A/N: Yes, I know, trouble in paradise, but you know me, the Zade always gets fixed in the end! Thanks for the latest reviews - I hope y'all have noticed the updates are coming just a little faster of late. I want to get it to once a week, every week, if I can, but we're not quite there yet! Anyway, let's catch up with the folks of Bluebell...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 24

"Wade, you may be all kinds of successful in your career in New York, but I swear, you are just as clueless as you have ever been right now."

"Gee, thanks, Lemon, that really helps me out a lot," he dead-panned, picking up his tea and taking a drink, wishing it was something stronger but not daring to ask for it right now. "Here was me thinkin' you were gonna make me feel better about this whole mess I got myself into."

"Now, how on God's green and virtuous earth am I supposed to perform such a miracle?" his friend asked him, shaking her head. "Wade, you shock us all by tellin' us you have finally found a woman you want to spend more than a weekend with, you bring her town to introduce her to us all as your permanent girlfriend, and before she meets even a half-dozen people in town, you go ahead and screw it up."

"Nuh-uh," Wade forced out, barely swallowing his mouthful of tea and prising the glass away from his mouth fast enough. "It was not me that screwed up. That was all on Tansy."

Lemon shook her head at him. "Tansy Truitt may not be the most intellectual woman on this planet, Wade, but from what you tell me, all she is truly guilty of is assuming you might just have told your new, serious girlfriend that you used to be a married man. That is something you're supposed to share, Wade, because marriage is a big deal, or Lord knows it should be," she said, rolling her eyes at just how foolish her friend could truly be, apparently.

Wade sure did feel like a fool, though he wasn't about to admit as much to Lemon. He felt certain she would be on his side in all this, if anybody would. They propped each other up well enough in times of crisis over the years. Not a likely pair of friends, that was for sure, and certainly never any more than friends either, but if he had ever wanted a sister type in his life, Wade supposed Lemon might just be it. Unfortunately, that didn't always mean she was automatically on his side.

"Figured it'd be all girls together," he said with a sigh.

"Do not even try that with me, Wade Kinsella," said Lemon snippily. "Now, you're not as dumb as you let people think you are. You know very well why Zoe is so mad with you. Now, how would you feel if you suddenly found out that she had been married and never told you?"

"Well, I... I wouldn't care about that," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Not that it did him any good to lie, something he knew long before Lemon gave him the look that told him so.

"Alright, so, I wouldn't exactly be thrilled, I guess," he admitted, rubbing at his forehead. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do about it now. I can't go back and fix it before it happened. It's done, Zoe knows I was married to Tansy, and apparently, she's just mad as hell about it."

He must really have looked as sad about that as he felt, because before he knew it, Lemon's arm was around his shoulders and she was putting on her best pity face. Wade could've done without it, truth be told, but so long as she was being comforting and whatnot, he'd take what he could get. He did feel awful about this whole mess.

"First thing first," she said after a while. "You need to give Zoe her time and space. Us women like to be chased after once in a while, but we also need some breathing room when we get mad. I don't know much about New Yorkers, but I know they can be violent creatures when roused. We don't want her taking a swing at you."

Wade laughed heartily at that, and not because he didn't think Zoe had it in her to throw a punch if she needed to either.

"Yeah, 'cause a Southern girl never hurt a fly when she was hoppin' mad," he said, wondering how Lemon could even dare to try and look affronted at the remark. "I had my share of bruises when you got pissed over the years, Lemon Breeland, and I know George Tucker could say the same."

"Maybe that's true," Lemon said, trying to be prim and proper as she sat up in her chair and poured a little more tea into her glass. "But we are not here to discuss me or the men in my life."

There was something in the way she said it that made Wade wonder. After all, when he left town for New York, Lemon and George hadn't been broken up all that long, and though he knew that Golden Boy had moved on to Tansy now, he couldn't think who Lemon might be seeing, if anyone.

"What?" she asked when she caught him staring, one hand going to her own cheek. "Is there somethin' on my face?"

"You got yourself some new fella, Lemon?"

"That is certainly none of your business, Wade Kinsella," she told him, though the haughty tone she seemed to be aiming for didn't quite hold and a smile pulled at her lips. "I'm sure if you ask anybody in town, they will tell you I am free as a bird since the breaking of my engagement with George Tucker."

"Yeah, I'll bet folks in town don't know it yet, but I know you, Lemon Breeland," he reminded her. "So, spill already."

She seemed to consider it pretty carefully, before finally she sighed and gave in.

"It is all very new yet... well, sort of," she said thoughtfully before pressing on. "It is certainly complicated, and I'll thank you to keep to yourself all that I am about to tell you."

"Scout's honour," Wade swore, making some attempt at the correct salute and failing.

Lemon rolled her eyes at him, but continued explaining herself anyway. "So, it's only been a few weeks since the mayor and I became closer... again."

Zoe had no idea where she was headed when she came storming out of the Rammer Jammer and away from Wade. Given the length of the drive from the plantation to town, Zoe didn't fancy her chances of getting back there on foot, not in the high-heeled shoes she was wearing anyway. Unfortunately, she really didn't know anybody in town all that well, just Wade. She had shaken a few hands and been told a few names, but nothing that stuck and nobody she felt she could run to in a crisis.

Circling the town square for the third time, Zoe eventually gave up and sat down on an empty bench to rest a minute and think. She supposed she could maybe get a cab back to the plantation, though she hadn't seen anything like a taxi service around the place. She did note a cute bed and breakfast called the Whippoorwill Blossom that she could probably stay at until she arranged a way to get back to New York, because Zoe was sure she couldn't stand to stay in Bluebell with Wade after the events of today.

"Well, hey there, pretty doctor," said a voice then, making Zoe physically jump.

She looked up into the face of an older man she was sure she had never met before, and yet there was something sort of familiar about him. Maybe he was one of the many Wade had introduced her to at the Rammer Jammer. She supposed he must be since he seemed to know she was a doctor.

"Hello," she said with a bright smile. "I'm so sorry, I don't think I remember your name."

"That'd be 'cause we never did meet before today," said the stranger with a chuckle as he sat down beside her on the bench. "I will be havin' words with my son about his manners, believe you me."

"Your son?" she checked, the pieces clicking together in her mind just a little too late as the man explained who he was at last.

"Earl Kinsella," he said, sticking out his hand. "Pleased to meet you at last, Zoe Hart."

"Oh, okay. Wade's father," she replied, taking a hold of his hand and shaking. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise. Um, how did you know...?"

"Well, he gave a pretty good description, and most folks around here don't dress quite so... city," Earl explained. "'Course, it helped that half the town is talkin' about you too. Ol' Frank in The Dixie Stop pointed you out to me. I tell you, when I catch up to that boy o' mine. I don't know what he was thinkin' just leavin' you out here all by yourself and all."

Zoe smiled at his concern, but also shook her head. "Wade didn't leave me here. I... Well, I came into town alone, from the Rammer Jammer," she explained. "We kind of had a fight."

She realised the moment the words were said that maybe she should have kept her mouth shut. Though Zoe didn't feel like she owed Wade much consideration right now, after the lack of it he had shown towards her in keeping his ex-wife a secret, she wasn't sure she wanted to tell tales to his father. It was hardly an adult way to behave, after all.

"What did he do?" Earl asked then, completely willing to believe it was all Wade's fault apparently, even though Zoe had yet to explain the situation. "I tell you, my Wade, he is a fine boy, but sometimes, he just doesn't think. Can't exactly put all the blame on him, I ain't always been the smartest guy myself, but that boy, I swear he doesn't know a good thing when he has it!" he said crossly, slapping his own knee.

"You shouldn't be mad at him on my account," Zoe insisted. "Really, I don't want to cause a problem with the two of you, this is really between me and Wade. Well, it's kind of between me and Wade and his ex-wife," she admitted then, figuring she may as well, when she had already come this far.

"Ex-wife?" Earl frowned hard, rubbing the back of his neck and reminding Zoe so much of Wade in that moment, she almost laughed out loud. "Oh, you mean little Tansy? Well, that wasn't nothin' serious. Not that I think it was the right thing for the two of them to be doin', gettin' wed for the fun of it and all. Marriage is a sacred bond, let me tell you, and not to be taken lightly," he insisted.

"I agree." Zoe nodded, glad to see him smile.

"Well, that tells me you're a good girl, just the right kind for my Wade to be gettin' serious about," said Earl happily. "But you know, you don't have to worry none about Tansy. She liked Wade well enough, but they haven't been courtin' for a long time... if they ever were," he considered then. "I'll be honest with you, pretty doctor, never did quite wrap my head around what went on there, but it was a long time since, that I do know."

Zoe opened her mouth to say something else, but fast realised she had no idea what that something was and closed it again. After all, Earl had just confirmed what Wade already told her, that his marriage to Tansy was little more than a farce and over many years before. She had nothing to worry about on that score, not least because Tansy was dating George now. Zoe supposed she probably could've handled hearing the news a little better than she had, that much of the problem was her own trust issues rather than anything Wade had deliberately hidden from her.

"So, you two had a fight already, huh?" Earl sighed. "You know, me and my Jacqueline, Wade's momma, we didn't fight much, she was just too sweet-natured and I was just plum crazy about her," he said, eyes focused on some unseen picture from the past, Zoe suspected, as he continued on. "No, we didn't get into too many fights, but when we did, well, they was some real tear-ups. Always made it up though, every time, and always before the sun sets. That's important. Never go to bed mad at each other, doesn't do a soul no good."

When Zoe looked at him then and Earl looked back, she couldn't help but smile. The familiarity in his face made sense now, and when he talked about his wife like that, eyes so soft and full of love, he was so obviously a part of Wade. He looked at her like that sometimes. Most of the time, actually. Seeing such a similar expression on Earl's face, it made her wonder how she ever got so mad at Wade in the first place.

"You know, you're a lot like your son, Mr Kinsella," she said politely, "or I guess, he's a lot like you."

"I hope he turns out better than me." Earl shook his head. "I had my share of problems... well, he prob'ly told you."

"He did," Zoe admitted, "but he also told me how proud he is of you now, getting past all your troubles. Being strong enough to overcome an addiction like that, it's a big deal."

"My son finally fallin' in love with a real nice young lady he can settle down with," said Earl with a look, "that is a big deal," he insisted.

Zoe hadn't realised quite how much everybody seemed to think she and Wade were for the long haul, and since she never met the townsfolk of Bluebell before today, they had to have gotten that idea from Wade himself. Not that she had a problem with thinking of them as sticking together for a long time, she supposed. Of course, before that, they were going to have to move past today's stupid fight.

It was a hell of a relief to Wade when he walked into the gatehouse and found Zoe sitting there. There had been a horrible moment when he considered that maybe she would've just packed up her bags and gone running back to New York after their fight. Maybe he ought to have known better, but then, as he reminded himself several times today, in the grand scheme of things, they really hadn't known each other that long at all.

"Hi," she said as he walked in.

"Hey there, doc," he replied, finding her a smile. "You, uh, maybe a little less pissed at me than you was before?"

"Maybe a little," she agreed, nodding her head.

A brief pause was followed by them both declaring they were sorry at exactly the same moment.

"Hold on a second now," said Wade then, one hand rubbing his forehead. "What are you sorry for?"

"Acting like a crazy person?" Zoe suggested, moving over on the couch a little, a clear invitation to join her, so he did. "I mean, yes, I was shocked when Tansy said you two were married before, and I still think you should've told me something like that."

"I should," Wade agreed, "and I am sorry about that, Zoe, I really am."

"I know," she assured him, "but I definitely over-reacted too. I just... I have trust issues. I don't think that should be so surprising, given my parents. All three of them," she said after a moment's consideration.

"Yeah, I get that," he told her, nodding his head.

It did make sense, how Zoe reacted. She did not want their relationship to reflect anything she had seen happen with her folks, and Wade well understood that. On his part, he would so much like to see him and Zoe being just as happy as his momma and old Earl had been once upon a time. It came as a surprise to him to realise she meant quite that much, that he could ever be quite so committed to just one girl, but he was, and it was Zoe.

"I've just never had a real relationship, Wade," she told him then, looking fit for tears and near breaking his heart at a look. "I don't know how to do this."

"Me neither," he reminded her easily, shifting a little closer. "You just gotta wing it. We're both gonna make our mistakes, Zoe, but we'll figure it out somehow. I know we will. For instance, from here on out, I will be sure to tell you any big news, past or present, that I have to share," he promised her faithfully.

"And I will try not to freak out about things so easily." Zoe nodded. "As if I don't have enough in my life to stress about without adding things that barely matter anymore to the list."

"Sounds like a deal, doc." Wade smiled, pulling her closer and kissing her temple. "So, we're good?"

"We're good," she assured him, returning the favour with his kiss on his cheek.

When she pulled back, she had the oddest look on her face and Wade was almost certain he was in trouble for something new, though he hadn't a clue what it might be.

"What?" he asked warily.

Zoe opened and closed her mouth a couple of times without saying a word and then suddenly she smiled. "I'm glad we're going to try harder, both of us, because I really want this to work. I... The truth is, Wade, I... I realised today that I just love you."

It was maybe the last thing he expected her to say, and on hearing those words, knowing she probably expected the same to be said back to her, Wade was sure he ought to be petrified, but he wasn't, not even a little.

"You know, what, doc?" he said, smiling genuinely. "That works out pretty good, because I also love you."

They were both grinning like fools as they moved in closer, lips meeting in a kiss that sealed the love between them, hands all over each other as they laid down on the couch together, forgetting not just their own stupid fight, but the whole rest of the world for a while.

To Be Continued...