Chapter 3 ~ Be Set Free

Wade knocked on her door promptly at seven o'clock. Zoe answered wearing a simple black dress.

"Hey." She simply said.

Wade smiled as he looked at her. He had worried he'd show up and find her in her pajamas. "Well hey yourself. You look…."

He took in her appearance and found he couldn't think of the right word to describe how stunning she looked. He closed his gaping mouth and handed her a bouquet of hydrangeas.

"Wow, they're beautiful. Hydrangeas are my favorite." Zoe lifted them up to her face. "Let me put them in water before we go." She motioned for him to come in.

Wade took a few steps into her apartment and looked around. He thought her apartment looked cozy, but sophisticated. She'd kept a lot of Harley's things apparently with old pictures on the walls and older medical book on the shelves, but added some of herself - He noticed an old map of New York framed on the wall. The place was uncluttered but comfortable.

Zoe came out of the small kitchen area with the flowers in a vase and put them on a table. "Flowers twice in one day, a girl could get used to this."

"I'm glad ya like 'em." He held out his hand. "Ready to go?"

She grabbed her purse and tentatively took his arm. She looked up at him with nervous eyes. He smiled and led her towards the door.

When Zoe stepped outside she looked for his muscle car but saw Lavon's navigator instead. She paused in front of it a little puzzled.

"I thought my car might draw some attention in your yard, so Lavon let me borrow his."

She nodded. "Good thinking. We don't need Bluebell on full alert."

"Exactly." He said as he opened the passenger's door for her.

As Wade pulled out, she asked where they were headed. "It's a surprise." He smiled.

They were quiet as he drove a familiar route. When they pulled into the plantation drive, she gave him a cute smirk. "I think I've been to this place before." She said.

"Maybe, but I think you might be surprised." Wade said vaguely.

He pulled up in front of the pond and turned off the car. Zoe went to open her door, but Wade touched her shoulder. "Stay here and close your eyes."

Zoe scrunched her face up suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

Wage looked at her without a trace of his trademark smirk. "Please. Don't ruin the surprise."

She smoothed her expression and sat back with her eyes closed. "Okay."

Wade got out of the car and she heard him moving around outside wondering what he was doing. She started to hear faint music. Finally she heard her door open and felt his hand on hers. "Keep 'em closed, Doc."

She smiled suspiciously, but did as she was told. She took his hand and he helped her out of the SUV. He held her hand and reached his other arm around her to steady her as he guided her. She was trying to figure out where he was taking her when he stopped. "Okay, you can open 'em." He said nervously.

She opened her eyes and there was a table beneath the trees near the pond and lights were strung all around them. The table was set for two with a bottle of wine and candles on the table. She heard the song that was playing the night she went to Wade's during the heat wave. He let go of her hand and pulled her chair out.

"Wade, this is incredible. How have you not blown a fuse?"

"New fuse box." He smiled sheepishly. "And, I wanted to do this right. Nobody else around, just you and me."

He opened the bottle of wine and poured them each a glass. He handed one to Zoe and then he sat across from her.

"To the new owner of the Rammer Jammer," Zoe said as she held out her glass to toast.

Wade offered a small smile and added his own, "To fresh starts."

After they took rather large drinks from their glasses to ward off the nerves, he asked how she'd heard about the Rammer Jammer.

"Actually I heard from Annabeth right before I came back to the practice to find you in my exam room." She flashed him a grin. "How did you end up buying it?"

"Well, ol'e man Tate has wanted me to take it off his hands for while so he could retire and Lavon finally talked me into it. I honestly never thought I'd be a respectable business owner."

"Why not?" Zoe questioned.

Wade looked at her raising his eyes brows. "Seriously? Crazy Earl's kid buyin' a business... I guess it's a bar, so maybe it ain't so far off the mark."

Zoe shook her head at him. "I don't know why you'd say that. I've never thought of you as Crazy Earl's kid. Heck, I didn't even know until that night you sang him of the roof of the hardware store… And I told you I thought of what you did."

Wade smiled when he remembered. No one had ever called him that. "Yeah, you thought it was kinda heroic. No one ever said somethin' like that to me before."

Zoe looked down when he said that. "No one ever told me I showed someone how to be amazing."

"I find that hard to believe." He answered. She looked at him expecting his smirk, but could tell from his face he was being honest.

Looking at him and around at what he had done, she knew it was her turn to apologize.

"Wade, I'm sorry about how I said… what I said that night. I sounded like such a stuck up jerk." She looked away from him, embarrassed thinking about it. "Trust me. I took a long look in the mirror after that."

Wade reached across the table and touched her cheek to turn her face towards him. "Hey Doc, there's no need to apologize. I was the Grade-A jerk."

She had that look on her face, all vulnerable. The conversation was going backwards and not forward. He just wanted to move on. "Speakin' of Grade-A, I should put the steaks on and get you yer dinner. Don't go nowhere."

She watched as he stood up and walked towards his place. He was wearing the white shirt he had on in the bar the night of the Memory Matron fiasco. She'd had a lot of fiascos. She squeezed her eyes shut thinking about them. Thanks to that night with Wade things had started to turn around. She lost herself to thinking about it when she was jogged out of her head by Wade's return.

"You okay?" He was looking at her a little concerned – was she not having a good time?

"Oh yeah, I was just thinking about my VERY bumpy beginning in Bluebell." She shook her head, but smiled at him.

"Well, that doesn't seem to be the case now. I hear even the Breelend's are members of the Zoe Hart Fan Club."

"I wouldn't go that far, but…" She pursed her lips together and nodded thoughtfully, "Things have come a long way. And I have you to thank for that in a really perverse way."

Wade walked to the grill and put the steaks on. He really just wanted to not talk about that night, but she kept bringing it up.

"I don't think I deserve any thankin' for what I did. I am really sorry, Doc." He kept his back to her as he spoke working on the grill.

She stood up and walked towards him. She tugged on his shoulder so he'd face her. She put her hands on his chest. "I accept your apology. Will you accept mine?"

He furrowed his brow a little. "Yeah, I do, but can we not talk about it anymore tonight?"

"Deal." She smiled and nodded. "So what are we having with the steaks? Can I help?"

He gently pushed her away. "Nope, I got this. You go sit and enjoy your wine."

"Okay." She said as she made her way back to her seat.

Wade finished the steaks and grilled some asparagus. They both dug in and ate their meal, talking about what had been happening during their prolonged cooling off period. After they both finished, he took both their plates and brought them into the house. He walked back out with another bottle of wine.

He saw her standing with her back to him, under the lights and trees, swaying to the music. He put the wine on the table and walked towards her. He put his hand out and tilted his head. She took his hand and they began to dance.

"I love this song." She said quietly into his chest. Poison and Wine played in the background.

"I know. I saw it on your IPod when I changed all your music." He laughed quietly in her hair.

He felt her smile against his chest and held her a little tighter. As they danced, the pull towards each other grew. He wanted to kiss her. She breathed in deeply, she felt a little dizzy. When the song ended, she pulled away a little and smiled shyly. "Did I see you brought wine?"

"Uh yeah, come on. I'll open it." He led her back to the table, not letting go of her hand till he picked up the wine. He poured and handed her glass to her.

Zoe took a long sip. She gazed up at the lights then her eyes moved down to watch their reflection in the small pond. "This is really amazing." She said again.

He stood in front of her and stared into her eyes. "Hey, ask me that question?"

She looked at him like a deer in headlights. She steadied herself before she spoke. "Wade, do you like me?"

He stepped closer to her. "I do. I like you, Zoe." Then he put his hands on her cheeks, leaned in and kissed her. It wasn't like the other times they'd kissed. It was slow and long. He only pulled back reluctantly, keeping his hands on her cheeks. "I really do. And if may be so bold, would you go out with me again?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, I'd really like that." And then she reached up and pulled him into kiss her again.

He didn't try anything else that night. They drank their wine and talked and they each stole a few more kisses. When it got late, he drove her home and walked her to her door.

"What time you done tomorrow?" He asked her when they reached her door.

"My last patient is at two o'clock. I should be done by three."

"How 'bout I pick you up after that? I got somethin' I wanna show you."

"What?" She was curious.

"Oh no, it's a surprise." He answered.

"You sure have a lot of surprises." She smirked.

"Oh girl, you have no idea." He smirked back. "…So about four?"

She nodded. "Okay."

He leaned in and kissed her again. This one had a little more fire. Neither one wanted to stop, but he pulled away finally.

"Wooo girl, you are dangerous." He smiled as he gave her one quick kiss before moving towards the SUV. He pointed towards her. "Tomorrow."

She smiled back. "It's a date."

Then she turned and opened the door. He watched her close it behind her before he drove away. He shook his head in disbelief, but smiled wide the drive back to the plantation.

So what do you think? Good first date? Next chapter is the morning after... coming soon.