Disclaimer: I don't own Hart of Dixie or any of its characters and I am making absolutely no money from this fiction.

Title: Holding Hearts

Chapter Seven: Exactly What Zoe Needs To Know

Zoe was avoiding everyone. Again.

After her confrontation with Wade she had raided Lavon's for all the junk food she could find, taken it back to the carriage house and spent the rest of the day in bed. She lay surrounded by a mound of cushions, blankets and empty wrappers. If she was feeling bad Zoe had always squirrelled herself away in bed, surrounding herself with everything she needed to feel better.

Her feelings were confusing though. She was upset-yet she wasn't as angry as she thought she should be. In some twisted way she could see Wade's point. Yet that did not stop the aching hurt and thoughts of betrayal. A nasty voice deep down inside of her whispered that she should go running to George. Tell him even considering Wade had been a mistake. But she just couldn't do it. She knew it was a lie.

And she couldn't even look at the New York skyline on her wall without feeling a fresh stab of pain.

Zoe jumped at the unexpected knock on the door but she didn't get up to answer. She didn't even bother to call out a hello. After a few minutes someone cleared their throat loudly from outside and Zoe knew instantly who it was. Her heart ached even more.

"Zoe you home?" George called from the porch.

Something broke inside her.

"I'm not feeling well," Zoe called back. "Don't come in!"

The porch door creaked his entrance as George opened it. But polite as ever he knocked on the bedroom door and called out "Coming in!" before he entered. Zoe pulled the blanket up so that only her eyes and her wild, unkempt bed hair were visible.

"What's the matter?" he asked kindly as he cleared a space in the empty packets to perch on the edge of the bed. Zoe had to hand it to him he was stalwartly polite-he didn't so much as grimace at the state of her or the bed.

"Flu. Very highly contagious. You should definitely avoid me."

George smiled at her and shook his head. "I don't think Twinkies and potato chips are the best remedy for the flu Miss Hart."

"George why are you here?" she asked, "It's not that I mind you being here," Zoe added quickly, "It's just after that happened I was not exactly expecting you to come visiting."

George shrugged. "We had a fight Zoe. It doesn't mean I've stopped wanting to make whatever this might be work. I realised last night that I'm trying to rush you into making a decision so that I can come to terms with the decision I made and that is not fair. I'll give you some time Zoe but I won't be strung along."

Zoe let the covers fall down slightly so he could see her nod. "That's fair."

"Now I was going to suggest we go out to eat but if you're not feeling up to it…"

"Actually I think some fresh air might do me good. But…not Bluebell, " she added slowly, "Not yet."

George nodded too, understanding written plainly across his features. "I had somewhere in mind."

This could work Zoe thought as she watched the picturesque countryside pass her by and stole glances at the handsome driver next to her. It felt so easy to sit here next to George as he drove to an upmarket restaurant a client had recommended. She leant back against the headrest and turned to smile at him. He spared her a quick relaxed grin before focusing on the road again. She could almost map out what life would be like with George, an effortless array of exquisite dining, culture, contentment and ease.

Ease, ease, ease. Easy. Effortless. Every time she thought of George those were the adjectives that came to mind. Zoe squashed down the uncomfortable feeling that that revelation gave her. There was nothing wrong with any of those feelings. Yet…would she be settling? Settling for what she had always though she deserved without seeing what else could be on offer?

The restaurant was a lovely old stone building. Lights glimmered in the gardens outside and Zoe could see why George's client had told him it was fast become the top romantic destination in the area. Inside the décor was rustic, wooden tables and chairs, but classic and the waiter took their coats and sat them at a table by the window. The growing darkness outside and the candlelight interior only added to the romantic ambience. Zoe almost blushed as George took her hand across the table.

"Do you like it?" he asked, his tone boyishly shy all of a sudden. What was this place doing to them?

Zoe smiled at him. "Your client was right. It's lovely."

"We haven't had the food yet though," he joked, "Shall we look at the menu?"

George would wait she thought as she glanced at the menu. He would wait for an answer without sleeping with anyone else. Shouldn't that tell her something? The innate difference between Wade and George's character. Wade was a player and was it stupid to think he could be anything else? Anything more than a bit of fun? And trying to convince herself this wasn't a life decision was idiotic. She had placed too much importance on it now for it not to be. George could be it while Wade could be what? A distraction? A bit of spontaneity on the road to marriage and children? Why was she even thinking about this? She looked up and instantly knew. It was George. George made her plan for a certain future. A certain, almost predictable future.

"I think I'll have the steak," George was saying, "Perhaps with the mushroom sauce."

"Sounds nice," Zoe mumbled.

"Have you decided on anything?" he asked.

"Well I am having a bit of a craving for chicken so-"

Zoe froze as a familiar voice drifted over to them from the doorway. Although she couldn't see them there was no mistaking the owner.

"Oh isn't this just darlin'. How quaint."

George froze too.

"We are quiet this evening but there are some other diners in our window seats. We could seat you in a more private area," the waiter was saying.

Please say yes Zoe thought, gripping the menu tightly in her hands and staring determinedly into it.

"A seat in the window would be perfect thank you," replied a deep, unfamiliar male voice.

Zoe began to sink down into her chair. Now all thoughts of it being easy were coming crashing down around her head. This wasn't easy. This was not easy at all. She could feel the very air turn frosty as Lemon Breeland turned the corner and saw who the other diners were. She could see her coming to a standstill as she made a choked noise in her throat at the sight of them.

"Is there something wrong Lemon?" the male voice asked, concerned.

Zoe peered over the top of her menu. Lemon had gone slightly grey, her fingers clenched in the material of her dress.

George set his shoulders and turned around. "Lemon," he said politely, nodding his head to her.

"I'm suddenly not feeling too well," she replied swiftly, ignoring George's greeting. "I think I need some air. And a private table would be more appropriate."

Her date gave them a curious look but took Lemon's arm to lead her away from them. Zoe let out the breath she hadn't realised she was holding.

"That wasn't as bad as it could have been," she said slowly, trying to read George's expression.

"I think we should order," he replied. "You said you felt like chicken?"

It had mostly been tense after the altercation with Lemon. They had eaten, talked about the food. Then left. And now they were in what was probably the second most tense car ride of Zoe's life. Suddenly as they drove through Bluebell George pulled the car into a space and stopped.

"No," he said, "I am not going to do this. I'm not going to hide."

"George what do you mean?"

"We're adults. I'm not going to be angry at Lemon for dating. And I'm not going to pretend I'm not either. We're going into the Rammer Jammer."

Zoe blanched. "Wait George…"

"No. We can drink there as friends or as a couple. But we won't hide."

He was out of the car before she protest anymore. But the thought of Wade slapping that blonde on the behind as she walked past made her climb out of the car when George opened the door. She kept Wade's smirk across the pond fixed in her mind's eye as the Rammer Jammer went silent when they walked in.

George found them a table. "Wine?" he asked. Zoe nodded as he walked away and took the opportunity to scan around the room. Wade was behind the bar and as he spotted George walking across the room he turned and strode into the back room. Her stomach constricted slightly at the sight of him but the pain of that moment this morning would not leave her. Suddenly Lavon dropped into the empty seat next to her.

"Couldn't you have done this somewhere else Z? Anywhere else?" Lavon hissed at her.

Zoe opened her mouth but nothing would come out. She shrugged. "I…I just…"

Lavon made a noise somewhere between outrage and frustration. "This isn't fair on Wade Z. He cares about you."

"No he doesn't. He's already shown me exactly what I mean to him."

Lavon's eyes went wide. "What do you me-Oh hey George." Lavon stood as George put the drinks down on the table.

"Lavon."

"I'll speak to you later Z." The Mayor said meaningfully as he drifted back to his previous seat at the bar.

Zoe was for a moment selfishly glad that the two men were still forcing the cordiality between them as it helped her avoid further awkward conversation with Lavon. Wade had returned to the bar and people were beginning to stop staring at them as George smiled at her and made easy conversation. She knew that even if the looks were minimal the talking was not. She could feel the disapproval weighing down on her. Slowly people began to leave as George bought more drinks. Zoe squirmed as George ploughed on, determined not to let it get to him. There was a lull in the noise and a female voice carried across the room.

"…customers definitely going downhill…"

It was covered up quickly by the scraping of chairs as more people left. Zoe felt her cheeks burning and looked automatically towards the bar. Wade was looking in the direction the comment had come from. His mouth opened as if he was about to say something then George grabbed her hand across the table. Wade saw and his mouth snapped shut. She looked back to George and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. At least he hadn't noticed that when she needed defending she looked to Wade. Maybe it was the residual feeling left over from him tearing down the sign. The girlish flutter when someone acted like your knight in shining armour.

"I'm sorry George," she said quickly, standing up. "I need to go."

She didn't wait for him to reply but left The Rammer Jammer without looking at anyone at all. But George was right behind her, she knew he would be.

"I'll give you a lift home," he said quietly.

It was a quiet but not tense car ride home. A car ride that ended with a sweet kiss that left her content, not as if she had swallowed a fire that threatened to consume her.

Lavon hung around until all the other patrons of the Rammer Jammer had left. He had said nothing and Wade didn't speak either as he stacked the chairs on top of the tables.

"Maybe I should go," Wanda murmured to Lavon, nodding knowingly towards Wade.

"Thank you Wanda" Lavon replied, tipping his hat in a goodbye.

Wade continued to noisily stack the chairs. Lavon cleared his throat but Wade cut him off before he could speak.

"She made her choice. It's not like I didn't see this comin'"

Lavon didn't know why exactly Wade's words made him so angry but they did. He spun around on the bar stool so he could face him.

"What did you do? I could see it happenin' for you both and now this?"

Wade kicked angrily at a chair and it skidded across the floor before toppling over. "I slept with someone else alrite?"

Lavon shook his head. "You idiot. You tipped the scale well and truly."

"I know! I just…I didn't want her to know…"

"You didn't want her to know what?"

"How invested in her I was…I am."

"Wade!" Lavon cried, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "That's exactly what Zoe needs to know!"

"What does it matter now anyway? She was here with Golden Boy."

"What matters is that she spent most of the night looking at you."

"No she didn't."

"Yes she did."

Wade slumped down onto a chair. "I don't know what else ya' think I should do? I made a gesture, I told her it wasn't just the sex-"

"And then you promptly had sex with someone else. Don't you think that's sending some confusing signals Kinsella?"

"That's who I am Lavon! What if I can't change? What if I like the way I am?"

"Then let her be happy with George. But I don't think you'll be happy if she's not with you."

And he left him there. Alone in a darkening bar.