A/N: First, apologies that the DNA test results aren't forthcoming. So much other stuff threw itself into the mix and I couldn't bear to skip it just to hurry the result along. Second, apologies for not updating as fast as I sometimes do. I now have five fanfictions going on all at once and it's almost too much, but I just can't bear to drop any of them right now! With all that said, thank you all for the reviews on the previous chapter, and here's another that I hope you will enjoy :)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 18
"We couldn't just have had pastries and pancakes at home like we usually do?" asked Zoe, as she walked through town with Lavon, Wade, and JT. "It's so early and that sun is too bright," she said, shielding her eyes.
"Late night last night, Big Z?" asked her friend with a chuckle.
"No, not really," she said. "I just... I didn't sleep so well," she admitted, looking sideways at Wade.
He didn't look back at her, just kept his attention on JT, which was a good thing because the kid was having a situation that needed a tissue, which Zoe helped to rectify before they actually got to the Rammer Jammer. Wade thanked her but his smile wasn't so genuine right now. Zoe couldn't blame him, not with the DNA results hanging over their heads. It should be today, with a little luck, but even a few hours of waiting seemed like forever.
"You guys really gotta learn to trust Lavon Hayes," he said, leading Zoe, Wade and JT inside.
"I trust you well enough, man," Wade promised him. "Just spend enough time in this place already without addin' breakfast to the mix. You know what a mess my boy here gets into at the best o' times, plus every other person in town wants to make a fuss when they see him. Settlin' him down to eatin'll be an adventure..."
He trailed off as they got into the eatery proper and he saw just how many people were hanging around. A low whistle escaped Wade at the sight and he looked from Lavon to Zoe.
"Somethin' going on here, doc?" he asked her suspiciously.
"Hey, don't look at me," she said, hands up in mock surrender. "I was all for eating at home, remember?"
"Why don't you two just take yourselves some seats, I'll grab the high chair for Master John-Thomas here, and we'll get ourselves some breakfast."
Lavon was grinning too much and both Wade and Zoe couldn't fail to notice. They sat down at the nearest table anyway, exchanging confused expressions.
"I could do without him bein' weird today." Wade sighed.
"I know, but he means well, I think," Zoe said awkwardly, her hand on his arm. "Besides, he doesn't know about..." she said vaguely, knowing this was hardly the place to say more.
"Gettin' to be too many damn secrets in this town one way and another," Wade muttered, shutting his mouth when Lavon reappeared with the chair for JT and that huge grin still plastered all over his face.
Zoe narrowed her eyes at him. Something was definitely going on. She hadn't exactly seen Lavon smile much lately, not since he broke up with Didi and then all the Lemon stuff happened. As far as she could tell, nothing had been resolved on that front and yet here he was, their trusted friend and landlord, grinning like the Cheshire Cat in a very busy Rammer Jammer. She opened her mouth to ask what it was really all about, only for Shelley to come over and take their order. Zoe meant to try again, but then suddenly Dash was behind a podium and apparently an announcement was about to be made.
"Are you kidding me?" Wade asked Lavon, now noticing the sign pinned up over Dash's head. "You dragged us down here just to see you get handed the MOTY?"
"The what now?" Zoe asked, shaking her head.
"MOTY," Wade repeated quietly, since Dash was trying to get everyone down to a dull roar to start his speechifying. "Bluebell's Man of the Year award," he explained. "Old Lavon here prob'ly thinks this year is his turn."
"I would never presume such a thing," Lavon told then both firmly. "Now hush up, you might wanna hear this."
Zoe and Wade shared a look that contained rolling eyes on both sides, but they did as Lavon asked, paying attention to Dash and not making any more noise. Of course, JT was too little to understand the concept of being quiet when asked, gurgling and babbling, and even slamming his hands on the tray in front of the high chair through the silence that soon fell over the Rammer Jammer.
"Not now, bubba," Wade said softly. "Listen to old Dash for a second, huh?"
To his credit, Dash didn't seem like he minded so much about the interruption, chuckling about it as so many others did the same.
"The child is just fine, Wade," the head of the Owls told him with a smile. "In fact, he has given me the perfect lead in to my speech. Fellow residents of Bluebell," he continued then, addressing the whole room. "We are here to talk about this year's Man of the Year, an upstanding citizen of our little town who has proven himself to be responsible, community-minded, and the kind of person we can all look to with affection and respect. So, please join me and my fellow members of the Bluebell Fraternal Order of the Owls in celebrating this year's MOTY. Mr Wade Kinsella."
Zoe didn't think she had ever seen a person looked so shocked as Wade did right in that moment. It might've been amusing if she wasn't quite surprised by the turn of events herself. Everyone around them was applauding and cheering, JT was giggling and waving his arms around, trying to join in, and Wade just stared blankly at it all, apparently unable to comprehend what he just heard.
"Wade Kinsella, that would be you, man," Lavon prompted him.
"You knew about this?" he asked his friend, shaking his head. "How in the hell...?"
"Just get on up there!" said Lavon firmly, encouraging him out of his seat.
Zoe immediately moved over so she was closer to JT and could keep an eye on him as Wade went up to speak with Dash and confirm this wasn't some kind of mistake. Zoe quickly realised that it couldn't possibly be. After all, though Wade may not have been the community's idea of an upstanding citizen when she first arrived in Bluebell, he absolutely fit the bill now. Stepping up to raise JT the way he had, graciously accepting help from those that offered and trying, in every way he could, to pay back the kindness he was shown. Not every man would behave the way he had these past couple of months. Not every man would continue to treat a kid so well, knowing they might not even be the father.
"I really, really hope we get a miracle in those results today, kid," she told JT softly, smiling when he grinned back at her, looking so much like Wade.
Zoe didn't know whether to take that as a good sign or not. She so wanted to believe that JT was Wade's son, and not just because it would break his heart not to be, though that was a large part of it. Selfishly, Zoe couldn't imagine her own life without the kid in it now either. She certainly couldn't see a time when she wouldn't want Wade around.
"Can you believe this?" he asked, returning to the table with Lavon. "Me? Man of the Year?"
"I can believe it," Zoe assured him, hopping up to meet him. "Congratulations," she said, putting her arms around him for a hug and reaching up to kiss him too. "I happen to think you absolutely deserve your award," she said, smiling as they parted.
"There are some crazy people in this town, doc, and you might just be one of 'em these days," he told her, still holding onto her as he smiled affectionately.
"I must be crazy, I'm dating you," she countered, poking out her tongue.
JT giggled and clapped his hands getting everyone's attention back as he usually did.
"You proud of your daddy, kid?" Lavon asked him. "Yes, sir, you are."
That particular choice of words dimmed the smiles on both Wade and Zoe's face, but thankfully, nobody else seemed to notice.
After breakfast, Lavon headed straight back to the plantation, but Wade and Zoe both declined the offer of going with him. Wade retrieved the stroller and baby bag from the car and walked with Zoe towards City Hall.
"You dead-set on this whole name change thing?" he asked her as they got nearer to the building.
"Yes and no." Zoe sighed. "I just don't see the point in carrying around the name of a man who I'm not technically even connected to. It might be different if he wanted to be a part of my life, but Ethan Hart has made it pretty clear that he's done with being my dad," she said, eyes to the ground as they stopped walking. "I guess I can't really blame him."
"Hey," said Wade, tilting her chin up with one finger until she met his eyes. "It is his loss, Zoe, that much I do know."
She smiled and rose up on her toes until her lips met his in a sweet kiss. "Thank you," she told him softly, sobering up from what might have been a nice moment when she recalled that half the town was watching. "So, you headed for the Hattenbargers now?"
"In a while," Wade confirmed. "Gonna go pay the old man a visit first, then I'll drop off my boy, head on back to the Rammer Jammer for work."
"Then home to get ready for your party, Mr Man of the Year," Zoe reminded him with a grin.
"Yeah, I guess so," he said, nodding his head, eyes straying to JT in the stroller.
Wade's sunny expression grew cloudy then and Zoe knew why.
"Hey," she said, her hand at his face making him look at her this time. "Whatever those results say today, you are still a good man, Wade Kinsella, and you have been everything JT needs these past few weeks. You've been his dad, no matter what biology says."
He ought to believe what she said, after all, she had experience of a non-biological father, they had just said as much.
"You know, crazy as it'd probably make me, I'd keep on doing just what I have been even if he wasn't mine," he admitted. "Still, be better if he was, obviously."
Zoe nodded in understanding, kissing him one more time before they parted. She had to get to work herself and so hurried into City Hall to get her papers and ran back out again to head on to the practice. Her eyes were on her papers as she walked along, but she glanced up just in time to see a familiar face approaching.
"Eyes on the road," she joked since all his focus seemed to be on his cell.
George looked up fast and smiled when he saw Zoe. "Sorry, I think I missed a call from my mother. Honestly, I'm not sure I want to have that conversation right now."
"Does she know about... um, the wedding and everything," said Zoe carefully.
"She knows me and Lemon are done," George confirmed. "Kinda why I don't wanna talk to her right now. Lord knows I love my momma, but her opinions on Lemon, well, even after everything, I could live without that."
"Understandable." Zoe nodded.
"So, I heard Wade got Man of the Year," said George then. "Sorry I missed the announcement."
"It was kind of a surprise," said Zoe, before realising how that sounded and shaking her head. "I didn't mean... Obviously, I know Wade is great," she said definitely, "but I didn't even know the MOTY was a thing until today."
"I see why Wade was chosen." George nodded. "He was always a good guy, he just maybe didn't always show it. Now, with JT, and with you too, I guess this town is finally seeing the person some of us already knew Wade Kinsella could really be. I happen to think that's a good thing."
"Me too." Zoe smiled wide.
"Never thought I'd see the day when the best father I knew was Wade," George considered then. "Makes you think."
"It's certainly made me think," said Zoe with a sigh, showing him the papers in her hand. "My best attempts to rebuild my relationship with my dad, Ethan Hart, don't seem to have gone so well, and since he's not really my father anyway..."
"Wow," said George, eyes widening some. "So, you'd be Zoe... Wilkes?"
"I honestly don't know," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "I thought about it, but I didn't even know him. We talked once, really briefly, and... Do you even think he would approve of that?"
"Zoe, I am certain," said George, pressing the papers back into her hand, "that Harley Wilkes would be the proudest man in the world to know you wanna take his name. Bet you he's looking down on us right now and thinking how amazing it is that he produced a daughter like you."
Zoe smiled at the sweet words, hoping the fact her eyes were welling up didn't show too much.
"Thank you, George," she forced out around the lump in her throat. "I'll definitely be thinking about it some more."
He nodded his understanding as they parted ways then, George's cell phone ringing into life as he went. Zoe hurried towards the practice, aware that she would be late if she didn't and that would only make Brick mad at her. She never heard any part of George's conversation with his mother and, for now, completely missed the opportunity to return the favour of being there for a friend in need.
To Be Continued...
A/N2: Next chapter - the DNA results, I promise! :)