Thanks for the kind reviews, they keep me going :)

I'm sorry it took me so long to update but school's started and I've had so many things to do... however, this chapter is a bit long, I hope you like it!

"Jesse?"

"Hey little brother" Jesse greeted.

"What are you doing here?" Wade asked confused, trying to ignore the fact that he called him 'little brother', which he hated.

"You said dad's sick and that he needs me"

"He doesn't need you" he snapped. Earl has gone years without you, Wade thought. "Anyways, I meant why are you here already? Thought you were in the Hawaii?" His brother shrugged and he was starting to reply when the arrival of a certain town doctor shut him up.

"Zoe Hart! What a pleasure to see you here"

"Jesse! I see Wade called you" she put her bag on the counter and gave a quick glance in Wade's direction. She was happy he decided to do it.

"Yeah he did. By the way, is he still into you?" He asked grinning.

"Jesse" Wade gave him a warning look that said 'if you don't shut up I'll kill you'.

"Why, it's just a question" he turned to face Zoe as she sat on a stool next to him.

"As a matter of fact, we were together for a few months" Zoe said, giving Wade a cute, sweet smile which he took as a sign it was ok to talk about it. However it still hurt him.

"Really?" Jesse was surprised, he didn't think someone like her would go for someone like his brother. Maybe he had judged her too quickly. Maybe she wasn't the selfish gold digger from New York Wade had described the last time Jesse was in Bluebell "why did you break up?"

"Oh I went back to New York and I needed time for myself, no big deal" she said readily. Wade glanced over at her with wide eyes, his mouth in a gap.

"I see... So you're back together now or what?"

"Oh, no... for the time being" she simply said. Wade widened his eyes again in shock but as Jesse turned to him he tried to compose himself. Yet he couldn't understand why she said that.

"Can I have a beer, Wade? This conversation is getting interesting" he turned to Zoe "go on, please!"

"There's nothing more to say" she raised her shoulders "let's talk about something else: I thought tomorrow we could have a meeting about your dad's care, is it okay for you both?"

Sure" Jesse replied, a little disappointed by Zoe's quick change of topic.

"I should work but I can ask Lemon a shift change, there's no problem" Wade said.

"Then tomorrow it is, at the practice"

After Jesse left, Zoe put her open hand on the counter and asked in a loud voice "pour me a drink, my favorite bartender!"

"Zoe, you're acting kinda weird" he said smirking as he put a glass of white wine in front of her.

"Am not" she retorted, then She took a straw and started drinking the wine through it.

"Do they drink wine like that in New York?" Wade joked.

She looked up at him and in response suck her drink making a loud and annoying noise.

"You're crazy, girl" he told her and got away to serve a couple of costumers.

The following day the four of them discussed everything they needed and then Zoe called the hospital in Mobile: Earl would be admitted in the hospital in two days and the surgery was scheduled exactly one week after he got in.

"Who will operate on him?" Wade asked. He obviously wanted the best for his father just like them all when it came to George's father more than a year before.

"Yeah, and who will operate on me?" Jesse si interjected They both stared at Zoe.

"Not me, I deal mostly with hearts" she answered scrolling her shoulders and then added reassuringly "I hope I will be able to supervise both of the surgeries to make sure everything's okay and, of course, to keep you informed on what is happening" she took Wade's hand as she spoke. The smile that crept on her lips was addressed mainly to Wade who smiled back and they locked eyes for a moment, forgetting everything and everybody else. In the meanwhile his brother was looking at them chuckling and all he could think was please, get back together already.

"So it's all set" Jesse said trying to snap the cute pair to reality. He also waved his arms in the air to be noticed better. Zoe startled and nodded at him. They said their goodbyes and went separate ways. Wade headed to the Rammer Jammer as his shift was starting in ten minutes while his brother went home. Zoe continued with her work at the practice but it was a slow day, she cured only three patients. One of them was Lavon who was actually there not because he was sick or anything, he simply wanted to talk to his friend.

"Hey Big Z how you doing?" He greeted her as she let him inside.

"I'm great, thanks. How are you?" She smiled. She was really happy that Lavon decided to pay her a visit as they merely had seen each other since she arrived in Bluebell: she had been busy with the practice and with Earl so she took the habit of leaving early for work, arriving home pretty late and eating takeaway food for dinner those days. In that way she sadly didn't meet anyone at breakfast and dinner so the only way she could briefly see Lavon was at lunch at the Rammer Jammer. She and Wade instead were together far more as he tried to always be there when Zoe visited his father. If he wasn't there, there was Jesse and they quickly established a good friendly relationship.

"All good, except it's almost like you didn't leave New York..." Lavon said.

"Well now we're both here and we can finally have a proper talk. How're things going with Annabeth?"

"Oh, she's amazing. I always thought I would never love another woman after Lemon but Annabeth is making me reconsider everything in my life, it's great" he grinned and Zoe was happy, too for her best friend.

"I sense the big L word is coming, yay!" she guessed.

"Actually..."

"Oooh you already said it! Or did she say it first?" She squealed like a thirteen-year-old girl.

"Now come on I don't want to talk about this girly stuff" he tried to close the subject quickly, glad his skin didn't show his blushing cheeks as he felt them slightly warming "let's talk about you, you and Wade, are you back together already?"

"You did! Lavon I'm so happy for you! Aw you're too cute together and no, me and Wade are not a thing" she admitted and they spent more than an hour talking about her and Wade and Earl and everything she hadn't told him already about New York. Lavon updated her on Bluebell's scoops - the ones Zoe hadn't read about on Dash's blog, anyway.

Jesse decided to pay Wade a visit so he went to the Rammer Jammer. There he met Wanda who informed him that his brother had already finished his shift and he'd gone home about ten minutes before.
Jesse headed to Wade's house and as he was approaching he saw him on his porch, sitting on a chair. He called his name but Wade didn't answer, his head was hanging to the back and his eyes were closed. Jesse got near and shook his brother's shoulder saying his name again, a bit louder now.
Wade woke up with a startle and put his hands on the armrest of the chair.

"What the hell" he cursed and stared at his brother, annoyed.

"Were you sleeping?" Jesse said with a questioning look on his face.

"I actually was" Wade answered "what's so important you had to wake me up?"

"Don't you sleep at night? Why is it, the hot doctor keeps you awake?" he laughed. Wade grinned at the thought but then quickly changed his mood and shoot his brother an angry look.

"Shut up! Yes, I have trouble sleeping but it's not Zoe's fault, unfortunately"

"Then whose fault is it?"

"It's our Dad's, you idiot!" The bartender stared at him. Wasn't Jesse worried for their father? Did he manage to sleep without being woke up by a bad dream in the middle of the night? How could he fall asleep without trouble? Wade certainly couldn't. Every time he closed his eyes he saw his mom dying, his dad dying, his dad drunk and destroyed by the loss of his mother.

"Oh" it was all Jesse could come up with he didn't think the rough man he had for a brother was capable of those deep feelings and he didn't think Wade would open up so easily to him. But there he was: clearly in pain. However he managed to talk about the way he felt, to express his emotions and it was something he didn't usually do, he used to keep all inside and build up walls upon walls around him. Maybe the pretty doctor broke those walls, maybe she really changed him for the better, Jesse thought.

"You didn't tell me why you arrived so early yesterday. I believe if you really were in Hawaii you wouldn't have gotten here so fast" a curious Wade asked him.

"I... wasn't. I was in Birmingham when I received your call." Jesse admitted "I wanted to tell you on the phone but I couldn't and then you informed me about Earl and... anyways, I quit my job. Yeah, that's why I was in Birmingham" he explained to his brother who was carefully listening to him. So, Jesse was walking through the streets of the city when Wade called and on the window of a shop he saw the cap with 'Hawaii' written on it so he lied to his brother, that got him the idea of telling his brother he was in Hawaii. Then he bought the cap as a souvenir from a place he hadn't been to. As he learnt about Earl however he decided he needed to go home so he abruptly ended the call, quickly went to an airport and booked the first flight to Mobile, Alabama.

"So you don't have a job anymore?" Wade asked shifting uncomfortably.

"Yeah. I was hoping I could find something here to stay with Dad at least till he's healed. Maybe more."

"And I thought you were a selfish bastard" the bartender said in a really low voice but Jesse heard him.

"Oh stop it! I was hurting so much after Mom died and I had the chance to go away from here so I took it" he scoffed and pointed a finger at Wade "Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same!"

"Maybe I would have, but I sure couldn't because you weren't here! You left us, you left me. You were the oldest brother, you should have stayed and helped. And by the way I was hurting, too" he said as he felt the anger build inside him.

"Okay, I'm sorry, maybe I made a mistake but it was a long time ago, stop bringing it up like it was yesterday! I'm sorry! Can we leave it behind us? I promise I will be here from now on. I will help. We'll make it through."

Wade said nothing. He didn't want to forgive his brother so easily but Jesse was right, that was in the past and now they were different people. "Okay then. But please stop joking about Zoe and me."

"I'll try but I can't promise you" he smirked, then turned serious "I'm proud you, little bro. You did great with Earl and it isn't your fault he's got cirrhosis if that's what crossed your mind. You own a bar and that's fantastic!" Jesse said smiling protectively.

"Co-own, with Lemon" an image of a very angry Lemon flashed in Wade's mind.

"Sorry, co-own, fair enough" Jesse grinned. "I shouldn't get in the way of a Breeland girl right?"

"Exactly. Anyway I'm happy you fought for our country" they both smiled. Now that all – or at least part of it – was settled they could finally go through Earl's problems together, as a family. And as a family they would overcome it.

That evening Zoe decided to have dinner at the Rammer Jammer since she was able to fill up all the patients' files lagged behind during the free time between the few patient she had that day. As soon a she got inside she was greeted by Wade's big grin.

"Look who's here! Have you finally decided you needed a break from all that work?"

"I have" she nodded proudly.

"Let me guess" he tapped on the counter with his fingers and looked up, pretending to be wondering "hamburger, fries and a coke" he pointed at her, winking.

"Yes, yes and no, I would like a Pinot, thanks" he sighed and rolled his eyes. Wine with hamburger?

"Wine with the hamburger? Where do you come from? Anyways, Doc, we've got red or we've got white I don't know how many times I've told you" he put two bottles on the counter.

"I know, I was just teasing" she laughed. She could be so sassy sometimes and Wade pretended he couldn't stand that about her but in truth he loved that about her. He poured white wine in a glass and brought her the food.

She ate and they talked a lot when Wade wasn't busy serving other customers and it was like old times except for the fact that at times his gaze focused on her lips and he imagined kissing her and he swore he could feel her lips touching his. He had shivers every time he thought about it. Zoe noticed all that but she kept repeating herself that it was too early, they needed more time to be friends and earn each other's trust again, only then their relationship could evolve into something more. But it was so damn hard to focus on what they were talking about when she knew he was probably thinking of kissing her and she was thinking of kissing him.

Time flew and it was past midnight when Wade told Zoe the Jammer was closing for the night in fifteen minutes. Almost all the costumers had already gone home and there were only the two of them, Wanda and Tom left.

"Wow, I didn't think it was so late. I have to go" she took her purse and headed to the door.

He grabbed her arm, "Wait, I can take you home"

"Okay then, I'll wait here"

"There's no one left" Wade looked around and found Wanda "Hey, you and Tom can go home, I'll close" he told her. The young couple went away and Wade and Zoe were the only ones left. He turned on the radio and a country song was playing, Stubborn Love by The Lumineers. He knew the lyrics because he heard it all summer while working so he began to sing along. Zoe stared at him as he cleaned everything, humming.

But I still love her, I don't really care
As he sang that line he turned and glanced at her, using the cloth he had in his hand as a microphone.
When we were young, oh, oh, we did enough
When it got cold, ooh, ooh, we bundled up
It can't be told, ah, ah, it can't be done

He smirked thinking about that night in the barn and a shiver ran through his spine. He'd give anything to go back to the start of their story and do everything better.

It's better to feel pain, than nothing at all
The opposite of love's indifference
So pay attention now, I'm standing on your porch screaming out
And I won't leave until you come downstairs

He paused singing when the chorus began and raised his arms, looking at her.

"You sounded good" she laughed.

"Thanks"

And I don't blame you dear for running like you did all these years
I would do the same, you'd best believe

The song ended with him standing on a table, he with a big jump and shouted a 'yeah' as Zoe cheered him.

"You should play this at the next battle of the bands, you were amazing!" She said as she locked her arms around his neck. He looked down at her and leaned closer till their lips were almost touching. Their eyes were closed and they were almost kissing when she spoke.

"What are you doing?" she scolded him jokingly but she did not withdraw from her. Their eyes were still closed and they could feel the breath of the other tickling their lips.

"I'm not trying to kiss you" Wade stated, lying shamelessly.

"You sure? 'Cause it really seems like you were" Zoe sighed, they were still so close.

"No, it's called close-talking, haven't you heard about it?" He joked. They opened their eyes simultaneously and stared.

"I haven't but I like it" she smiled and put a hand on his chest. He finally leaned back with a sigh and took her hand, squeezing it.

"I better really take you home"

"Yeah" she said sadly and chewed her lip. As they headed home Wade took her hand, their fingers intertwined while she leaned her head on his shoulder.

He kissed her on the cheek when they arrived at her doorstep.

"See ya tomorrow, Doc" he said as he walked down the few steps.

"By, Wade" she shouted as she closed the door behind her back and put a hand on her cheek, the one his lips touched just seconds before. As she closed the door behind her she blushed - she was glad he couldn't see it - and happily walked to her bedroom.
That night Wade managed to fall asleep earlier than the usual, which in that period was 4pm, with a huge grin on his lips and a picture of Zoe Hart in his mind.

I hope you liked t, please review/favorite/follow :)