I'm sorry for the short delay with this chapter, I just needed to figure something out and it had been going both ways in my head and I just didn't know what way to go with it, but I have that all figured out now. I promise that within the next few chapters you will all see what really happened with August. Hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the last three. Enjoy.
"Hey Doc, give me a minute and I'll be ready to go," Wade told her, grabbing a few glasses and filling them up.
"Don't rush on my account. I'm early anyway," Zoe told him. Harley had let her go early saying that the last few hours could be handled without her and if anything came up and they needed her he had promised that he would give her a call.
"In that case," Wade smirked, getting her a glass of wine. "Enjoy this while I go finish up," he told her, walking off.
Zoe smiled, sipping on her wine. It wasn't a question of if she liked Wade, she liked him. He had been nothing but nice to her since she showed up in town. She felt like they had this connection. She could easily fall for him. She was able to see him with Braxton and he was nothing short of an amazing father. She watched him around town with everyone and he was there to help out whenever he could. He had a huge heart and Zoe liked that about him. Jumping into any relationship was never ideal, not when you had a child to worry about. Ariel was already attached to both Braxton and Wade, Zoe didn't want to be the reason to break it on her.
"What is this thing with you and Wade?" Zoe looked over giving George a smile. He had stopped in earlier in the day with a nasty cut on his arm.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Zoe told him, taking another drink of her wine, looking down.
"You can't act all innocent with me. Braxton adores you, Ariel adores Wade and I see the way you and Wade look at each other. Deny it all you want," George smirked, walking off. Zoe rolled her eyes finishing off her wine. She was getting to know Wade, there was nothing wrong with that. She could be friends with him. After all their kids were friends and they were neighbors, seemed like the best option was if they were friends and not hating on each other.
"What did golden boy Tucker want?" Wade asked, walking up to her ready to go.
"Nothing," Zoe replied, getting up. "Ready?" She asked him.
"Yep," he responded. He wasn't going to push Zoe on the topic. Not until he knew her better.
The ride was filled with laughter as they shared stories from their own childhood as long as stories about their kids. They had found that it was easy to get along with one another. Zoe smiled watching Ariel, Braxton, Earl and another guy she had never met or seen around town running around the yard.
"That's my brother Jesse. I didn't know he was going to be in town this week," Wade told her. Zoe gave him a smile and stepped out of the car, walking to where the group of them where at with Wade by her side.
"Mommy!" Ariel squealed running and hugging her mom. "That's Uncle Jesse, he told me it was okay that I call him Uncle. Is that okay with you?" Ariel asked, looking up at her mom with big eyes.
"I guess since it's okay with Jesse, I see no problem with it," Zoe assured her daughter. Ariel smiled, hugging her mom once more before running off to play. Zoe looked up to see Wade motioning for her to follow him. Zoe smiled at Braxton, messing his hair up as she followed Wade inside the house. "It smell's lovely in here," Zoe said, breathing in the sweet and salty aroma that was wafting through from the kitchen.
"You won't have any home cooked meal else where that's as good as this," Wade smirked. Zoe rose an eyebrow questioning him. "My mom's the best cook around these parts."
"Is that so?" She asked, walking with Wade through the living room and dinning room to the kitchen that was as lovely as the rest of the house. Wade in return just looked at her with a smirk firmly in place.
"Wade," Jackie stated, hugging her son. "And this must be Zoe. Braxton won't stop talking about you," Jackie smiled, hugging Zoe, who returned the hug.
"He is quite the little boy, who I happen to adore," Zoe replied, using George's terms from her exchange with him, but she really did adore Braxton. He was a little boy that a lot of people didn't understand.
"That little girl of yours is just adorable," Jackie gushed. "I always wanted a little girl, it didn't happen for me. And once I found out my little boy," Jackie said, squeezing Wade's cheek, "was going to be a father, I was hoping that he was going to have a little girl. But I wouldn't trade my little Brax for nothing," she stated, pointing at them with the wooden spoon she was using to mix the sauce for dinner.
"Play your cards right and maybe Zoe will let you watch Ariel on school breaks and over summer vacation when you have Brax," Wade smirked, kissing his mom's cheek before going outside to play with the kids.
"I wouldn't want to put you out," Zoe quickly told her.
"Non sense, you wouldn't be putting me out. I would love to watch her when I have Braxton. She has been nothing but helpful. They had to carry her kicking and screaming out of the kitchen," Jackie said with a laugh. Zoe smiled.
"She loves to help out as much as she can."
"You've raised her right, don't change," Jackie told her with a smile. "You don't have to stay in here, dear, go on and play with the kids. All of them are kids to me, they sure do act like it," Jackie laughed.
"That's probably for the best. I'm not the best cook in the world and I wouldn't want to ruin what you have made smell so delicious," Zoe told her, heading back the way she came.
The more time she spent with Wade's family the more she felt like she was apart of the family. They were nothing but nice. They all joked around and had a good time. Something she wasn't use to unless it was just her and Ariel. Everything had to be so serious with her own mom. Ethan wasn't around even before the divorce.
Zoe sat on the couch watching as Wade, Ariel and Braxton played chutes and ladders on the floor. Earl and Jackie were busy washing the dishes in the kitchen. Zoe smiled at Jesse who happened to sit by her on the couch.
"I haven't seen my brother like this in a long time," he commented softly.
"Like what?" Zoe asked, looking back the three on the floor playing the board game.
"Happy," Jesse commented. "We all tried to cheer him up, Braxton as well. It was easy with Braxton, but it was hard to get Wade to do much of anything. But now I can see that he is starting to become himself again and that's because of you and Ariel. You've brought this light back into his life."
"I didn't do anything. I just let a boy steal a fry from my plate," Zoe replied with a grin. "With the things your brother went through, it's hard to be happy, he has to do that at his own pace. It has nothing to do with me," she replied, casting a glance at Wade. He only a needed a friend that wasn't going to make him think or dwell on the events of the past. But someone to help him with his future.
"I think it does," Jesse smirked.
"You really think you know your brother that well?" Zoe asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We were the best of friends growing up. I was there after...everything," Jesse sighed. "I know how to read my brother," Jesse commented, getting up and walking off. Zoe sighed looking back to Wade, moving her gaze over to Braxton and her daughter.
"Mom, come play Sorry with us," Ariel said, looking up at her mom.
"Actually, we need to be going," Wade said. "But as long as it's okay with your Mom, you can come back anytime that Braxton does," Wade told her.
"As long as it's okay with the Kinsella's," Zoe replied, getting up.
"Call us Earl and Jackie," Earl told her with a chuckle. "We'd love to have her over more. She's quite the lovely little girl." Ariel smiled hugging Earl, Jackie and Jesse.
"It was nice meeting you guys," Zoe told them.
"Like wise. And don't be a stranger. You are free to come around whenever you want to," Jackie offered her. Zoe smiled and headed outside with Ariel. After Wade and Braxton said their goodbyes, they headed off. Within a mile of leaving both kids were zonked out cold in the backseat, leaving the car ride home to be a quiet one.
"I can carry her in the house for you," Wade offered.
"Thanks but I got it," Zoe replied, carefully getting her daughter out of the backseat. "Thanks for tonight. You're family is pretty awesome," Zoe told him, using her foot to shut the car door.
"They really are and you're welcome," Wade replied, giving her a warm smile, shutting the car door, getting Braxton out.
"And Wade you were right about your Mom's cooking. Best I've ever had," Zoe told him, walking off. Wade smiled walking to his own house.
Something about tonight felt amazing. Maybe just maybe they could do it again.
