Just a heads up, this will be the last update for this story until after the weekend. So I hope you all like it. Also to all my fellow Americans I hope you all have a fun and safe 4th. To everyone else have a fun and wonderful weekend. Enjoy.
The next few days had passed by rather quickly, the kids spending every second they could together. Things didn't go back to the way things had been with Wade and Zoe after their little talk. Things were still off between them. Around the townspeople things seemed like they were okay and that they hadn't been avoiding each other like the black plaque. At home things were different. Wade would stay on his side and Zoe would stay on her side. Not that they had much time to really talk. Zoe was filling in for a sick Harley. Between Wade having therapy and working it didn't give him much free time. He was still trying to find something that made him happy, every thing he enjoyed doing he couldn't see himself doing it forever. It was more for relaxation. There was no way he was going to become a rock star, not when he had Braxton; he picked Fatherhood every time over spending countless nights on the road, plus he liked his job.
Saturday morning Zoe was getting things packed away for the beach. Wade had informed her on one of the many times she came into the Rammer Jammer that a nice relaxing day at the beach would be good for all of them. Zoe smiled at Wade's words of having a talk with Ariel about the sharks if they became a problem when they got there. With everything Zoe could think of bringing along just in case something might happen, Zoe ushered her daughter out of the house to meet up with the boys so they could get on the road. Ariel was a bundle of joy, not able to sit still for very long. Thankfully Braxton was able to keep her calm on the ride.
The drive to the beach wasn't a very long one. Something both Zoe and Wade were thankful for, because things were awfully awkward between them. Other than the soft music that was being played on the radio, the only other noise to fill the car was the kids chatter about all the things they intended to do at the beach, from swimming to building sand castles to looking for sea shells and wanting to bury Wade in the sand because Zoe had already shot that idea down the day before hand when both kids had ran up to her asking if they could.
"Stay where we can see you at all times," Zoe warned, placing a blanket down on the hot sand. Braxton and Ariel nodded and took off to the water's edge to play. Zoe had spent the last 20 minutes making sure that every inch of exposed skin was covered in sun screen. Wade plopped himself down next to her, looking at all the different people that were there. "Wade," Zoe spoke softly gaining his attention.
"Hmm?" Wade questioned softly, looking at her.
"Would you mind putting some on my back for me?" She asked, biting down lightly on her bottom lip. Wade nodded taking the bottle of sun screen from her.
"We wouldn't want you to burn, now would we?" He asked with a smirk. Zoe smiled and turned so her back was facing him.
Wade squeezed a small amount into the palm of his hand, rubbing his hands together. Softly Wade started to massage the white goo into Zoe's back. It had been hard enough for him not to stare when she peeled off her shirt and let her shorts drop to the ground revealing her small white bikini that looked like it was having a hard time keeping everything covered up.
Zoe had to bit her lip even harder when she felt Wade's hand softly rub over the skin on her back. Her eyes closed on their own accord and she was having trouble from keeping the little noises that wanted to escape her throat in her throat.
Wade smirked to himself hearing the soft moans and purrs coming from the petite doctor. He was finding it hard to keep his hands from roaming to far up and to the side and to far down. He had to keep reminding himself they were only friends not that that was really working in his favor at the moment.
"Thanks," Zoe squeaked out once Wade was done. He nodded tearing his gaze away from her to see what it was the kids were doing. He smiled seeing that they were sitting in the sand not that far away from them in the middle of making a sand castle. The best one on the beach, they were going all out for it. Wade cleared his throat, finding the right way to ask something of Zoe. There was no way that she would turn it down, because she wasn't selfish and she'd do anything for Braxton, which made asking her just a little bit easier, but he still didn't like putting her on the spot in such a way.
"Brax's therapist wants you to come to sit in on a session next week. Would you mind?" Wade asked getting straight to the point, glancing at Zoe from the corner of his eye. She lifted her sunglasses up to look at Wade.
"I don't mind going. Just curious as to why," she told him. She didn't see why it was she needed to go with Braxton; he was going to help him keep things with his mother from affecting him later on in life. Her going with just didn't add up in her head.
"I'm not told about what they talk about in there," he shrugged. "She just asked me if I could talk to you about coming in with him." He wasn't going to mention that he might want her to come in with him at some point; he was going to cross that bridge when he got to it.
"Either day is good with me; I'll just clear my schedule for both days, just to be safe. Whatever day Brax wants to go with me, I'll be there," she replied with a smile. "Same goes for you Wade," she told him softly, placing her sun glasses back over her eyes. Wade smiled leaning back, fixing the baseball cap on his head to keep the sun from eyes, considering he left his sunglasses on the table at home.
Braxton and Ariel were busy putting the finishing touches on their sandcastle, placing some of the sea shells they had found around the outside, a stick was sticking out of the top flagless. Smaller sticks were on the side of the castle being used as the drawbridge from where they had made their moat.
"I'll talk to your Mom and you can go talk to my Dad," Braxton suggested. Ariel nodded, and shook Braxton's hand. They ran off to where their parents were sitting on the beach clearly avoiding any real conversation. "Zoe?" Brax questioned, standing in front of her. Zoe removed her sunglasses giving him her full attention. "Can you help with something?" He asked, digging his foot into the sand. "Over there," he pointed in a random direction.
"Sure," she smiled, getting to her feet and walking away with him. "What do you need help with?" She asked once they were far enough away.
"There's this dance at school next month and you're suppose to bring your parents and dance with them," he started to say growing quiet.
"Ariel was talking about that dance," Zoe told him, seeing that he was starting to get nervous about what else he had to say.
"I've never went to them before, because it's weird to dance with my dad, so I was wondering if maybe I could go with you and Ariel could go with my Dad," he rushed out, looking out at the blue ocean.
"Why don't I talk it over with your Dad, but I think that be lovely, Braxton," she told him, letting him relax. He smiled, turning to hug her before running off to wait for Ariel.
"You mean it?" Ariel asked, looking at the water. "They really don't want to eat me?"
"I swear on it, sweetie. I'm sure there isn't a shark out there," he confirmed for her. He wasn't going to tell her that there could be one further out, because he doubted that would sit with her and he was sure that she wasn't going to go very far from the shore to begin with.
"And you'll talk to my Mom about it?" Ariel asked, growing shy. Wade nodded, pulling her in for a hug.
"I will, I think Braxton is waiting for you," Wade pointed out. Ariel smiled and jumped up from the spot on the blanket she had dropped herself onto when her mom had walked off with Braxton.
"Thanks, Wade," she called out, running off to join Braxton. They met each other with a high five, running into the ocean.
Wade watched them splash around in the water, he frowned when he realized that Zoe should have been back by now. He sat up and looked around to see the two guys that were clearly flirting with Zoe. He grew pissed off watching as she laughed at what they said and let them put their hands on her. He didn't like that. He got up from the ground and marched over to where Zoe was at.
"You should come play a game." He heard one of the guys suggest to Zoe. He didn't give Zoe time to reply, he didn't want to know what it was she was going to say. He was afraid that he wasn't going to like the words that came out of her mouth if she would have had the time. She had promised that she would wait for him and now she was going against that!
"The kids have this problem we need to discuss," Wade hissed, taking her hand in his and gently pulling her off, glaring at the two guys in the process. Zoe kept her amused giggles to herself. After a few seconds Wade dropped her hand, starting to feel silly for the way he acted. Really he had no right to go over there and go all caveman on Zoe, they were friends. But part of him, the part he was letting control him was telling him that Zoe had come to the beach with him and she should be focusing on the kids and not ogling half naked man, not when he looked better, but that was his opinion on the matter.
"Mind telling me what's going on?" Zoe asked once they were back at their spot.
"Do you really have to be flirting with them?" He asked in a hiss to hide the pain he felt.
"I wasn't flirting with them. They stopped me and were doing all the flirting. I was trying to find a way to get out of there," she confirmed, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at his barbaric behavior.
"Oh," he sighed, sending his hands down his face. He was starting to feel stupid for the way he had acted. "What did Braxton want?" He asked, changing the subject.
"He wanted to know if I could go the dance with him because he doesn't want to dance with you," Zoe told him, daring not to look at him.
"Ariel asked the same thing before the sharks," Wade chuckled. "We could just go together as friends," Wade suggested.
"That would be nice," Zoe commented, getting up. "Why don't we go join our kids in the water and cool off?" She suggested, needing to put space between them and fast. Wade grinned and he tossed a laughing Zoe over his shoulder and ran to the water running into the cool salt water far enough that he could drop Zoe without hurting her.
The rest of the afternoon had been spent splashing, tossing and having fun with their kids in the water. A fun day had by all with the awkwardness slowly leaving them be.