WHEW. This is the longest update yet, but it's one of the updates I've been looking forward to writing since I started this thing so I'm SO excited to get it posted now. I owe a lot of you a reply to your reviews and I'll get to them ASAP - silly real life, keeping me busy - but I want you to know how much I appreciate all of your reviews and support. It means the world to me. Y'all are so wonderful!

This update was inspired by The Band Perry's "All Your Life."

THINGS I OWN: The world's most sensitive smoke detector. My neighbors probably think I can't cook. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie


"What are you doing here?" Zoe demanded.

"You decided not to come to New York for the holiday – or answer the phone, for that matter – so I came to you," her mother answered.

"Waste of a trip," Zoe mumbled. She picked up her wine glass and drained it.

"Mrs. Hart, come on in," Lavon said, shooting Zoe a disapproving look. She ignored him and reached for the wine bottle. Didi pulled it out of her reach.

"Please, Mayor Hayes, call me Sybil," Zoe's mom said, stepping further into the kitchen. Wade shut the door behind her.

"Only if you call me Lavon," Lavon answered. He took the coat she was wearing despite the comfortable temperatures outside.

"Should've left her for Burt Reynolds," Zoe muttered to Wade as he passed her with the cranberry sauce.

"Play nice, Doc, it's a holiday," he muttered back. Zoe glared at him. He knew she'd be angry when he turned up with her mother, but when he'd seen the woman attempting to navigate the road to the plantation in heels, her Louis Vuitton luggage dragging along behind her, he knew she had to be connected to Zoe Hart somehow.

"Well, Mom, it was nice of you to come all the way down here and all, but we were about to sit down to dinner. I'm sure if you head back into town, you'll be able to find a room at the Bluebell Inn. There might even be Wi-Fi so you can schedule your flight back to New York for first thing tomorrow."

"Now that's just foolish," Lavon said. "Sybil, you'll be joining us for dinner. There is far more food than four people can eat. And besides, it's Thanksgiving."

Zoe opened her mouth to argue.

"That's right," Didi cut in. "We'll have Zoe set another place. I'm Didi, by the way." Wade had the good sense to remain quiet.

"Zoe, grab your momma a plate and a set of utensils, will you? Sybil, what it'll be? Wine?" Lavon said, moving to the drink station he'd set up earlier.

"Oh I really can't impose…," Sybil started.

"Yeah, she really can't," Zoe agreed.

"I am the mayor of this town and I am making an executive decision," Lavon stated. "Sybil, you're staying for dinner. Zoe, set her a place." Zoe made a production of setting another place, slamming cabinet doors and dropping the plate on the table.

"Looks like we might need to set up a kids table," Wade said in an undertone as he placed the turkey in the center of the table. Zoe was acting childish and he didn't mind calling her out on it.

"This is your fault," Zoe hissed back.

"Just gave her a ride, Doc, that's all," Wade reminded her.

Dinner was tense, at least as far as Zoe was concerned. She had tried to maneuver so she was sitting on the side of the table where only one place was set, but Wade beat her to it, a move Zoe was sure was on purpose. For everyone else, the meal was pleasant enough as Sybil told them about some of her recent PR work and Lavon, Didi and Wade filled her in on Bluebell. Zoe spoke when spoken to and not a word more, her wine supply suspiciously cut off after she downed a second glass just since sitting down to the table. She blamed Wade for that too, even though she had seen Lavon take the bottle into the kitchen.

She knew her anger towards Wade was displaced. All he did was give her mother a ride. Wade would have likely stopped and offered help to anyone he seen walking by themselves, not just a woman Zoe didn't think he even knew was her mother. But he was sitting across from her, being the perfect gentleman and she could admit, looking handsome in a light blue button down and a pair of dark wash jeans, and all she could focus on was the fact that he'd been the one to bring her mother to Lavon's and because of that, he had interrupted what up until that point had been a perfectly good Thanksgiving, making the whole thing his fault.

"This macaroni and cheese is delicious," Sybil commented.

"Zoe made it, actually," Lavon said. He looked at Zoe, clearly expecting her to join in the conversation. She put a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth and ignored him.

"Zoe, you made this?" Sybil asked. "No offense, sweetheart, but your cooking has been less than subpar in the past. I'm impressed."

"Your parenting has been less than subpar," Zoe replied. "But unlike your skill set as a mother, my cooking skills have room to improve."

"Zoe," her mother warned. Zoe shrugged and continued eating.

"Mrs. Hart, how long are you planning to be in town?" Wade asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well my ticket has me flying out of Mobile on Sunday, but I'm willing to stay longer should I need to." She looked pointedly at Zoe who rolled her eyes.

"Where are you planning on staying while you're in town?" Didi asked.

"With Zoe, of course," Sybil answered.

"I've already recommended the Bluebell Inn," Zoe said, glaring at her mother.

"Your place may be small, but it's plenty big for the both of us for a few days," Sybil told her, holding Zoe's eyes with her own.

"Size isn't the problem," Zoe answered, not breaking eye contact. "I don't want you there."

"Zoe," her mother warned again, her eyes getting bigger to indicate that she was embarrassing her.

"What, Mom? Don't want to air the family's dirty laundry out in front of the good people of Bluebell?"

"There is a time and a place for this conversation. The dinner table on Thanksgiving in front of strangers is not it."

"Say, Doc, who won the Packers game today? I missed the end," Wade asked, making an effort once again to change the subject.

"The Packers," Zoe answered shortly. Wade nodded, already at a loss for what to say next. "And these are not strangers. They're my friends. Besides making me feel welcomed in Bluebell, they've been kind enough to tell me about my father, seeing as I never got a chance to know him. You know, since I didn't know he was my dad and all."

"Zoe, not now," Sybil said again.

"Why not?" Zoe burst out. "Why not? You're here. You obviously want something. So what is it? What do you want from me? Because that's always what it's about, isn't it? It's always about what you need. So what, Mother, do you need to make yourself feel better about lying to me my entire life? Forgiveness? Done. We're there. You can go now."

Lavon and Didi busied themselves with their plates, clearly uncomfortable. Wade did the same, but kept stealing glances at Zoe. He was surprised they'd made it this far into dinner without an outburst from her.

"I'm here because we need to talk," Sybil answered. "And since you're not willing to go to therapy and talk about this like normal people, let alone answer your phone, I had to resort to drastic measures."

"Didn't you hear me? I forgave you. You can book your return flight now."

"You didn't mean it."

"And I'm not going to!" Zoe cried out. "You lied to me my entire life. You let me wonder why my dad didn't love me anymore. You had every chance in the world to tell me the truth and you didn't! I spent half of my life trying to find a way to get my dad to pay attention to me when all the while, my real dad was in Bluebell, Alabama! I missed the chance to know him because of you! You're upset because I won't speak to you? Well, I'm upset because I don't even know who I am anymore."

Zoe stood from the table and stormed out of the dining room. Sybil called after her but knew better than to follow. A moment later, the sound of a door slamming echoed throughout the house.

"I'm so sorry," Sybil said to the table, her cheeks red from embarrassment. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to disturb your holiday like this. I just, well I thought Zoe would be spending the day alone."

"It's okay," Lavon said. "You and Zoe obviously have some issues to work out."

"I should go see if she's okay," Sibyl said, making to stand.

"No," Wade spoke up. "Give her some time to cool off." Sybil looked ready to argue with him but a moment later, she gave a resigned sigh and sat back down, knowing he was right. She continued to apologize for Zoe's behavior and interrupting Thanksgiving dinner, Lavon and Didi telling her over and over no harm was done.

Wade remained quiet, sipping his beer and picking at his food. He'd seen Zoe mad before. He'd seen her furious, even. He'd been on the receiving end of her temper more than his fair share of times. But what he'd just seen in her was something different. She was not only a shade of anger past anything he could identify, she was also deeply hurt. He could see it in her eyes as she'd yelled. It was all he could do not to chase after her himself and make sure she was okay, but he instinctively knew she needed to be alone and so he would remain at the dinner table against his own wishes.

"How about we have us some dessert?" Didi asked in an effort to get dinner back on track. "I'll put on some coffee too."

"That's a great idea," Lavon said. He asked Sybil for her thoughts on what he could do to better promote tourism in Bluebell and with that, it was as though the argument with her daughter had never happened.


Zoe sat on the top porch step, surrounded by darkness. She had left the main house in a fit of rage and had walked the entire perimeter of the plantation. Having calmed down some, she was embarrassed about her behavior at dinner and knew she owed everyone an apology. But she couldn't believe her mother had the nerve to show up in Bluebell, intrude on her plans and her home, and not expect her to be angry.

It was typical Sybil Hart. Zoe had no doubts about where she got her determination from. She set her mind to something and made it happen, same as he mother. She had also inherited her mother's temper although while her mother had mastered controlling hers, she had yet to get the hang of it, as evidenced by her outburst at the dinner table.

She had no choice but to at least hear her mother out. She knew Sibyl hadn't been kidding when she'd said she'd be staying as long as it took. She was still sitting on the porch steps, composing the speech she would deliver to her mother when Wade pulled up at his place. Zoe watched as he got out of his car and made for her side of the pond.

"Let me guess," she said when he was close enough. "You all drew straws to decide who had to come check on me and you lost."

"I offered," Wade answered. He climbed the stairs and sat down beside her. "I figured you'd rather see me than your mom. But she ain't far behind, I don't think."

"If you're here to try and convince me to talk to her…," Zoe started. Wade shook his head.

"I ain't known you all that long, but I know you well enough to know you wouldn't listen if I tried." He reached in his pocket and pulled out two pouches of candy. He held one out to Zoe. She allowed a small smile to play across her lips.

"Sour Patch Kids," she said, taking a pouch from him. "Thank you."

"No problem," Wade answered, opening his bag. "I picked them up when I was out gettin' the cranberry sauce for DiDi. 'Course I hadn't planned on using them to cheer you up at the time. Thought I'd keep 'em on hand to shut you up the next time I blew the fuse box." Zoe's smile grew a little bigger as she opened her bag and shook a couple into her hand. They had discovered their mutual love of Sour Patch Kids when she had tagged along with him to the Quik-Stop the week before.

They sat in silence for a while, eating their candy and Wade letting Zoe decide if she wanted to say anything about what happened.

"I can't believe she'd just show up here," Zoe finally said. "I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised. She did this when I was in college. We'd fight, I'd hang up the phone or storm out of our penthouse, wouldn't answer her phone calls. A few days later, I'd come back to my dorm and find her waiting on my bed. She wouldn't leave until I talked to her."

"I wondered where you got that stubborn streak," Wade commented. "Knew it won't from Harley."

"She just doesn't get it," Zoe said, ignoring Wade's comment. "This isn't her refusing to give me extra spending money so I can buy a new dress or me getting mad because she won't let me go to Aspen with my friends for Christmas. This is her, lying to me about my entire existence. I deserve to be mad."

"Yeah, you do," Wade agreed.

"She thinks she can just waltz into town and I'm going to listen to everything she has to say and forgive her for lying to me my whole life. It doesn't work like that. I get to be mad. I get to not speak to her and not listen to her. I get to say mean things and I get to be selfish. It's only fair."

"You know, Doc, I don't think anyone faults you for being mad," Wade said. "But I reckon they do fault you for not at least hearing what your momma has to say." Zoe looked at him.

"Do you think I should hear what she has to say?" she demanded. Wade chose his words carefully.

"I think that you still have a momma," he said. "You can work things out with her or you can't, that's up to you. But maybe one day, something happens in your life – you get that fellowship you're chasin' after or maybe you meet someone special – and all you really want is to tell her all about it or them or whatever, but you go to pick up the phone and you realize she's not there. You can't tell her about this person who brightens your day just by smiling at you because she's not there anymore. She's gone. That's what I think." Zoe sighed and covered her face with her hands.

"When did you become Dr. Phil?" she asked.

"Just speaking from experience," Wade answered. Zoe uncovered her face and looked at Wade.

"You want to know the real reason I didn't go to New York for Thanksgiving?" Wade waited. "I have this whole side of my family, this whole group of people who love me, who send birthday cards and Christmas gifts and emails asking when I'm coming to visit, and they're not even related to me. They have no idea I'm not one of them. How do you tell them that? How do you tell your cousin who's been one of your best friends since you were in diapers that actually, you're not related at all?"

Wade thought about it. Zoe had always seemed so strong, so okay with the hand she'd been dealt. He was starting to see she wasn't so okay after all and really, he thought, who would be? She'd grown up idolizing a man who wasn't her father and who distanced himself from her the moment he found out the truth. Her real father was dead and left her a medical practice a world away from everything she'd ever known. Her life had been turned upside down in the span of just a few days. It was a wonder she got herself out of bed every morning, really.

"Well, they've been your family this long, that's got to mean something, right?" he said.

"My dad had been my dad for 10 years. Then he found out the truth and he stopped loving me," Zoe reminded him. "What's to say his family won't do the same?" Wade didn't have an answer for her.

"You know, for what it's worth, it was kinda fun watchin' you yell at someone else for a change," he said instead.

"What?" Zoe asked, surprised by the sudden change in topic.

"Listenin' to you yell at your mom? That was a nice change of pace. Usually it's me you're hollerin' at."

"You usually deserve it."

"Usually," Wade agreed. "But sometimes you're a bit more upset than the situation calls for." Zoe smiled, remembering the first time he'd told her that. And the kiss that had followed. She looked at him.

"You made my gumbo," she stated. She could tell by Wade's face that it was the last thing he was expecting to hear come out of her mouth.

"What gumbo?" he asked, avoiding her eyes.

"The gumbo that was entered under my name at the gumbo cookoff," she reminded him. "Your Uncle Moe's recipe."

"I didn't…"

"Wade," Zoe stopped him. "Lavon told on you. Accidentally, but still, he told on you." Wade sighed.

"Damn Mayor, having to be all honest," he mumbled. Zoe could tell he didn't particularly like that she knew the truth.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. Wade shook his head and continued to avoid her eyes.

"It's not a big deal," he said.

"You were up all night making that stuff."

"It's not a big deal," he said again.

"Wade."

"I don't want credit for it," he said. "I just… I knew how hard you were tryin' to fit in and I figured entering the gumbo contest then not showin' up with gumbo wouldn't do you any favors." He didn't dare tell her Shelley's advice about romantic gestures had spurred him to do it. He felt her hand land on his knee and he finally raised his eyes to hers.

"That was really sweet," she told him sincerely. "Thank you." He shrugged.

"It's not a big deal," he said yet again.

"Seriously though, why did you let me think it was Lavon all this time?" she asked. Thinking back, Lavon had been about to correct her when Wade had walked up with his 'the things you do for a girl' talk. She couldn't understand why he had deflected. Sitting there, her hand on his knee, she wondered if what Shelley had said in the waiting room of the clinic was really true. Maybe he did like her. And maybe she liked him. But those thoughts would have to wait until she could sort out her issues with her mother. One thing at a time was all she could handle.

"You didn't need my help," he answered. "'Sides, I felt bad about this." He reached out to where her hand was resting on his knee and brushed his thumb across the two small scars left behind by the fangs of a copperhead. "Still do, actually."

"I don't know about that," Zoe said seriously, ignoring the goose bumps that had erupted with Wade's touch. "My getting bit by a snake let you cop a feel." Wade laughed.

"That was an accident," he said.

"Of course."

"It was," he said, looking at her. "I'm a gentleman." Zoe gave him a look that said she didn't necessarily believe him. He was ready to stage his argument when headlights flooded the porch stoop. Zoe moved her hand from his knee to shield her eyes. Lavon's navigator stopped in front of her house and he and her mother got out.

"Great," Zoe mumbled as Wade stood.

"If you need to get away or need help hiding the body, I'm just over there," he told her nodding towards his house. Zoe smiled and nodded before standing to face her mother. Neither of them spoke as Lavon carried her bags past Zoe and into the house. Sybil gave her a long, hard look and then followed him. Zoe crossed her arms and remained outside, buying herself just a few more minutes as she watched Wade make his way to his house.

"For what it's worth, I did offer to let her stay up at the house," Lavon said, coming outside. "But she insisted on staying here. Don't know why. Her daughter isn't exactly a welcoming hostess." Zoe sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said, turning to face him. "I just… She was there and she took me by surprise. I handled it badly. I know we need to talk things out and I'm going to try. Trying is the bet I can do."

"Good," Lavon answered. "Trying is a good start."

"I really am sorry about dinner," Zoe said. "That was unnecessary."

"Just talk to your momma and we'll forget it ever happened," Lavon told her. He gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

"Tell Didi I'm sorry too," she said.

"Will do," Lavon answered as climbed back into his navigator. "Do me a favor though?" Zoe nodded. "If you do kill her, don't hide the body on my property. It wouldn't look good when re-election comes up." Zoe grinned as Lavon pulled away. When she could no longer see his taillights, she turned and went inside. She found her mother unpacking her suitcase.

"Okay," she said. Sibyl turned to face her daughter, looking surprised to be spoken to. "You want to talk? Let's talk."

"I don't… I don't know – where to begin," Sibyl admitted

"How about with why?" Zoe replied. "Why didn't you tell me the truth? Why did you hide it for so long? Why did you even sleep with another man when you were already married in the first place? And why should I forgive you?"

Sibyl took a deep breath. "Why is a good place to start," she said. She motioned towards Zoe's couch. "Can we sit?" Zoe nodded and purposefully took the arm chair to keep some distance between them. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and waited for her mother to begin. They were in for a long night.


"A shot of bourbon, please," Zoe said, walking up to the Rammer Jammer counter. Wade tossed the rag he'd been using aside.

"You sure, Doc?" he asked. "I could mix you up an appletini, maybe pour you some wine – not from a box."

"I've spent hours and hours and hours with my mother," Zoe answered. "A shot of bourbon, now." Wade obliged, more than a little curious to see if Zoe could actually handle a shot. While she waited, she looked around the Rammer Jammer to see who was there. The usual crowd was gathered around, most of them watching football. In the corner was a burly man she didn't recognize.

"Who's that?" she asked, tilting her head in the man's direction. Wade sat her shot down in front of her.

"Don't know," he answered. "He's been sittin' there a while, drinkin' on that same beer. Probably just passin' through." That was good enough for Zoe. She picked up her shot and tossed it back. "Ohh, big girl," Wade said, grinning as Zoe made a face and patted her chest as the liquid burned its way down. "Need another one?" Zoe shook her head.

"One is good," she said, still patting her chest. Wade chuckled.

"How are things?" he asked. He'd been hyper aware of the fact that nearly an entire day had passed without so much as a whiff of Zoe Hart.

"Better," Zoe answered. "Still a long way to go, but better." He nodded.

"Good."

"Don't get too comfortable though. You still might have to help me hide a body. She's still got a day and two nights before her flight leaves. Not that I'm counting." Wade laughed and Zoe smiled, playing with her empty shot glass.

She and her mother had talked until the wee hours of the morning, sometimes yelling, sometimes with tears, but they had made real progress before sleeping a few hours. Sybil, who had never been able to sleep well in a strange place, had woke early and insisted on dragging Zoe to Mobile for Black Friday sales, a practice neither of them had ever engaged in before. Her wardrobe and home décor expanded drastically, Zoe had taken off for the Rammer Jammer almost the moment the car service her mother had hired for the day had dropped them off at the plantation in desperate need of some time to herself.

"Hey Wade," came a voice Zoe didn't recognize. She turned to see a scantily dressed blond leaning on the bar a few feet away, obviously trying to win Wade's attention. A weird feeling ran through Zoe, one that felt strangely like jealousy. Wade nodded politely at the blond.

"Hey, Stephanie," he said, turning back to Zoe.

"If you ain't busy, you should come and join us," Stephanie said, motioning to the group of friends she was with. Zoe wondered if it were possible for the girl's shirt to be cut any lower or her jeans to be any tighter. She was also painfully aware that she herself was wearing her favorite pair of leggings and an oversized sweatshirt with her Wellies, her hair hanging limp around her face after a long day of shopping. As icing on the cake, she was pretty sure there were dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep.

"I'm good right here," Wade said with another nodded of his head to dismiss the girl. Zoe, feeling obligated to say something, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"If you want…," she started. Wade shook his head and reached out to play with her hand that was resting on the bar.

"I'm already talkin' to the prettiest girl in the room," he said with a smile. Zoe grinned and looked away, the faintest shade of red colored her cheeks. Wade wondered where the stroke of courage for him to say that had come from and wished it would stick around as his fingers slowly laced with Zoe's. Zoe looked back at him, biting down on her bottom lip.

She could kiss him. He was close enough. All she had to do was lean forward just a little and her lips would be on his and she'd know for sure that the feelings bubbling just below the surface were real. All she had to do was take a chance, a leap of faith. She leaned toward him. Wade moved towards her.

"Wade, I'm off," came Shelley's voice. Zoe blew out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and swore she heard Wade curse under his breath as he pulled his hand free of hers.

"Remember you're comin' in early tomorrow," Wade told her. "It's the Iron Bowl." Zoe wondered why Wade was the one reminding her she had an early start time, but figured Shelley being Shelley, the whole staff had probably reminded her at some point that night.

"Yeah, yeah, Alabama and Auburn, lots of drinking, fighting breaks out…," Shelley said, waving a hand.

"One of the busiest days of the year," Wade countered. A big group of men in camouflage, clearly looking to end a day of hunting with a few beers and maybe something to eat, came through the door.

"I'll be here," Shelley told him. She turned to Zoe. "You leavin' soon?" she asked. "I can give you a ride if you are. You can tell me what you bought today – I heard you and your mom went shopping in Mobile!"

"Absolutely nothing is a secret in this town," Zoe stated as she slid off the bar stool. "But a ride would be great." She looked at Wade who was already moving to help the hunters. "Night, Wade!" she called. He shot her a smile as he reached for several beers.

"Night, Doc," he called back.

"I just need to run by the Quik-Stop real quick. You don't mind, do you?" Shelley asked as the pair headed out of the Rammer Jammer.

"No," Zoe answered, glancing over her shoulder just in time to see Wade blow off the Stephanie girl again and turn to talk to one of the hunters. "I have a few things I could pick up myself."


Despite being dead tired, Wade whistled as he entered his house after his shift. He'd given up on his plans to not act on his feelings for Zoe Hart. He liked her too much and they had gotten too close in recent weeks for him to just ignore how he felt. Tonight had been the last straw. She'd been about to kiss him until Shelley had to go and ruin it and that fact had cemented his newly found desire to do something about the way she made his heart skip a beat when she walked into a room.

If he let himself think about it too much, he knew he'd change his mind. He had a list of reasons they shouldn't be together, including the fact that he didn't know what would happen if and when she went back to New York. But he was never one to think things through but so much and now that his mind was made up to pursue Zoe, he'd have to figure out a way to summon up the courage he'd need to ask her out on a date.

He turned on the light in his kitchenette and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. Stretching as he yawned, he moved to turn off the light when he seen a bag of Sour Patch Kids laying on his counter. He picked up the bag of candy along with the note Zoe had left.

I would have made gumbo but… - Z

Smiling, he dropped the candy along with the note back on the counter and turned off the light. He would be having sweet dreams tonight.


Someone shouted.

A door slammed.

Zoe gasped and bolted upright on the sofa, suddenly wide awake from a deep sleep.

"What on earth?" came her mother's voice. Zoe looked over her shoulder to see her mother sitting up in her bed.

There was more shouting.

An unfamiliar car engine roared to life.

Zoe threw off her blanket and ran for her front door, her mother not far behind her.

There was more shouting, followed by the sound of car tires screeching and gravel flying.

Zoe burst onto her front porch and rushed down the porch stairs, catching a glimpse of taillights disappearing in the distance. Wade was rushing down his porch steps and towards his car, pulling on a shirt as he went.

"Wade!" she called. He stopped in his tracks and turned.

"Get in the house!" he shouted back. "Go inside, lock the doors, and don't let anyone in you don't know." He turned towards his car.

"Why?" Zoe asked. Wade glanced over his shoulder in the direction the car had disappeared in.

"Dammit! I don't have time to explain!" he yelled. "Just do what you're told for once!" Zoe didn't move. Wade had never raised his voice at her, even when she probably deserved it. He was agitated, anxious, as he inched closer to her car. It scared her, not because he was yelling but because his tone told her she needed to be afraid. "Just please, go inside!"

"Zoe, come on!" her mother called, taking Wade's words to heart.

"Go!" Wade shouted across their yard. There was desperation in his voice.

"Zoe!" her mother said again. With a final look at Wade, Zoe turned and ran up the porch steps, pushing her mother into the house in front of her. She slammed the door and turned the lock.

"What's going on?" Sibyl asked, pulling the robe she'd thrown on tighter around her.

"I don't know," Zoe said, leaning against the door. She looked over her shoulder and out the door's window as Wade's taillights disappeared down the dusty back road at a high rate of speed. She turned back to her mother, her eyes wide. "I have no idea."


In the words of my co-worker .time. he calls our account executive in a given day - What is going on?

Thank you for reading and reviewing!