So sorry it took so long to update! I lost the urge to write but it's back now. I hope you are all still interested and enjoy the chapter. As always please review, it helps to keep me going.

Zoe climbed out of the cab and the driver helped her with her bags. "I hope you enjoy your stay ma'am." He tipped his cap to her and climbed back into the cab.

"Thank you." She smiled at him and looked around at her surroundings. She took a deep calming breath and started to walk down the sidewalk. She was so amazed by what she was seeing she didn't see the person in front of her.

"Hello there, welcome to Bluebell." A deep voice greeted her.

Zoe looked up at the man. "Thank you."

"I'm Mayor Hayes but you can call me Lavon."

"Hi Lavon, I'm Zoe." She said

"You look like you're here to stay for awhile." He examined her bags. "Do you have reservations at the Whippoorwill?"

"Um, no I don't. This was kind of a spur of the moment decision."

"Oh well I'm sure Dash has a room for you. Follow me."

"Well, wait. Do you know Wade?" she asked

Lavon smirked. "Wade? Wade Kinsella?" he asked

"Are there two?"

"Nope, he's the one and only. You're looking for him?"

"I am."

"Well then let me take you to him. How do you know him?" he asked as he picked up her suitcases.

Zoe thought for a moment. "We met a little over a month ago, I don't really know him know him, ya know?" she asked

"Oh I think I know." He chuckled. "Does he know you're coming?"

"No." she simply said.

"Well, ok then. He's working now, at the Rammer Jammer."

"Rammer Jammer?" she asked

"It's our bar slash restaurant."

"I see. This town is so cute."

"Thank you. We like it here."

They walked up to the restaurant and Lavon held the door open for her. She walked in and looked around. "How cute." she smiled

"Wade." Lavon called to him.

Wade looked up from behind the bar and his jaw dropped along with the cup in his hand, thankfully it was plastic. "Zoe?" he asked looking at her

"Hi Wade." She said with a smile.

"What? What are you doing here?" he asked

"You said if I was ever around here again to stop by, so here I am." She said

"I'm glad you took my up on that. How long are you here for?"

She shrugged. "Don't know."

"I'll leave you two to talk." Lavon butted in. "Your bags are right here Zoe."

"Thank you Lavon." She smiled at him.

"Bye Wade." He winked his friend.

Wade looked at him confused. "Alright, bye." He turned to Zoe. "So, were you really in the area or did you finally decide to check out this town you once called home?" he whispered.

"A bit of both. I had a week off work, so I figured I'd check it out." She shrugged and winced.

"Are you ok?" he asked looking at her shoulder.

"Yeah, just pulled a muscle." She said casually

"Oh ok." He smiled at her. "Well are you hungry? Thirsty? Need a place to stay?"

"Um, all three." She giggled.

"I can help with, well, all three. You look like a wine girl, red or white?"

"Red please."

"And well are salads are terrible so how about a chicken sandwich and French fries?" he said while pouring her wine.

She laughed. "That sounds great."

"Perfect, I'll be right back." He took off towards the kitchen. When he returned he smiled and leaned on the bar. "So, about the place to stay. Lavon has an empty Carriage House that I can get you for free or you can go to the Whippoorwill where when you check out you will get a lovely complimentary needlepoint." He smirked at her

"Well, that needlepoint sounds awfully intriguing. But I will stay where there is no bother to anyone."

"You won't be a bother." He looked down at her left hand resting on the bar. "The fiancé doesn't mind you being gone for a week?"

She looked down at the ring as well and shook her head. "Nope, he's busy with work." She gave him a small smile.

"Well I will give Lavon a call and see if he can get that Carriage House fixed up by tonight."

"Oh I don't want to be any trouble. I can go to the hotel."

"Nonsense." He waved her off and pulled out his phone.

While he was on the phone she pulled hers out of her purse and turned it on. It started buzzing and flashing like crazy. She bit her lip while she read through the text messages.

"Everything ok?" Wade asked her

Zoe jumped and looked up at him. "Sorry, what?" she asked him as her breathing returned to normal.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yeah just checking my messages."

"Alright, you looked a little tense there."

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

After she ate and finished off her third glass of wine Wade called it a night for them. He picked up her bags and led her out to his car. He threw them in the trunk and opened the door for her.

"Thank you." She shivered.

"Here." He shrugged off his flannel shirt and put it over her shoulders.

She smiled at him. "Thanks."

They drove through town slowly. When Wade passed the practice he stopped. "This was your Dad's practice and Brick."

"I wish I remembered this. I feel like I was robbed of my childhood or something."

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "You talk to your Mom?"

"Yeah, she told me everything. Said she took me away because I wasn't meant to grow up in a town like this."

"That's idiotic."

"I know." She yawned.

"I'll fill you in more tomorrow. You look exhausted."

She nodded and rested her head on the seat. She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew Wade was calling her and poking her arm. She winced and opened her eyes.

"Sorry I must have fallen asleep."

"It's ok, are you sure your arm is ok?" he asked

"Yeah." She nodded.

He climbed out of the car and ran around to her side, opening it for her. He took her bags and led her up the steps to the carriage house. They went in and Zoe immediately smiled.

"This is so cute. I love it." she looked around

"It is pretty charming isn't it?" he asked

"Yeah, it's perfect."

"Hold on, I'll be right back ok?" he asked

"Yeah." She nodded and went to sit down on the couch. He returned a few minutes later with a box.

"This is yours, well it was Harley's but I know he'd want you to have it." he handed her the box

She opened it and her mouth fell open. "That's him, that's my Dad." A tear fell down her cheek as she recognized him.

Wade sat down next to her. "Yep it is. You don't have to look at this now, I know you're tired."

"No, I want to." She said and started going though the photos. "Me?" she asked Wade

"I imagine so. Not sure what other baby he'd have a picture of."

She flipped it over and smiled. "Zoe, six months."

"I like this one." He pulled out another of Harley with Zoe on his lap.

She started to tear up again and looked over at Wade and smiled. He smiled back and went to wipe her tears but she pulled back.

"I'm sorry." He said moving further away.

"No, don't be."

"Tell me about him?" she asked and put the box on the coffee table.

Wade smirked. "He was amazing, best doctor this side of the Mississippi. He knew everyone and everything about them." He started and Zoe rested her head on his shoulder. He pulled his arm out from between them and placed it on the back of couch. "By the time I was 6 he knew every time I was faking an illness." He yawned himself. He continued to talk but drifted off to sleep in a matter of minutes which was fine because Zoe passed out as soon as her head hit his shoulder.

"No, no, stop. I'm sorry. I owe you." Zoe started to mumble in her sleep. "Please, I won't say it again. I promise." She said starting to get louder. "Just stop." She yelled and Wade was jolted awake. He looked down at Zoe whose head was now resting on his lap. "I'm sorry." She said again.

Wade shook her. "Hey, Zoe, wake up." He said and she sat up quickly, breathing heavily and looking around the room.

"What? Where?" she asked

"Hey." He put his hand on her shoulder and she jumped again, turning to see who was behind her, she sighed.

"Oh Wade." She breathed

"Are you ok? That was an intense nightmare." He said

"Yeah, I'm uh, I'm ok I think." She looked around again

"You sure?" he sat up towards her. "What was that about?"

"I don't remember." She lied. "Just a dream."

"Alright, why don't you go lie down in bed, maybe be more comfortable."

She just nodded but walked over to the suitcase on the floor and pulled out some clothes. She walked into the bathroom and came back a few minutes later. "Here." She handed him his flannel. "Thank you and sorry to wake you."

"It's fine, don't worry about it. I'll let you get back to sleep. Good night Zoe."

"Night Wade. Thanks for everything." She hugged him.

"It's no big deal." He said once they pulled apart. "I'll see you in the morning. Breakfast at the Mayor's" he told her.

"Sounds good. I'll see you there."

He chuckled and smiled at her. "Sleep well." He then turned and left the house

"I wish." She sighed and crawled into the bed.

Zoe jolted awake with a scream early the next morning. She was sweating and her heart was beating a mile a minute. She took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes, opening them again a minute later.

"I'm ok." She said to herself. After another minute she climbed out of bed and into the bathroom. She took a long hot shower and that really seemed to calm her nerves. She got out and looked at herself in the mirror. She sighed when she saw an almost faded bruise on her cheek and she turned to look at her shoulder. That one was no where near faded.

Two days earlier.

"What is wrong with you? How stupid can you be? You're a freaking doctor, how'd you pass medical school?" Julian spat before shoving her into the dresser in their bedroom.

Zoe screamed out in pain as she crashed into the corner and felt it pierce her skin. She looked down and saw the blood immediately. "Ow." She whispered

"Oh poor you." He said and left the room. "You're lucky that's all you got. I could give you a matching one on your other eye."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, have a good day."

"I will." He grunted and left the room and then the apartment.

Zoe wiped the tears from her eyes and walked out of the bathroom in her towel. She was just slipping on her tank top when she heard a knock. "Come in." she yelled

"Hey Zoe." Wade greeted

Zoe smiled. "Hi Wade. How are you?"

"I'm good, how was the rest of your night?"

"It was good." She nodded. "I'll be ready in a few minutes. Just let me put on some make-up."

"You don't need it." he smirked at her

She smiled again. "Thank you but I like it." she turned around towards the bathroom.

"Woah." Wade said and moved towards her. "That's quite a cut on your shoulder." He said

Her eyes bugged and she turned back around, grabbing the blouse off her bed and putting it on. "It's nothing really, I'm just clumsy, you'll see." She smiled and ran into the bathroom. Wade just nodded and eyed her suspiciously as she walked away. She came back out a few minutes later. "Ready?"

"Uh yeah, let's go."

They started their walk to the plantation. "Hey, um. Can you just do me a favor?" she asked him

"Of course, what's up?"

"Can we not tell anyone who I am? I'm still processing all of this so if we could just keep it between you and me, I'd really appreciate it."

He nodded. "Yeah, of course. If that's what you want. But the town would be happy to know who you are."

"That's really sweet but yeah, it's what I want."

"Ok, then that's what we will do."

"Thank you."

"No problem. But you'll need a story. And Lavon was already curious as to why you were staying in the carriage house."

"Um, I'm just your friend on vacation, visiting."

"A friend of mine will definitely work." He nodded with a smirk.

"You have a lot of friends?" she asked

"You can say that." He said as he opened the door to the kitchen. "After you." He smiled

"Thank you." She smiled at him and walked in.

"Good Morning you two." Lavon smirked at the two. "How was your first night in Bluebell?"

"It was good, eventful." She smiled at Wade as he placed a plate of fruit and pancakes in front of her all while ignoring her phone vibrating in her pocket. "Thanks."

"I bet it was." He whispered to himself.

After a few minutes Zoe looked at her phone and swallowed hard. "I'll uh, be right back." She got off the stool and walked outside.

"So, you two have fun last night?" Lavon asked. "You've never had a girl come to find you with suitcases before."

Wade chuckled. "It's not like that man. She's just a friend on vacation."

"Uh huh." He smirked as Zoe came back in.

Wade took notice to how pale she was. "Are you ok?" he put his hand on her arm.

She inhaled sharply but resisted pulling her arm from him. "Yeah, totally fine." She smiled at him

"Alright, eat up, you got a whole town to see." He smiled at her

She smiled back. "Ok."

I really hope you liked it!