your house that first night I could feel that love swarm me. You've done an excellent job Zo," Wade praised. Zoe blushed walking to door to call Abel onto the house. "I was thinking maybe if you don't mind I can take a look at your car after dinner," Wade suggested.
"That would be wonderful," Zoe replied, directing her son to the sink to wash up. "But don't feel like you have to," Zoe informed him.
"It's no problem," Wade replied brushing it off. He didn't mind the extra work and it wouldn't take much to see what was wrong. He was starting to wonder how he was going to repay her for spending so much of her extra time with his dad. Earl talked fondly of Dr. Hart, she stopped by his room at least hourly just to talk, he had never seen a doctor do that before but just watching her the little bit he was at the hospital showed him that she cared about everyone that came in.
"If you're sure," she relented, sitting down to eat. Wade gave her a nod and dug into his own food. "This does taste like it should be famous," Zoe commented between bites.
"You'll have ta teach me how to make this," Abel requested.
"And ruin my family recipe," Wade gasped in horror.
"I won't tell ya soul," Abel promised. Wade bumped his shoulder with his fist.
'I know ya won't, I don't know when I'll make it again. It's very rare when I do make it, but I'll let ya know," he informed him. Abel nodded enthusiastically shivering more into his mouth. Zoe could feel something stir deep within her having Wade say that it was rare for him to make the gumbo, made her feel special.
"Abel manners," Zoe scolded her son.
"Sorry mom," he replied getting more.
The rest of dinner was eaten in a comfortable silence. Wade put their dirty dishes in the sink dismissing Zoe helping him clean up, he'd get to that after looking at Zoe's car. He kept telling himself that he was doing this to be friendly and being a good neighbor. Zoe was easy to talk to and she was a great person, she was good looking so those lingering feelings were natural. But there was something else about her that he kept trying to ignore.
"Figure it out?" Zoe asked from her spot at the kitchen table. Her coffee was to her right and her laptop sitting in front of her as she went over emails, one from her mother currently open. She was finding it hard to find the right words to use to get back to her mother, she would have to talk to Abel about their plans for the pending holiday season and taking him back to New York wasn't on the top of her list.
"Your starter is shot, it'll cost ya but I can put the starter in when ya get it, I can order for ya, I've got go to there anyway."
"I don't want to put ya out, Wade," she told him. She was starting to feel bad about having him work on her car. She could take it in, she didn't mind.
"I don't mind. Do you mind if I have some?" He asked gesturing to the coffee pot.
"Of course," Zoe told him. She quickly grabbed him a mug, pouring some coffee into it for him. "Did you want to talk about your dad now?" Zoe asked placing the mug in front of him. He rubbed the back of his neck.
"You sure you can be talking about this outside of the hospital?" He questioned. He didn't want her to get into trouble.
"I can tell you the same things here as I could there. You're his family and I'm allowed to tell you the same things we tell your father," she replied easing his mind. "What was it you wanted to know?" Zoe questioned.
"I'm worried about him and I know how he can get at times," Wade started to say.
"Your father has been nothing but pleasant a bit out there trying to find you the perfect wife, and a bit much wanting to know the on goings of my personal life, not that I mind talking about Abel it's just the other things," she rambled on. Feeling Wade's warm palm pressing against the top of her hand had her blushing. "But that's off topic, he's really great, you really don't have anything to worry about," she assured him.
"I can't lose him too, Doc," Wade told her, his thumb caressing her skin. The little name along with the feeling that was stirring inside of her at a simple touch had her cheeks flushing a dark shade of red. Wade smiled but didn't bring attention to it.
"I assure you that you won't lose him, not for a long few years yet, Wade. The cancer is out and once he goes to the assisted living place he'll only be there for the year, it's just a precautionary. It's a better way to keep an eye on him to make sure it doesn't come back. It's not something we actually do."
"Then why did you do that for him?" Wade asked, suddenly curious now.
"I've grown close to him over the short time I've spent with him and I didn't want to see him go back home to that situation again and not only will the place he is going to be easy for us to check on him every so often but help him to stay sober without him really knowing it," she explained on the sheepish side.
"I think that's awesome, but couldn't he like I don't know come live with me?" Wade asked, drawing his hand from hers, cupping his cup of coffee with both hands.
"He could, but is that something you're willing to take on? It's a lot to ask of you and you have work and Hobs, do you have time to deal with the things that your dad will put you through?" Zoe asked.
If it was anything like what he had went through growing up then no he wasn't ready to deal with that. Put that way he wasn't going to be able to watch his father at all times keeping him from the very demon of his existence. He had went through hell when he was younger and now that he was free of that he wasn't ready to jump back into it. He loved his father; it was just good not to be the one to deal with the outbursts any longer. "I know it makes me a bad son, but I don't think that I do," he told her honestly.
"It doesn't make you a bad son; you're doing what's best for your father, Wade. Nothing is ever wrong with that," Zoe assured him. Wade nodded locking his eyes with hers both afraid to look away and break this moment they were having, where they could see deep within each other, letting the hurt and pain lay on the surface, closely followed up with a burst of happiness. The distance that was between them was slowly starting to close.
"Mom," Abel called bounding down the stairs. Zoe and Wade jumped apart. Wade rubbing the back of his neck as he got up outta the chair he was sitting in. Zoe blushed getting up to meet her son. Abel hugged her. "I'm sorry for school today," he whispered.
"Don't make it a habit," she told him. She couldn't tell him it was fine or even okay, because it wasn't.
"I won't," he promised. "Night mom, love you," he said, pulling away from the hug.
"Night, love you too," Zoe replied kissing the top of his head. He made a big deal about the kiss with Wade right there, Zoe rolled her eyes as Abel told Wade night.
"Night Abel," Wade called back. With Abel gone things between the adults started to get really awkward. "I should go," Wade said looking over at Zoe who was looking at the floor. He had wanted to kiss her and he was certain that if Abel wouldn't have chosen that moment to come running down the stairs they would have kissed.
"Yeah, it's late and I've got to get up extra early with my car down," Zoe replied with a nod, her almost kiss with Wade on her mind. Up until that moment she wasn't even aware that she wanted to kiss Wade and now that's all she could think about were his lips on hers and how it would feel. Are his lips as soft as they look? Shaking the thoughts from her head she caught the amused look on Wade's face; bringing a pink blush tint to her warming cheeks. "Thank you for looking at my car and dinner, it was lovely."
"My pleasure, Zo," he told her with a soft smile. The first few times he called her that, she didn't think much of it, she knew that she liked it when he called her Zo it made her insides fuzzy and now hearing it made that fuzzy feeling turn into a soft flutter. "When the starter comes in I'll put it in for ya, with the charge of dinner," he winked walking to the door. He really could get use to the pink tinting her cheeks.
"Deal," Zoe promised. "Night Wade," she called, stepping closer to him.
"Night Zo," he replied, kissing her cheek and disappearing out the door. Zoe smiled, bringing her fingers to touch the spot where his lips were just at. Closing the door, she walked to her room her head in a fog about her next door neighbor.
Wade stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked through her back yard to his own, using his foot to close the gate door separating their yards. A smile playing on his lips, he liked Zoe and he was willing to see where this new found friendship and the feelings that he was starting to harbor for her were going to take him. He believed that he was ready for whatever ride it was, even if he didn't think that he wasn't ready for an instant made family. He got along with Abel and as long as lines didn't get crossed things would be okay, he wanted to believe they would be. He pushed the thoughts outta his mind as he cleaned up from dinner, he was getting ahead of himself, and he needed to figure out where Zoe stood towards him.
"What am I gonna do, Hobs?" Wade asked with a sigh, scratching his dog on the head. His answer was a lick to his arm. Wade shook his head moving to scratch his four legged friends' ears.
