Lemon had taken two days to weigh out all her options. How would she tell Wade about Jonah and Zoe? How would she tell the town? Who would she tell first? All this scheming and planning gave Lemon a headache, but she was determined to help Zoe and minimize the damage. Her phone ringing jolted Lemon from her train of thought.

Hello?

Lemon!

Zoe?

Lemon, help! I am in the middle of a real panic attack.

Lemon remembering how kind and patient Zoe had been when she was experiencing her own panic attack gave her new friend her full attention.

Where are you? What's goin' on?

I just got off the phone with Jonah and told him that you were helping us with our little situation. He was thrilled that I finally told someone. I guess he took that as a very positive sign and booked a flight to visit tonight! He'll be here TONIGHT!

No, not yet, I haven't had time to think of a way to break this news.

I know Lemon, I tried to tell him. He said this should not be your problem and that he wants to be here and hold my hand when everyone finds out.

That boy is not right in the head, his being here will make things worse.

I think so too, but I just didn't have the heart to tell him no. I could practically hear the excitement in his voice. He has not pushed me to make our relationship public, but I know it has been hurting him that I didn't want to tell anyone. I guess he thinks it's not real unless we say it out loud. I can't blame him. I wouldn't like being kept a secret either.

Well then I guess, let the chips fall where they may. Honestly Zoe, I have been racking my brain tryin' to figure out a way to tell everyone without too much damage, but I got nothin'.

You're right, there is no right way. I just have to do it.

I said I would help Zoe and I meant it. I will go and start preparing people.

Oh god, ok. Thank you so much Lemon.

I just need a minute to prepare to tell Wade.

No!

Zoe, it's better he finds out before the others, if not it will just make it worse.

No, I mean, I will do it. I will tell him.

Oh Zoe, I don't know, maybe it would be better comin' from a friend. He's just not in a good place.

I have to. I need to.

Ok, but will you please call me right afterwards. I would like to be there for him if and when he needs me.

I will. Wade is lucky to have you in his life. I am too.

Lemon smiled. Zoe Hart was growing on her. She was taking responsibility and holding her head high. Lemon was proud. The smile on her face quickly faded when the image of Wade popped up. How will this all turn out? She did not have too much time to dwell on it seeing as how she had become the new town crier, hear ye hear ye Dr. Hart is now dating Dr. Jonah Breeland. Here we go.

Lemon bee lined it to the Rammer Jammer, figuring she'd reach most of the townspeople in one fell swoop. She entered the bar with so much flourish, everyone immediately turned in her direction. She quickly scanned the room looking for Wade, he was not there.

Alright y'all, Listen up! I have some important news for everyone. Now I know y'all love your gossip, and have I got a juicy one for you today.

She definitely had the crowds' attention now.

Jonah Breeland will be gracin' us with his presence this evenin'.

A collective sigh of disappointed emanated from the crowd.

That's not gossip Lemon, I mean we'll be glad to see him, but that is most definitely not worth classifyin' as juicy.

The bar patrons returned to their respective conversations.

Now, hush up, do you honestly think I don't know what juicy gossip constitutes in this town? My cousin will be visitin' his new girlfriend.

Now she got their full attention. They all started questioning who this mysterious woman was.

Dr. Zoe Hart

Every townsperson's jaw dropped. Lemon couldn't gauge their reactions. She had to wait for one of them to speak. It came as no surprise when one of them did.

Oh no! What about Wade?

Lemon had predicted this and was now ready to dole out the speech she had been mentally preparing for the last two days.

I am just as concerned about Wade as you are. I, like you, was none too pleased when Zoe told me about her new relationship with my cousin. Y'all know very well that she was not my favourite person. I say was because I have changed my mind. I love and care for Wade just as much as anybody else in this room. We were all witness to his despair over losing Zoe this summer. We saw him change right before our very eyes. We know how hard he's worked to gain back what was so precious to him. He is one of us and we want the best for him. I know and you know that is Zoe Hart. I tried to tell her that much when I visited her office the other day. I was about ready to ring her neck and tell her what a big mistake she was makin'. Well, I actually did tell her, but that's when I saw her pain. I witnessed her despair. She is just as much hurt by her breakup with Wade as he is. She is no less of a victim, in fact she is more so. She was cheated on, her trust broken and she comes home to this, to us, harpin' at what an awful thing she is doing to Wade. Who is there for her, who is in her corner? I decided then and there that I would be and I guess I was hoping you would be too. I wish I could make her see that she belongs with Wade, but I can't. She is not ready and if Jonah makes her happy then que sera sera.

Lavon was so proud of Lemon in that moment. He was shocked to hear that Zoe had been carrying on a relationship with Jonah without telling him, but that was not important right now. Lemon was right, they had to fight for Zoe's happiness. He loved Wade, he knew how much Wade loved Zoe, but there was really nothing he could do about that. All he could do was support his best friend. He stood up.

I agree with Lemon. We will support Zoe and her new relationship. We will keep our opinions to ourselves, however valid they may be. If Wade and Zoe are meant to be, they will find their way back to each other. We will not interfere and we will not judge.

Lavon and Lemon both looked expectantly at the crowd, it was silent for a long while. And finally, they all accepted this news. They would all support Wade and Zoe and even Jonah. With all the conversations that this news generated around the bar, the town failed to notice the return of their golden boy. George was standing in the doorway of the Rammer Jammer holding Tansy's hand. His jaw was dropped. Had he just overheard that Zoe and Jonah were now a couple? That wasn't supposed to happen. George had accepted his fate with Zoe, he knew they were not meant to be. He knew that because he saw first hand what Zoe and Wade meant to each other. George and Tansy had walked in during Lemon's speech. Since when were her and Zoe friends? Gone 4 months and this town had turned upside down. George approached Lemon and Lavon who were now standing next to one another talking about what everyone else was talking about, the new love triangle that did not involve him anymore. He was actually quite happy about that.

Lemon, Lavon?

George, oh my goodness, Tansy! You're home!

Lemon gave each one a great big hug and Lavon welcomed them home with his signature smile. They quickly made the rounds around the bar saying hello to everyone, but both George and Tansy were anxious to get back to Lemon and Lavon to hear more about what they had missed while being away.

Lemon, did I hear you right? Jonah and Zoe?

Yes, you did.

How..I mean when…I

The how I'm not to clear on, but they've been secretly dating for about a month now.

Oh my goodness, how did Wade react to the news?

I don't know Tansy, Zoe said she wanted to be the one to tell him. To be honest, I don't know if that was the best idea.

All four of them stood at the bar catching each other up on their respective summer, all clearly worried about Wade. Lemon was hoping she would get a call from Zoe soon.

Zoe was so nervous, she felt like throwing up. Why was this so hard? Why was it difficult to tell her ex, who had cheated on her, that she had started dating another man? She was hoping this would give him the push he needed to move on too, that thought just made her more nauseous, just picturing him with another woman…no she could not go there. She did not give herself the time to analyze why picturing Wade with another woman made her ill, she just took a deep breath and knocked on his door.

Doc?

Hi Wade, can I come in?

Wade made a move backwards to let her in. He did not know what to think, why was she here? Was this good or bad? They hadn't spoken since their last run in. Had she changed her mind? Wade quickly pushed that thought out of his head, he reminded himself how much hurt it caused him to hope.

What can I do for you Doc?

I need to talk to you about something?

Shoot.

It's not easy Wade.

With those words, Wade's stomach twisted in an unbearable knot. This was not going to be good. This was going to hurt like hell. He had been barely scraping by since their last conversation, how would he survive this one?

Well Doc, why don't you just spit it out so we can both get on with our day.

Wade

I'm not trying to glib, I just hate when you stretch things out.

Ok, you're right. Jonah and I have been seeing each other long distance for the past 4 weeks. We have not told anybody because I wanted to take things slow and make sure we could have something before announcing it.

Damn. This hurt. Watching her walk away from him at the fence outside Franko's diner was like a slap in the face…her telling him she did not trust him anymore after a long summer of hoping and waiting for her was like a punch to the gut, but this, this was it. The final nail in the coffin so to say. She had just effectively ripped his heart out. He could barely breathe. He willed himself to pull it together.

Ok.

Ok?

Yeah, I mean what else do you want me to say Doc?

I don't know, something more than just ok?

Well I got nuthin'. I can't exactly wish you all the best, but I'm not going to scream and shout either.

Zoe would have loved some screaming and shouting compared to this. This was eerie. She didn't know how to handle this. Walls being put up by his quick wit, sure. Fighting, piece of cake, but this scared her.

Wade, I'm sorry.

Don't be Doc. It had to happen eventually. I'm glad you came to tell me yourself.

Wade made a move to show Zoe out. She desperately wanted him to say something else. She didn't know what, but anything to keep her here. She was scared to leave because it felt so final. She wasn't ready for that. When she didn't make a move, Wade looked at her.

Anything else?

I'm not ready.

Ready for what?

Wade didn't know what to make of that response. He was desperate for her to leave because he was about ready to break down and he did not want to do it in front of her. He needed to be alone. But now, what did this mean? She was so confusing. He was scared to say something. She needed to talk, she needed to explain herself.

Zoe couldn't believe what had just come out of her mouth. Her new boyfriend would be landing in just 30 minutes and here she was with Wade glued to his floor. She could not will herself to leave. Wade was looking at her, waiting for an explanation. She wished to god she had one. All she knew was that she was not ready to leave yet. Zoe's eyes pleaded with Wade to do or say something. She could feel the tears well up in her eyes.

Wade was awestruck by what was happening in front of him. Zoe was silent and her beautiful brown eyes were filling up with tears. What the hell was happening? Without words he knew she needed him to break the silence, to say something. He was scared to open his mouth, she had to be the one to do it, but her eyes were pleading. It broke his heart to see her this way. He sighed.

I'm not ready either.

He moved closer and when she didn't take a step back, he took his moment and pulled her into his arms. He held her as tight as he could. Once he had her there, he did not know how he was ever going to let her go. He couldn't hold it in anymore and tears were now spilling down his cheeks. This was the most heart wrenching moment of his life. As much as he would like to take this as a sign that she was finally going to take him back, he knew better. He knew her better. Zoe was rational, not emotional. He knew that her emotions had finally gotten the better of her, but that she would always end up pulling away, always looking to analyze and dissect every movement, every word. He knew he was just catching her in a moment and that it wouldn't last.

Zoe let herself be held by Wade. She knew it wasn't fair to Wade, to Jonah or even fair to her. She had made her mind up, she couldn't trust him anymore, but that didn't mean she didn't still care for him deeply. She felt at home in his arms. How could that feeling be wrong? But it had to be, how could home be with someone you didn't trust to take care of your heart? She pulled away and looked up, she was surprised to see Wade crying. It broke her heart into a million pieces. God, how cruel could she be? She should have left when he asked her too.

I'm sorry Wade.

I am too.

And with that she left. Wade was prepared for it, but when she had pulled away it had physically felt like someone was ripping out a piece of himself. He could barely breathe as he turned towards his couch. He sat down and laid his head back. Damn.