CHAPTER 11 INVITATIONS
"Hey Dad, we are all going to the Rammer Jammer for dinner. All five of us."
"Why?"
'We are celebrating, all of us being happy. Now take a quick shower and we will go."
Dad and I picked up Lemon and met Wade and Zoe at the bar. Shelley worked the bar so Wade and I could be off the same night. I had something I wanted to discuss with Wade. It was the last Saturday before Wade would step back behind the bar.
When Wade and Zoe strolled into the bar, you would have thought it was Prince Williams and Kate. They had only been in once and not together since they returned from New York a week ago. The gossip girls were all over them. Of course Wade took it in stride and Zoe wanted the questions to stop but smiled. Of course, Tom, Cody, the Pritchett Sisters all wanted to talk to them too.
Yesterday, the article came out in the Blawker about Zoe's stalker from New York. The town rallied around their city slicker and made sure she knew that they would look out for her.
Dr. Stringer, heart surgeon from New York, creeping on Dr. Zoe Hart, taking photos without her consent. Dr. Hart takes out a restraining order. If you see this man, Dr. Stringer, (photo), please contact the authorities.
Finally we were able to sit as a family. We ordered dinner and ate and then Wade took the stage alone, with his guitar. "Gonna play a Zac Brown tune that has recently become one of my favorites. Hope you like it"
It's just an old piece of wood
On top of four legs
It's got a few coffee stains, and a thousand marks from "god knows when"
Ain't too many thing's, that could stand the test of time
But this family table's held together by love that never dies
So won't you come on in?
Supper's almost done
Go ahead and call your friends
'Cause we got room for everyone
Let's make some memories, 'round this 9 foot pine
Pull up a chair and stay a while, at the family table
Family table
It's the cornerstone that held us all up
Through the best of times
And made our way when times got tough
We blew the candles out
In our walk through time
This family table's, bound together by love that never dies
Won't you come on in?
Supper's almost done
Go ahead and call your friends
'Cause we got room for everyone
Let's make some memories, 'round this 9 foot pine
Pull up a chair, stay a while
Gather round, hand in hand
Close our eyes and bow our heads
Thank the lord for everything he's done, and for everyone
At the family table
Wade looked at our table and said, "Happy Birthday Dad!" Dad's smile could have lighted the way through the tunnels of King Tut's tomb.
The crowd applauded and begged Wade for more. He looked at Zoe "Ok baby this one's for you. 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' by Marvin Gaye"
Zoe stood up and kissed my brother. Sometimes I think I am still in shock that he is so happy. It brings me back to our childhood before our mom passed away. Wade was always the kid that found happiness in everything. Wade had the entire Rammer Jammer singing happy birthday.
Zoe came out with the presents and Lemon was carrying Earl's raspberry chocolate birthday cake. The cake had so many candles on it, Lemon's bow, from her skirt, caught on fire.
"Fudge sticks up a fudge tree! Somebody help." Lemon said sounding extremely nervous.
Wade ran and got the fire extinguisher, but it was too late, Zoe had dumped a glass of water on her.
"Well I guess you have been waiting a mighty long time to do that Zoe Hart."
"Seriously Lemon, would rather be on fire right now? I can light you on fire."
Dad cut the wet cake. Wade and Zoe bought him a new fishing rod and light blue button down. Lemon and I gave him and smartphone so we could get in touch with him, when he isn't at the house. Then we had Dash take a family picture.
"Thanks for a memorable birthday boys. I have a feeling these two lovely ladies will be keeping us entertained for a long time to come."
"Yeah dad, I think you are right."
"Hey son, thanks for the song, it means a lot to me."
"Wade can we talk in private?" I asked.
Yeah, for a second." We walked over to the bar.
"Wade, what do you think about opening a bar?"
"Where?"
"Here, I heard Wally talking like he might sell this one."
"I can't say I haven't thought about it before, but I don't know. Kind of let that go when I lost the $5,000 in the Bluebell Battle"
"Wade you have money, You didn't need the five grand."
"Hey baby, I guess you are ready to go?" as Zoe walked up to us.
Zoe, looked at Wade confused. Her forehead lines all scrunched up and her eyes squinted and her trademark, biting her bottom lip, like she wasn't sure what she overheard.
"Jesse, can we talk about this later, Zoe and I need to go. Dad, Happy birthday, love ya."
"Earl, I love you happy bday. Bye Jesse. Bye Lemon."
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The ride home was quiet until Zoe said, "I loved my song"
"I meant every word."
"I know. Earl seemed over the moon."
"Yeah, I think he is loving this family time." I said as the car stopped. "Now it is time for our time." I took a few fast paced steps up to the patio. "You wanna join me in the shower?"
"Why, don't we do that after I show you how much I want to be with you again?"
"You do, huh?"
"Yes, just let me change, you can pour us a glass of wine."
I poured two glasses of cabernet. I wanted a full bodied wine. One that would warm her from the insides out. My phone chirped and I checked the app that notified me. Laid my phone on the table. The cabernet flowed down my throat while leaning back on the headboard. My head was full of anticipation of Dr. Zoe Hart. She wanted to be with me again. That day on the four-wheeler was earth shaking. God I loved being with her. It was like sex was brand new to me too. I couldn't believe that I still had these feelings in my stomach. I heard the bathroom door creak as it opened. Zoe appeared in the door. My jaw dropped.
"Good lord, Doc, You are a vision. Like what I fantasized about before you."
"You don't have to fantasize, I am right here in front of you."
I handed her the glass of wine and watched as her lips cupped the glass and how the wine moved to her lips and how her throat swallowed it. I kissed her lips and tasted the cab. I held the cup to her lips and she took another drink, her eyes fluttered. She wanted me and I was making her wait. I kissed her again, this time letting my mouth open and sucking her bottom lip.
She was chasing after my lips, when I pulled back to drink in every bit of her lingerie. Gold satin with black lace . It hugged her body. My hands were placed on the indentation of her waist. I twisted her where I could see the gold and black came down her back side. The hemline reaches just above the curve of her cheeks. I took one finger and gently lifted the black lace edge. Underneath was a shiny gold thong with a hint of lace. I put my finger between the thin lace and her body. She shivered. My hands traveled to her front and I stepped closer so that the satin on her back and my bare chest were sliding together. My fingers found more lace in front. Soon she was letting out soft whimpers of pleasure.
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I could feel his masculinity surging in my back. His fingers lightly touched me until he knew I needed his touch. I needed the pressure. I wanted the pressure of his fingers on me. He lifted my lingerie above my head and then wiped his face with it, smelling me on the satin. He kissed my neck from behind. Holding my head with one hand , while the other remained in front making small circling motions. I really want to show him how much I want him but I can't right now. This is making me feel too good, so alive. Everything was gentle and slow, different from when we were outside which made the earth shake. Tonight however was like a slow train gaining steam, my body and mind swelling with desire.
Finally, I turned to him, placing my hands under the ribbing of his boxers and pushed them down. I kneaded his glutes, pulling him as close to me as possible. I could feel him in my stomach. My tongue followed the light path of hair on his abdomen. His hands on my shoulders until he grunted. Then his hands on my neck and raised me. He picked me up and our mouths crashed together, craving our tastes our smells. He laid me down on our cool,crisp, sheets. The sheets incited more passion as they were the opposites of our bodies. My body was on fire and when Wade moved , I moved vigorously until my upper body jerked towards him, and uncontrollable sounds of satisfaction escaped my mouth.
Sweat was dripping from his hair and face and on to me as he needed a little more. I loved the way his sweat tasted as it fell on to my lips and into my mouth. He filled me in every way. He grinned at me while I licked my lips and then he caressed my lips with his own.
He kissed all the places you don't think would be erotic or places tht would turn you on, but it didn't matter where he kissed me, he had my engine on turbo. I grabbed his face and kissed him claiming his tongue and the movements of our bodies raced once more until he groaned.
"I want to make love to you every day." Wade said while we were still tangled together.
"Our first time in a bed."
"Wade, with Zach, it was just the mechanics. I am not terribly sure I ever had an "O". It was something I was supposed to do. I truly never remember wanting it. I have only been a punching bag for men." Tears came rushing down.
"Not anymore baby. I will love you and make love to you, like the beautiful, strong, sexy woman that you are."
"My first, you know that was just an awful awkward experience, then the rape, then a one night stand to try and forget the rape and then Zach. Thank you for making love to me and making me feel like diamonds in the queen's crown"
"I have a confession Doc."
"yeah"
"I want to marry you, I love you Zoe Hart. I want to spend every waking and sleeping second with you."
You want to get married? I thought you didn't believe in marriage. I thought you were the "live in sin kind of guy."
"Yeah someday, I want to marry you and only you".
"Since when?"
"Since I met you alright?"
"Wade, I love you but really? You want to put up with my OCD, what will happen when I make you match your socks?"
"We have been living together for almost six weeks anyway. I mean this isn't a proposal because you are getting the proposal of your dreams one day but maybe we could make it official and live together? I only want to live together though if you see a real future for us and would want to get married one day."
"You are full of surprises. I wonder if anyone in this town would believe the words that just came out of your mouth?"
"Probably not, but you are the only one that matters."
"Wade, I love you more than I could have ever imagine. I love the veins in your arms and the dimple on your chin. I love the way you love me and the way I love you. Yes, I see a future for us."
I cuddled up next to him. He held me silently and every time one of us glanced at the other, the widest smiles were plastered on our faces. My skin around my lips were red and the lips were bloated from making love, so he whispered his lips onto mine and told me he loved me once again.
"Alright, getting in the shower. You are joining me, right?"
"I am going to check my messages and then I will be there."
I couldn't find my phone.
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"Doc, shower is gonna get cold, are you comin' in or not? Are you alright? You look like you have seen a ghost."
"No ghost Wade, just confused." She turned towards me and I saw that it was my phone she was holding.
"Doc, what's going on?"
"I can't find my phone. I picked up yours to call mine. When I put the password in, this Ameritrade account was up."
She showed me my financial/stock app. I had just checked the balance. Jesse's offer of wanting to buy the bar together had peaked my interest. My head was swarming with thoughts of what to say but nothing came out. I just stood shocked. She stood shocked. The page that was up didn't show my total but a status 'Million+ Account'. I took hold of her wrist and held my other hand out for the phone. She pushed it into my hand. All we had just said and done seemed it might be erased with a shake of an Etch A Sketch.
"So, is this why George asked about a prenup?"
"Yeah."
"Silly me, thought he was joking about you and me getting married and a prenup from my money that I don't actually have yet." She was getting sarcastic, her arms flailing and her words were short. Zoe was making sure I understood her dissatisfaction with me.
"How much do you have? When were you going to tell me?"
"I don't know Zoe, we have been a little consumed."
I took off my towel and put on my boxers. As I moved towards her, she moved away.
"Come on doc, surely you aren't mad that I have a stock portfolio. I guess you never saw me as anything but a bartender."
"That's not true and you know it."
I didn't like her tone. I didn't like her body language.
" It was true at least until six or eight weeks ago.
Listen Doc, let' review the facts:
I dated you for ten days exclusively
You dated me and George for some of those ten days
You leave without a word
Two weeks later, I come after you
Three weeks into New York, we decided to be exclusive, even though I already was.
So excuse me if I didn't have time to tell you or feel it was important that I had money."
"Who knows?"
"My dad, Jesse and George, maybe Lemon"
"Why would Lemon know?"
"She is one of my best friends and she was marrying George. As much as she worries about me, I wouldn't be surprised if she hounded George enough that he told her."
I clasped my hand over hers. "Zoe, the money just doesn't mean anything to me. I really never think about it. The first time I thought about it was when you strolled into my life. The first time it mattered to me was when I had to get to you in New York."
"So if we had stayed in New York for a year, you could have?"
"Yeah"
"Two years?"
"Yeah"
"Five years?"
"Yes Zoe, I have enough to live off of for a very long time."
Obstacles seem to permeate our relationship. I honestly couldn't believe this was going to be an issue. I took a drink of wine, then sat it on the coffee table. I surrounded her with my arms and peered directly into her eyes. "Instead of us playing this game, let me tell you the story. I trust this, stays between us."
"Yes, I can keep a secret." I looked at her funny because she has definitely let more secrets slip than she hasn't.
"When my mom died, she left an insurance policy to Jesse and I, to be split equally $500,000 each. We could each take our share at twenty-five years old. Until then it was in a trust where it was placed in the stock market and earned money. I didn't think of it at all until I reached twenty four. It had no impact on life. I still had a drunk dad. I still had a brother that deserted me. I still had a mom that died of cancer."
She seemed to understand that the pain didn't go away because I had a bank account. She hugged me tight. "I should know, money doesn't buy happiness. It actually can suck you into a false sense of yourself. It did with me."
Quiet came over us both. So much had happened to Zoe in her thirty years then she came back to reality. "anyway, so Jesse has a lot of money too?"
"I don't know Jesse's finances but no, he doesn't have as much. He used his for different things where mine has stayed in the market for twenty years. The first time I have even considered taking money out was when I needed to get to New York. However, I didn't have to. Turns out, all of the money I had been giving Dad over these years, he had saved for me. He knew I wanted to leave for New York the very day I decided so he gave it to me. If I had gotten it from my stock account, it would have taken me three days. I couldn't wait three more days to see you. I knew something was wrong. I had to get to you."
I could tell she was processing.
"Are you paying for my remodel? Or is Lavon?"
"I am"
"Ummm. Why?"
"Because I love you and you deserve to live in a place that you want to come home to. A place as beautiful as you are. A place free of mildew and mold."
"You really love me, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do. Come 'ere"
She slid over into my arms. She was tucked all of the way into me. I kissed her hair and then brushed it off of her face and kissed her cheek. I reached in my pocket and took out my phone. I placed my thumb on the home button where it automatically put in the password, the four digits rolled into the app. Password approved.
"This is what we have Zoe." I showed her the screen of my stock account.
"9.3 million dollars?"
"It fluctuates but usually somewhere in the ballpark. I look at it once a month just to make sure I know what is in there."
"Wade, you are freakin' rich."
"Whatever I have, is there for when I get married and have kids. I can build my dream home for my family. A nest egg to fall back on."
"Wow. This is a lot to digest."
"Does it change your mind about me? Or did you just want to be with a poor bartender?"
"Of course it doesn't change my mind about dating you, living together or loving you. It just shows me another layer to you. When I moved here, I knew you were a good guy, easy going, everyone in town loves you but you had a problem with the ladies."
"Now wait just a minute, let's rephrase that."
I laughed and said, "okay you were the town casanova. You showed me that you cared for your friends, you showed your sense of humor, you showed jealousy, you showed compassion. But this shows that you had money smarts, responsibility and a goal."
"A goal?"
"You said yourself, you were saving it for when you had a family. When the money would actually be needed."
"Doc, Jesse was talking to me tonight about buying the Rammer Jammer."
"I told him I had thought about it before but just didn't seem the right time,"
"Wait, well why were you so mad at me about losing the Bluebell Battle? That was only $5000."
"Doc, you still don't get it. That was all about you but you wanted Tucker. I thought if I could show you that we would be a great team, and we were, that you would want to be with me. I tried to tell you and then you know the rest. You told Tucker how you felt and I told you off for losing me the competition. It was really about losing you."
"But you were mad at me for weeks, not speaking to me."
"It hurt so bad. I had been falling for you for so long and you just dismissed me. I guess because I was just a bartender. I want a girl to love me for me, not for my money."
"Wade that was before, before you opened my eyes. I really think I wanted George because I couldn't have him and that suited my "trauma brain" just fine. I realized who I turned to in almost every situation. I knew when you called me those terrible names that they were partly true. I came across that way. But you have to understand your 'I wanna get in your pants invitations." were more than I could handle given my history."
"I hope you have forgiven me for saying those things in the heat of the moment."
"Of course, you have more than made up for it. I hope I have too."
"So we are doing this? Living together for real?"
"Yes we are," she said.
I drew her in closer. We both complained of our cheeks were hurting we had smiled so much, kissed so relentlessly. It felt good to love and be loved.