Oh hello there! I know it's been quite the long wait for this chapter, for that I am truly sorry. I had every intention of finishing this one in December/January, but I have been struggling with this chapter. I know this chapter won't make up for the huge delay between chapters, but just know that I am working on getting it done before the 2021 Holidays.
Enjoy!
She dropped her things off at the carriage house, taking a few minutes to unpack her things. Her dad's words about asking Wade about what he's been doing the last month and a half starting to get the best of her. Her curiosity got the better of her and she shouldn't have let it, because the saying goes curiosity killed the cat. Shaking the images of Wade with some random women from her mind. She took a look around the carriage house to see what was different this year.
There are times that the changes were huge and noticeable, other times not so much. When it was one of the little things that had been changed, it would take her a few days to notice them. Looking around today, she smiled seeing red, green, and gold garland wrapped around the banister for the staircase. Christmas lights tossed around the inside and the outside of the carriage house. A nativity scene by the front door. It was the menorah that made her laugh. The star of David decorations kept a smile on her face.
This is the first year that any Christmas decorations have been placed in the Carriage house for her. Also, it's the first year that she's been able to use the rooms upstairs. The room she's been staying in has a black sofa and a matching chair, with a deep oak coffee table. There was a place to put a TV if she wanted one, but while on vacation, she didn't want a TV. The books that filled a small portion of the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, would be another story. She loved how festive the house is, yet it's her dad's words that are haunting her. That's how she finds herself heading to the gatehouse across the pond. She had seen him sitting outside from the bedroom window upstairs.
"What's the point of a Christmas tree if you don't even decorate it?" She asked, taking a seat in the only other chair on the deck of the Gatehouse. One look at the gatehouse and you wouldn't even know that it's the holidays, but that's usual. The only thing different this year from any previous year is the pine tree sitting in front of the windows.
Wade shrugged, looking between his Christmas tree in front of the window and Zoe. Without a word, he took a long pull from the beer bottle in his hand. He thought he wanted to get festive this year. And when the time came to add the decorations to the tree, he didn't feel like it. Instead, he felt like sitting on the porch and having a few drinks until he felt festive enough and if that feeling never came, he was okay with it.
"Wasn't in the mood," he replied, his attention honed in on the bottle of beer he's holding. He can't remember a time when Christmas brought joy to him. Can't remember a time when he looked forward to the holiday. There was nothing good about this time of year.
"I see," she nodded. Wade wouldn't tell her everything that happened to his family this time of year. She knows about his mom, his dad, who doesn't know Crazy Earl? He barely mentions his brother. One would think he doesn't have a brother. She knows enough to understand how hard this time of year is for him.
"Feel free, doc," he sighed, gesturing to his tree. Just because he's not in the mood to do Christmas, doesn't mean Zoe can't go ahead and decorate it. He's got a few boxes of decorations. Some of them are filled with a memory from when his mom was still around.
"Only if you help me," she commented. They're friends and she doesn't like seeing him look this gloomy. And well, it doesn't feel right to decorate his tree while he sits outside.
"Will you take no for an answer?" He asked with a sigh, rescinded to his fate of helping Zoe out. The last thing he wants to do is sit here and get into a fight with her. They're friends and he might have some feelings involved and he doesn't want to ruin things between them.
"The fact you had to ask that, means you already know what my answer is going to be," she smartly stated with a smirk.
"Yeah I do," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I get to pick the music," he pointed out, getting up from his spot to follow Zoe inside of his house.
"Like I have a choice, there," Zoe laughed heading to the few boxes of Christmas decorations sitting on his couch. She didn't mind the music they listened to. She's still trying to find the courage to ask him what he did this past year while she was gone.
Wade chuckled under his breath, forgoing the radio as all they have playing is Christmas songs. And he gets enough of those songs while he works, there's no way that he is going to listen to them any longer than necessary. Instead, he hooks his phone up to the speaker sitting by the radio and clicking on a playlist, one that has no mention of the holidays. With the space filled with music, he walks over to where Zoe stands looking into the two open boxes that sit on his couch.
"You can start anywhere," he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked away from the boxes, debating on getting a second beer, wanting his emotions to stay hidden.
"Do you have any lights?" She asked, looking through one box to come up with no lights or garlands. "I can't find any," she said, going to sort through the second box.
"If there isn't any in the boxes then nope," Wade told her, moving to grab himself a beer. "Want a beer?" He asked her, looking into his fridge. He doesn't have any wine, so he can't offer Zoe any. He does try to keep wine in stock when Zoe is in town, but he had been busy leading up to her Holiday return to Bluebell that it slipped his mind.
"Yeah, when I get back," she told him, heading to the door. Wade gave her a funny look trying to figure out where she was off to. "I don't want to make a trip to Mobile for Christmas lights, so I am off to see if Lavon has any extras," she explained, disappearing through his door before he could stop her.
If anyone close to them in this town is going to have a few extra strands of Christmas lights, it's going to be Lavon. The Mayor's house being overly decorated for the holidays with the few different parties held there. If he knew that Zoe was going to burst into his life this year with Christmas cheer, he'd keep the tree, because he's not going to change time spent with Zoe, no matter what they're doing. The one thing he would change is the lights. He'd make sure that he would have everything they need to decorate the stupid tree. He wasn't left waiting long when Zoe showed up with a smile on her face, a bag of Christmas lights hanging off her arm.
"Lavon had the goods I see," he chuckled lightly, to keep the cringe from his face. Pushing his thoughts about the holiday to the farthest part of his mind, he walked to his fridge to get Zoe the beer he offered before she left for Lavon's place.
"He did," Zoe nodded, pulling the lights out, to start unwinding them. There's a string of white lights and two strings of colored lights. "Do you have a star or an angel to put atop the tree?" She asked, taking the bottle of beer he offered her.
"There should be an angel," he said, digging through the decorations to find the angel a little less than pristine with dust making the skirt she wore more gray than white. "Can't be for certain if she still works," he said, placing it on the tree, adjusting it so she won't fall off.
"I guess we'll find out together," Zoe smiled, handing him the lights to plug into the angel since she couldn't reach.
"Yeah we will," he laughed, plugging the lights into the angel.
When he offered Zoe to decorate his tree, he didn't think he would be the one having fun wrapping lights and garland around the tree. Nor did he think he would be smiling and sharing certain memories over decorations that he had made for his mom while he was in grade school before she passed away. Turns out when you have the right person next to you decorating for the holidays, it's not so hard to think of the future and stay more in the present than relive those horrible moments that will forever hold a tarnish on the happiness he feels during the holidays. They had even taken a moment to share a dance, or more like he pulled Zoe into a dance when he needed to take a break from placing ornaments on the tree.
"My dad made a comment today, and well, I don't know if I want to know the answer to the question," she blurted out, taking a drink of the beer to keep her mouth shut from saying anything else.
"I might be scared to know what it is Harley wants you to ask me," Wade said, glancing from his spot next to the tree where he hung a snowflake ornament.
"He made this comment about asking what you've been doing, and I don't think I need to be knowing what that is," she shrugged. She headed to the box to look for an ornament to avoid looking at him.
"I've been working," he commented, placing his hand on her shoulder. "And the truth?" He asked, mostly to himself. If he wants things with Zoe to work out in his favor, maybe it's time that he mans up and tells her that all the work at the carriage house, the upkeep, the remolding, the decorations, and everything else in-between, that it's been him.
"That you've been the one doing the work over at the carriage house?" She asked, licking her lips, still refusing to look at him. "The little touch with the Hannukah decorations was a nice touch," she told him, a smile tugging at her lips.
"How'd you figure it out?" He asked softly, his breath ghosting against the back of her neck.
"A really good guess," she whispered. "It came down to you or Lavon. And the mayor has an extra workload on his plate this time of the year. No one other than my father cares about the state of the carriage house when I return," she explained, biting her bottom lip.
"Zoe," he said, gently pulling her around so they were facing each other. "I care," he said lowly, cupping her face. His thumbs caressing her cheeks. "More than just the state of the carriage house. I care about you," he whispered, dropping his forehead down to rest against hers.
"Yeah?" She asked, her eyes drifting shut.
Without saying a word, Wade pressed his lips against her soft plump ones. Zoe wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips moving against his. A burst of emotions exploding around them. They'd have to talk, but for now, she's not going to worry about anything other than the feel of him pressed against her. The way his tongue feels running along her bottom lip, wanting access to her mouth, which she happily granted him.