A/N: Did I say weeks? I meant over a year and a half…And no matter how much time passes, these characters will always belong to the CW/not me.

ZPOV

Seriously. I mean, seriously? This is the girl that Wade slept with when I was in New York? She could pass for Kate Upton's identical twin. She was so hot I'd sleep with her.

It took me a sec, but I shook her hand. "Yea, he has. Nice to meet you," I said, trying to sound genuine instead of shocked. She had more curves above her ribcage than I did in my entire body. Wade definitely had a type – the complete opposite of me – blonde, leggy, Kardashian hour glass shape. And I hated that I felt jealous when I had no right to. We weren't together at the time, and it had seemed so far from reality when Wade had told me in Mobile. But actually seeing her, seeing that this Denise person was, well, a person, drove it home and made it more real.

She and I both turned to look at Wade who had a tight-lipped deer-in-the-headlights expression. "So, what can I get you to drink?" He asked looking at her but glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. I could be the mature one here. I could put on my big girl pants and not try to think of how she must have rocked Wade's world. I could...

Fuck it.

"I'm gonna head back there," I announced, pointing towards the other room. It was an awkward situation, and as the queen of exacerbating awkward situations, I had to escape before I did something completely fucking ridiculous. Wade's face fell a little and he looked confused. "You sure?" He asked as he slid the beer towards the one-night-stand (is that mean? It's mean. Fuck it she slept with my boyfriend – I don't care that technically we weren't together at that point) without even looking at her. "You don't have to. We're just wrapping up here. That'll be four bucks by the way," he said to Denise, barely acknowledging her.

"Yea, I'm sure. I'm gonna go check on Lavon. I'll be back in a few," I told him, trying to sound as casual as possible.

I pushed through the crowd that was forming behind me to get a drink and made my way towards the doorway that led towards the back room where I could hear Lavon shouting that someone was cheating. Oh brother.

"Hey," I heard Wade say behind me as a hand wrapped around my wrist. I turned around, giving him the best smile I could muster.

"You okay?"

"Yea, totally," I brushed off.

"I didn't invite her," he defended pointing back towards the bar. "No idea whatsoever that she even knew I was opening a bar."

"I know," I nodded, my body relaxing a bit. Of course I knew that he hadn't explicitly invited her, but for some reason I found myself only feeling reassured when he said it.

"So, we're good?" He asked, sounding more serious.

I nodded again. "We're good."

"Good," he grinned, moving his hand from my wrist to my cheek and leaning down to kiss me. It was something between a peck and one that could escalate quickly into something that left neither of us with underwear on. Of course, considering we were in a bar full of people the latter option was definitely not going to happen, but it was amusing to consider the possibility.

"What was that for?" I asked, feeling my cheeks get hot as he pulled back.

"I told you doc," he smirked. "I'm gonna do that every chance I get."

I rolled my eyes, biting back a smile. "I'm gonna go check on our friend over there," I said, motioning behind me with a thumb.

He nodded, laughing as he pushed his lips against mine again. I couldn't help but laugh into the kiss.

He headed back to the bar and I headed for the pool table where Lavon was leaning forward against the pool table.

"Z!" He shouted as I approached where him and a few people I barely recognized, were standing around the pool table with cues. "You can be our ref."

"Your what now?"

"Our ref," he repeated. "A few of these Bluebellians are cheating. You can be the zebra that monitors them," he instructed pointing his finger at each of the people playing.

"For fuck's sake Lavon, we're not cheating!" One of them argued. "Zoe, he's just off his face and scratching every other turn and missing all the others."

"The mayor of Bluebell is absolutely not wasted! He is in his right mind!" Lavon shouted.

Oh god, he was talking in third person.

"C'mon Mayor," I said, taking the pool stick out of his hand. "Walk me home."

"What? Why're you leaving? What about Wade's big grand opening? Did he do something? Do I need to bitch slap him? Cuz I'll do it... I've been-"

"No, he didn't do anything," I interrupted before he said something in front of everyone that he'd regret later. Although I was pretty sure he already had. If I was right, there was no reason to add more to the list. "I just need to grab my phone charger," I lied, tugging at his arm. He needed to get home ASAP.

"Fine, but then we're coming back." He turned to look at the group that was still lingering around the table. "And then I'm whoopin' each of your asses at this damn game!"

The guys around the table waved off his failed attempt at a threat, and we headed outside. I didn't look back at Wade. Part of me knew I had nothing to worry about, and yet that tiny part of me, the part that was self-conscious because I wasn't tall, blonde, or had anything in common with him (at face value), still wondered how he could be attracted to someone like me when literally every girl I'd seen him with before had been the polar opposite.

We walked back at a snail's pace, and I was counting my lucky stars that Lavon was walking on his own. I wasn't sure how I would've handled it if he'd needed a crutch for the entire walk home.

"You know I love ya Zoe, but I'm not going to wear a dress," he mumbled as we headed just out of the town square.

"What?" I asked, puffing out a laugh and looking at him.

"For the weddin'. I know I'm your best friend and all, but please don't make me be the maid of honor," he pleaded. And by his tone, he was completely serious.

"I don't know Lavon, I'll want you to stand up for one of us and if Wade decides he wants Jesse as his best man…" I trailed off, teasing him. "What if I let you pick the dress?"

He stopped, closing one eye then blinking and closing the other, as if trying to test his vision. "Hm."

I bit back a laugh at him considering it.

"Can we compromise on a pantsuit?"

"Can it be paisley?" I challenged, trying not to laugh. I would never have anyone in my wedding party wear paisley, but this was too easy.

He scrunched up his face before turning to me and extending his hand. "As long as it doesn't have neon in it."

I puffed out the giggle I'd been holding in and shook his hand. "You've got a deal."

"Good," he nodded, shaking in return. He paused and took a deep breath. "No shaking things. Shaking things, especially heads, bad."

"Mhm," I agreed. "C'mon, we're almost home."

We turned, and I listened to him as he spent the rest of the walk home talking about AB and how she was the best woman he'd ever been with, that he doubted why the hell she was with him – his insecurities that I didn't know he had, shining brightly.

"AB loves you," I said as we approached the carriage house.

"Yea," he agreed reluctantly. "I'm just not sure that between all of our baggage, we'll ever get to where –" he stopped abruptly, pivoting just quick enough to hurl onto the dirt patch just beside the side of the house.

The surprising sound almost had me gagging myself, but I kept it together. I walked over to him, rubbing his back while trying to keep out of the puke zone.

It was a while before he stopped gagging and was okay enough to stumble up the stairs to the carriage house. We headed inside, and he flopped onto my bed. "What the hell are she and I doing if we can't get there, Z?"

"Get where," I asked, walking into the bathroom to grab some towels and a bucket in case his stomach started churning again.

"There," he emphasized, as if that would clarify things. "With a ring and a wedding march." I smiled faintly, even though Lavon's eyes were closed. I wanted them to work; they were amazing together and it was crystal clear how happy they made each other. But their 'baggage', i.e. Lemon, would be hard to shake – especially if they stayed in Bluebell.

But it's not like the mayor can up and move away from the town that he… mayors over. "You'll get there," I encouraged, walking over to the small mini-fridge I'd started keeping bottled waters in.

"Maybe you and AB," – I stopped myself as I turned around with a bottle of water for Lavon, only to hear him start puking again. "Should go on vacation…" I finished, letting the sentence hang in the air, as I walked over to rub his back and calm him down. For all of the would be/could be drama between Wade and I, we'd never had to overcome anything as unwieldy as Lemon Breeland.

And for that I was thankful.

WPOV

As it got closer and closer to midnight without the sight of Zoe, I started to wonder if Denise showing up had fucked shit up more than she'd let on. With how quickly she had bolted it was obvious she was upset but avoiding me wasn't any better than fighting – especially on opening night of this place.

The night wore on and as people started heading home for the night, I was half crushed, and half pissed as hell. The bar being so packed made it easy to forget that I had no idea where the doc had gone, but every second that I had a moment to breathe I was searching the crowd for her or asking someone walking by if they'd seen her.

And every person that shrugged or shook their head just made my blood boil that much more. This was re-damn-diculous. I hadn't kept Denise from Zoe, she knew all about her. I was committed to Zoe and she fucking knew that, hell I'd put a damn right on her finger.

The crowd started to thin out in bigger droves and I was getting less worried, and more downright pissed off. She knew how big of a deal tonight was and it was fucking insane that she was in a tizzy about seeing some girl I had slept with once – when we weren't even together.

When I shouted for last call at 12:45AM Benny and his wife were pretty much the only folks that remained. They were a couple that had sold their farm and decided to move into town a few months ago to enjoy retirement without all of the hard work that went into growing corn. Benny had taken up drinking as a past-time and his wife, Janette, had taken up knitting at the bar beside him.

"Alright folks, it looks about that time," I said as I started to wipe tables down. "We'll be opening back up in about nine hours."

Janette nodded, starting to pack up her things. "It was a good opening Wade," she smiled. "Too bad I didn't get to talk to Zoe much about the wedding. But I'll catch her another time."

"Yep," I snipped back. Hopefully I'd catch her another time too.

I watched as Janette helped her husband off the stool. He wasn't belligerent, but old age, the late hour, and a few double whiskeys were enough to throw off his equilibrium.

"Night Wade," Benny half-shouted as he threw up a hand, waving me goodbye as they headed for the door.

"Have a good night Benny. Get home safe."

"We will dear," Janette answered for him.

I locked up behind them and went to cash out the register. It took a bit longer than I was used to as I was distracted by thoughts of the doc and where the fuck she'd run off to.

"Alright, we're all packed up. Do you mind if I take off? I need to check on Tom and get some zzz's before opening tomorrow," Wanda said as she started untying her half apron.

"Sure. Thanks again for working tonight. I'm hoping we can get at least two more folks to help out in the next few weeks. I know Ricky has offered to help with orders during peak times."

"That'll be nice. Plus, Tom has offered to be a chef. He makes a mean chicken pot pie."

I tried to picture him in the kitchen and could only envision the sound of pots dropping and a massive fire. "I'll think about that. Maybe we could get him out with the people."

"Oh, he'd love that even more," she said putting a hand on my forearm. We could put on skits while people were eating – a real dinner n' a show feel."

Oh lord. "Well why don't you get home to that man of yours. I'll wrap up here."

"Okay. Don't stay too late."

"I won't."

She headed out and I heard a muffled conversation before the door finally shut.

My back was towards the doorway, and I was crouched down putting the night's earnings into the safe when I heard a familiar voice. "Am I too late for last call?"

I froze for a minute before I dropped the envelope into the steel safe and shut it closed. "I'm afraid you are." I stood up, noticing that Zoe had done a wardrobe change and was in one of my white t-shirts and a pair of jean shorts that hit just above her knees. "I thought you took off for the night."

"No," she said, shaking her head and walking over to me slowly, almost hesitantly. "I took Lavon home and he wasn't feeling too hot. It took longer than I'd anticipated."

"And yet you found time to do a costume change," I observed, heading out to the main room.

"I smelled like vomit, plus, you said I couldn't help wearing the dress I was in, and I wanted to be useful when you closed up."

"So you changed so you could help me do manual labor?" I chuckled, looking over at her.

"Yea," she nodded, visibly relaxing as she walked around to stand in front of me. "And I'm sorry."

"For what exactly?" I asked crossing my arms. I wasn't gonna make this easy for her.

"For not being here for every second of tonight," she lamented. "And for getting weird when Denise showed up."

"Jealous. You got jealous," I corrected.

"Can you blame me Wade? I mean," – she stopped herself midsentence. "You're right. I was jealous."

"And you know that's completely ridiculous right?" I smirked. "I ain't marrying Denise. You're the only one that has one of these," I said, taking her hand in mine and tapping the finger that had my family's ring on it.

"I know," she exhaled, moving closer. I took a step backwards, moving to sit on one of the tables, and pulling her to stand between my legs.

"Tonight was a big deal doc. And you weren't around for most of it…" I trailed off. Her face fell and I could tell she genuinely felt awful.

"I'm so sorry Wade."

"I do believe, there is one thing, and one thing only, that will fix this evening," I deadpanned.

"You name it. I can wash the floors, I'll take orders – well, you know, when I'm not at the practice – for a month, I'll –"

I couldn't help but chuckle at the punishments she was dishing out to herself.

"Nah doc," I murmured against her lips. "I believe I was rain-checked for a christening of this place, earlier…"

Her arms slid around me, and she grinned. "You aren't tired from tonight?"

"Oh, I'm exhausted. But I'm not planning on doing any of the work…" I swallowed her laugh in a kiss and felt her melt against me. Even after all this time, I could still feel the exact moment her body relaxed against mine, each time she was done joking around and was ready for things to shift, to escalate.

Tonight was ending exactly how I had hoped it would, with a successful opening night, and my lady in my arms.