A/N: Thanks for the continued feedback, peops. That last scene with Ethan seemed to smack y'all in the chests though, so I'm sorry about that, but hey, this chapter? Sooo much happier! ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 22

"You are doing so well, Earl. You should be proud of yourself," Zoe told him with a smile, making a note on the clipboard. "Getting over an addiction like this is not easy, especially so suddenly and after so long, but you're making excellent progress."

"Well, thank you, pretty doctor," he said, grinning at her. "I guess I finally got myself somethin' worth tryin' that little bit harder for."

Zoe opened her mouth to say something then but closed it again fast. She tried to keep the frown off her face but clearly didn't manage too well as Earl sighed.

"I know what you're thinkin'," he told her, rubbing his forehead as if it ached, though Zoe recognised it as a similar gesture to one Wade would go to when nervous or embarrassed. "I shoulda give up the bottle long ago for my boys."

"That's really not my place to say, Earl," Zoe assured him, shaking her head. "I can't imagine how hard it was for you when you lost your wife. Having to cope with two young sons and everything."

"My Jackie, she was the love of my life," he said, swallowing hard. "And it was the hardest thing I have ever been through, losing her that way, but I know I shoulda tried harder. Jesse and Wade, they didn't deserve my goin' to pieces on top o' everything else but... well, I can't go back and change it now. All I can do is my best for Wade and lil' JT and hope it's enough."

Zoe smiled at that. "I know for a fact that Wade appreciates the effort," she confirmed. "He was just telling me the other day how proud he is of you and what a great grandpa you're being to JT."

"I love that boy to death." Earl smiled. "Both of 'em, truth to say, but then I guess you can understand that feelin' well enough," he said with a look.

It seemed easier to turn away and hide her face when Zoe felt her cheeks start to burn. There was no way she was comfortable talking to Earl about her feelings for Wade. They hadn't really had that conversation themselves, so certainly nobody else needed to be dragged into the mix, not yet.

"They're both great," she said instead, setting her clipboard down on the counter. "I don't need to tell you that. I'm very happy spending time with them. Now," she continued, turning back to face him with a business-like expression, "you have two more sessions booked in at the clinic, I've written down the dates and times, so you won't forget," she said, handing him the card. "Anything else you need to talk about?"

"Not that I can think." Earl shook his head, hopping down from the exam table and pocketing the card. "You know, there's times I see your daddy in you. 'Course you're much prettier than ol' Harley ever was," he told her with a grin, "but you got that same... oh, what in tarnation is the word?" he asked, waving his hands in a vague gesture that Zoe hadn't a clue how to interpret.

"Um, the same skills?" she guessed. "With us both being doctors?"

"Nah, that ain't it. You got the same... you know, way of caring. Oh, what's that thing the young folks say? Same vibe or somethin'."

"Oh, okay," Zoe tried and failed to stifle a giggle. "Well, I guess that's to be expected, given that he was my father," she considered. "It's nice to hear though, since I don't really have any first-hand experience of what Harley was like."

"He was a good man, that's what he was," Earl confirmed. "Good doctor too, just like you are. Betcha he'd be darn proud to see ya here, doin' good works for the same folks he did."

Zoe felt her eyes tear up at the sound of those words and fought hard to keep from all-out crying.

"Thank you, Earl," she told him, her hand briefly on his arm. "That really means a lot to me. Especially now. You know, I filed the paperwork just this morning to change my name. Shouldn't be too long before there's a new Dr Wilkes in town," she said with a smile.

"Sounds good to me, pretty doctor." Earl grinned back at her. "Yep, that sounds real good."

Zoe watched him leave the office then and continued to smile. It was nice to have somebody to talk to about her real dad and about Wade too. Earl was the prime candidate for all of that and since he decided to make a real effort to get over his addiction, they could finally have real conversations. Zoe wasn't sorry about that.

He was one of a few people she had told about her efforts to change her name. Wade knew, obviously, as did Lavon, but that was about all. For a while there, she wondered if she made the right choice, even after her blow-out with Ethan Hart. A week on from that particular confrontation, she was so sure her decision was the correct one. She was looking forward to being Dr Zoe Wilkes and couldn't imagine ever regretting the decision.

A knock on the door startled her and she turned fast to see Addy poking her head in.

"I got Tom Long out here, reckons he needs to see you on account of an emergency that is, and I quote, not for public consumption," she explained, rolling her eyes. "Not sure when I became the public, but it seems like only you can help him."

Zoe chuckled at that. "Send him in please, Addy, and I'll see what I can do. If you could just grab his records for me too?"

"I'm on it."

"Thank you!"

Before Tom had a chance to get into the exam room, Zoe put away the paperwork from Earl's visit and gave her cell phone a quick glance. She had one new text from Wade, responding to her own message that confirmed their date for tonight. She grinned and sent him a smiling emoji back that matched the look on her face.

For once, she had planned their date instead of him and it was going to be a memorable one. Annabeth had agreed to have JT over at her house for babysitting and to keep him there all night. Zoe hadn't told Wade that part yet, but she would, when the time was right. She hoped he wouldn't object at all and couldn't really believe that he would, not when he found out just exactly what she had planned.

As Lavon and Wade passed the Butter Stick, the latter pushing JT in his stroller, somebody stepped out of the door without looking and just about ploughed right into them.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said George, glancing up and realising who was there, his expression shifting in a second.

"Hey there, Tucker," said Wade, looking between his two friends with unease. "How's your dad doin'?"

"Better." George nodded, shifting his focus entirely to Wade. "He'll be in the hospital a few more days, but he's gettin' stronger all the time, thanks to Dr Hart... Sr," he added, shaking his head.

"Well, before long you won't need to be all that specific," Wade continued, knowing Zoe wouldn't mind him sharing the news with George and needing anything to say that might stop his friends coming to blows yet. "You know she's making the switch to Wilkes just as soon as the papers go through."

"Wow. She talked about it but I didn't know she made the decision. Guess it makes sense though." George nodded. "When folks let you down, that's pretty hard to swallow," he continued, turning eyes like steel on Lavon.

"Come on now, George," he said, shaking his head. "You know I have apologised for what happened, but it was a good while ago now and I couldn't change it, even if I wanted to."

"Which you don't, I'm guessin'?" said George with a look.

Lavon stood his ground and tilted his chin. "I ain't gonna lie to your face, man. I love Lemon Breeland, have for a long time. Now, I'm sorry if that hurts you-"

"It doesn't," George insisted. "You can love Lemon, Lavon. Hell, you can date her, you can throw a parade in her honour, it doesn't hurt me anymore," he insisted, "but don't you expect me to understand what you did behind my back. Just don't expect me to ever understand that," he said, pointing an angry finger at the mayor before stalking off down the street.

Wade heaved a sigh and shook his head. "Well, I guess that coulda gone worse. 'Course it also coulda gone better," he considered.

"I shoulda known he still wouldn't be over this. Hell, it's only been a couple o' weeks since he found out the truth," Lavon considered. "You think he'll get there someday?"

"Maybe." Wade shrugged. "Tough to say with Tucker, but I figure after a while he'll come to realise that it ain't worth holdin' a grudge. Hell, he's let me off the hook for plenty over the years. Not that I went and slept with his fiancee, but I done plenty of other things, believe me."

"Oh, I do believe," Lavon said, smiling slightly. "'Course we talkin' about the Wade Kinsella of old," he mused as they continued walking. "Things are very different nowadays."

"Yes, sir, they are." Wade nodded. "Gotta get my boy here over to Annabeth Nass in a while. Zoe and me, we got ourselves a date tonight."

"I hope you are taking her someplace special."

"Check this out, she is taking me out," said Wade with a look. "All her idea, she insisted on it."

"Big Z is quite the progressive lady." Lavon nodded. "So, you two get the big night out, and me and Lemon have to keep hidin' in corners as if we doing something wrong, even though we ain't no more. Ain't life grand?"

Wade sighed and shook his head. "Hey, JT, can you do somethin' to cheer up Uncle Lavon already? He's really killin' my buzz about my date with Aunt Zoe tonight."

JT tipped his head back, looked right at Lavon and blew a raspberry, making the man laugh heartily.

"Yeah, that'll work every time," he admitted as the guys headed on down the street.

Wade hadn't been expecting much when he went over to Zoe's place to pick her up for their date. Despite the fact she had arranged the whole thing, she had text and asked him to come by the carriage house at seven thirty, and so that was exactly what he had done. Not knowing what she had planned, he put on a smarter pair of jeans than usual and a nice button-down shirt, just in case she had a mind to take him somewhere fancy. He was going to ask her about it when she answered the door, but his knock was met with silence and he ended up letting himself in, eyes widening at the sight of a small table, just big enough for two, set up not far into the main room.

"Zoe?" he called to her, feeling all the more bowled over when she appeared from the bathroom in the most stunning dress, that somehow managed to seem classy despite showing everything she had to full advantage.

"Hey," she said, smiling as she walked over and kissed him 'hello.' "So, I thought maybe instead of going out on our date, we could stay in instead?" she suggested, gesturing to the table. "Don't worry, I didn't even try to cook. This is all ordered in from Fancie's."

Wade nodded, dumbstruck by the whole affair, but not disliking any part of the date so far. He was pretty sure he managed to tell Zoe she looked stunning and when they sat down to eat, he definitely enjoyed the food. Still, there was a nagging thought in the back of his mind that wouldn't quit the whole time, and he wasn't sure yet how to verbalise it.

Somehow, Zoe was the one woman Wade didn't exactly feel comfortable talking to about sex. It was different when they first met, when he figured she'd be just another woman he could get into bed and that would be that. Things had changed an awful lot in the past few months. Now, what he felt for Zoe was so much more, the very idea of screwing up with her just filled him with dread. This whole date thing seemed to be leading only in one direction, or so Wade figured, and yet to ask her that and be wrong, it just wasn't worth it.

"You're okay with the wine, right?" she asked, adding a little more to his glass. "I know you usually prefer beer, but it wouldn't really go with the food-"

"Wine's just fine," Wade assured her before she hit full-on ramble mode. "Food's been great too. It's a real nice meal, doc."

"Good, that's... good," she said, picking at what remained of her dessert.

"You not liking yours so much?" asked Wade warily. "I didn't think there was a dessert in the world a woman wouldn't eat, given half the chance."

"Well, not all women are the same," said Zoe, sounding just a little snappy and letting Wade know he inadvertently hit a nerve.

"I know that," he assured her, reaching for her hand across the small table between them. "Zoe, come on now. You know that when it comes to you... well, I ain't exactly sure I know how to put it into words, but you know, right?"

"I think so," she agreed, nodding her head. "And you know that I... What I'm trying to say is, I feel the same way about you, Wade. God knows, I never expected to, but I really, really do," she told him with a smile that he loved to see.

"Sounds good to me, doc," he said, smiling back and squeezing her hand before letting go so they could both continue eating.

When dessert was done, Wade sat back in his chair, only just now noticing there were a few more candles around than he remembered seeing in Zoe's place before, and actually, he wouldn't be surprised if she told him the bed looked different too, though he wasn't sure he could put his finger on exactly what had changed.

"So, I have a confession to make," said Zoe suddenly, eyes on the napkin in her lap as she folded and re-folded it pointlessly.

"Should I be worried about that?" Wade checked, trying to meet her eyes but she evaded too well.

"No, not worried. Nobody should be worried, it's just... Well, when I asked AB if she would take care of JT tonight for our date, I kind of said it'd be really helpful if she could have him overnight," Zoe admitted, finally glancing up at Wade.

"Uh-huh," he said, nodding his head. "So, you were planning on seducing me?" he asked as seriously as he could, though it didn't really come off as the grin he tried to suppress overcame him.

"Maybe," she admitted, blushing furiously and never looking more beautiful to him. "It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I never really did this before, and now, I just feel kind of stupid."

Wade took pity on her, getting up from his chair and moving closer, holding out a hand for her to take and helping her to her feet.

"I'll tell you this much, doc, you don't look stupid," he assured her, eyes travelling from her head to toes and back again, lingering in the places most designed to get his attention. "You know, for somebody who told me a while back they don't exactly have much experience in this area, I'd say you're doing a real good job with all o' this."

"Really?" Zoe asked, one eyebrow quirked. "Well, come over here, cowboy, because I'm not done yet," she told him, pulling on his hand, presumably feeling more confident off the back of his compliments.

He shifted closer, arms sliding around her as her own went up around his neck. She went up on her toes as he leaned down and met her half way in a searing kiss. It started out like it always did, they knew the steps by now and followed them faithfully, but when they landed up on the bed, her quick fingers working their way down his shirt buttons, his hand sliding up under the hem of her dress, it all got pretty serious, pretty fast.

"You sure about this, Zoe," Wade checked between kisses.

"Oh, yeah," she told him breathlessly. "You?"

"Hell, yes," he confirmed, the both of them grinning as they fell back into each other and the beautiful feeling that came with getting this close, at last.

To Be Continued...