A/N: Thanks for all the feedback, folks. Yes, I know, that last chapter was painful, but I promise it will get better - keep on reading! :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 12

Wade was being weird. Actually, Zoe realised, that probably wasn't the right word to describe it. She wasn't sure she knew what the correct adjective was for his behaviour lately, mostly because she hadn't been around him enough to judge.

Since Planksgiving, he had been distant, downright absent even, much of the time. Not that she really had to wonder why that was, she supposed. Poor Wade. He really put himself out there when he told her he had real feelings for her and certainly hadn't gotten the response he was hoping for, she knew that for certain.

Honestly, there was a large part of Zoe that would've liked to have told him she felt the same way. Much of the time, she believed that she could, that she might, but she never allowed herself to examine it too much, because what was the point? As she had told him, not only three short weeks ago, after the Planksgiving celebrations, but many times before that too, she was only going to be in Alabama for the year. There was absolutely no point in her starting a relationship with anyone, because it simply couldn't last. They would be doomed before they hardly ever began and Zoe couldn't bear the thought. She cared too much about Wade, for one thing.

That was the catch-22 of it all, of course. It was how much Zoe liked Wade that made her wary of getting closer. It sounded so stupid on the surface, and more than once she had considered giving up on her original idea, just diving in and taking the plunge, come what may. She was never brave enough to do it though. Brave enough to move from New York to Alabama, brave enough to face up to Brick Breeland, to make new friends in Bluebell, to keep a hold of her half of the medical practice, and accept her semi-Southern heritage that had come as such a shock. Just not brave enough to risk her heart on a man she trusted so much though. How dumb was that?

Zoe being Zoe, she kept on telling herself she was doing the right thing, the practical thing, the sensible and best thing for everybody, even Wade. The problem was, she had trouble really believing it. Her head could say what it wanted. Her gut, even her heart was telling her something else. She probably should listen to those last two things, but fear wouldn't let her somehow.

Of course, Wade's continued absence from her life made her wish she could overcome that fear, and when she couldn't, the frustration she felt at herself turned into frustration at Wade instead. After all, he was the one who told her his feelings, knowing she could never respond the way he wanted her to. She had made it perfectly clear that she wouldn't date in Bluebell, not seriously. Judson was a one-time thing, a mistake. She and Wade were just supposed to be friends. Best friends, sure, but never more. She made it so clear!

"He's known from the start," she told her reflection in the mirror, almost daring it to argue with her somehow. "Friends. We were always going to be just friends. He agreed too. Even that night, after he told me how he felt. He said were still friends and that I could count on him. Well, where is he now?!"

"You expectin' your hairdryer or your brush to field that one?"

Zoe actually squeaked, jumping slightly in place, her hand flying to chest as she turned to see Rose standing in the doorway. She really hadn't known anyone was there until she spoke.

"Sorry," she said guiltily. "I did knock, but you didn't answer, and then, when I heard you talking, I figured I'd just stick my head in, see if you actually had company or if you were talking on the phone or whatever."

"None of the above, unfortunately." Zoe rolled her eyes. "Just talking to myself. You know, sometimes it helps to say these things out loud, helps you figure it out more than just in your head."

"I guess that makes sense." Rose nodded, coming further into the room now. "Only it didn't sound much like you were mad at yourself, so much as somebody else. Like, maybe Wade Kinsella?"

Immediately, Zoe opened her mouth to deny it, which was dumb, considering her friend had it exactly right. She was mad at Wade. She should have been doing all her yelling in his direction rather than at herself, in the mirror or otherwise. Maybe she could also try telling another good friend about her frustrations, she considered. Rose may be young, but she knew more about Southern guys than Zoe did. She also knew just how frustrating guys could be in general. Case in point, Frederick Dean.

If Rose was at the carriagehouse, it was because she had come to practice some more for the Miss Cinnamon Cider Pageant, in a bid to beat out Magnolia and win Frederick Dean's heart. It may not be the greatest plan in the world, but it was the best they could do for now. Zoe only hoped they might come up with something a little more foolproof when it came to herself and Wade.

"So, this all has to do with what Wade told you about his feelins for you, right?" asked Rose, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Maybe." Zoe sighed, moving to join her. "Ugh, not maybe. Absolutely, definitely," she admitted then. "It's just not fair. I mean, I get it, he likes me and it's not great for him that I said we couldn't date. Obviously, that hurt him, but I told him I was sorry, he said we could still be friends, and I even stayed out of his way for a while, you know, to give him some space, allow him to process, move on from this attraction he has to me," she said, gesturing distance and such with her hands. "Three weeks later and I swear if I come in the front door of a place, he slips out the back. I never see him, never more than the side or back of him as he runs away anyway. If we've shared more than fifty words of conversation in the last three weeks, I'd be stunned!"

"Come on, Zoe." Rose rolled her eyes. "Like you said, this is not a great situation for Wade. You know, I don't think the guy was ever serious about anyone in the whole of his life before. People say even his marriage to Tansy was nothin' more than a drunken mistake. He never loved her. He never loved any woman. Don't get me wrong, far as I know, he's a great guy and everything, he's just not... serious about women."

"Well, he's not exactly serious about me either," Zoe insisted, glancing away. "Come on, he said he liked me, that he had feelings for me, but that's not... I mean, we're friends, best friends even. Not that you and I aren't best friends too, and me and Lavon. You know you can have more than one right."

Rose laughed lightly. "Geez, you get yourself more worked up about this stuff than most of the people in my grade," she declared with a grin. "Yes, I know, you're close with me and Lavon as well as Wade. I don't feel like you just insulted me or anything, but Zoe, you have to think about this from Wade's side. Now, I don't know for sure just exactly how serious he is about you, but it's like I said, far as I know, he's never been any kind of serious about any other person before you. That's gotta mean something, right? So, he gets up the nerve to tell you, to really be... I don't know, vulnerable or whatever, and what happens? You say, 'Thanks, but no thanks.'"

"Rose, you know I didn't have a choice," Zoe insisted. "One year, that's it, then I'm back to New York forever."

Her friend rolled her eyes one more time. "If I don't know that by now, I never will," she insisted, "but a year is a lot longer than you think, you know? In a year, I'll be in a whole other grade. One year closer to being a free and clear adult that can do whatever she wants. A lot changes, Zoe. Plans can change too, and yes, I admit, I would love there to be a big reason for you to stay in Bluebell longer than a year, because I just love having you around, but that's not why I'm saying this. Maybe you could give Wade a chance, for his sake and for yours? I know you like him."

"Of course, I like him!" Zoe declared loudly and without pause. "Geez, what am I? Deaf, dumb, and blind? You'd have to be all of those things not to like Wade."

That caused Rose to giggle. "Yeah, well, I can't exactly argue with that, even if he is way outside of my age bracket. You like him more than just that way though, right? And more than just a friend?"

Zoe sighed, knowing there was no use in lying about it, especially not to Rose, to whom she did always try her best to set a good example.

"Yes, I do like Wade. I like him as more than a friend and more than just... well, for one night," she said with a pointed look. "If things were different..."

"But why do they have to be different?" Rose challenged her, before Zoe could pedal a line she knew herself she had already used too many times already. "What are you afraid of, Zoe? What are you waiting for? Do you know how fast I would dive right in if Frederick Dean would say he liked me that way?"

It was impossible for Zoe not to smile at that. She knew exactly how quick Rose would be to date Frederick Dean if he asked her. Very, very fast! Zoe also knew that she would have liked the chance to act that way with Wade, though she suspected, at this point, it was all too late anyway. He was avoiding her to a ridiculous degree, trying to get over her, probably. It just wouldn't be fair to undo all his hard work in that area.

"Okay, enough about me and Wade," she said then, shaking her head. "You're here for pageant practice."

"I'm mostly here for the dress you said I could borrow for the pageant," said Rose with a sly grin, "but I really don't mind talking about your love life at the same time."

Zoe smiled back at her friend. "Thank you for that, but as we just established, I don't have a love life and I don't plan to start having one either. Not now, not here. It doesn't make sense, Rose. So, let's just let it go, okay?"

Her friend did as she asked and let the matter lie, but Zoe knew it wasn't that simple. Even as they talked dresses and hair styles and talents, her mind was wandering back to Wade. How maybe she should've just admitted to her own feelings and agreed to date him before. How maybe there was still a chance to change things. Mostly, she just kept on thinking about how successfully he seemed to be avoiding her at every turn and how damn annoying that was. Why would she want to date someone so aggravating anyway?!


Wade was not having the best day. Honestly, he hadn't been in the best of moods lately anyway, but as Christmas approached, things only ever felt worse for him. Remembering his momma made him smile much of the time, but the anniversary of her passing always caught him unawares, even the better part of twenty years on. Of course, Earl was also in a much worse state when December rolled around, though he made a handy excuse for getting away from the plantation plenty, whenever Zoe was around.

Not that Wade was exactly proud of the fact he was pulling a disappearing act each and every time Zoe Hart showed up, but that was what he was doing. Ever since he spilled his guts to her on Planksgiving and she gave him the, 'Can't we just stay friends?' speech one more time, it got too hard to be around her all of the time. Wade thought she would get it, that he just couldn't handle it for a few days or whatever, but as time passed, he kept up his avoidance tactics, finding it simpler somehow. Maybe it wasn't all that fair, but then he knew better than most that life just wasn't that way much of the time.

Today had been one of those days when Wade actually could've used a friend like Zoe around. To talk to about his momma. To vent to about Lemon and George and the Christmas tree for the town square that he didn't want to deal with in the first place. Just to be around and laugh with, knowing he would feel better if he could. Of course, maybe that wasn't true anymore, not since he told her how much he felt for her and she shut him down.

Walking through town square, he arrived in time for Rose's talent performance in the Miss Cinnamon Cider Pageant. If it had been Magnolia Breeland or whoever, he probably would've walked right on by without a care, but Rosie was sweet and decent, and maybe the unlikeliest person he ever saw in a pageant. She did good though. Not that he doubted she would. Everybody knew Zoe was her coach.

Wade caught sight of the little doctor in the crowd, realised she saw him too, and then made a hasty exit. It wasn't a huge surprise to hear her call his name, but he wasn't ready for her hand on his arm pulling him to a halt.

"Wade, come on. Please, could you just stop running away every second."

"What do you want from me, Zoe?" he asked, rounding on her crossly, partly because it had been a hell of a day, partly because he wasn't sure how she dare have that tone in her voice, like he was the one doing wrong, not after everything. "Okay, I told you how I felt, and you said, 'Let's stay friends.'"

"But we're not," she said, shaking her head sadly. "How can we be friends when we're never in the same place at the same time?"

Wade sighed, rubbed at his forehead with one hand. "I'm sorry, okay? I am sorry that I leave every time you show up, but Zoe, you gotta understand, I can't just... It's not that I don't wanna go back to how we were before, but it ain't that easy, doc. I mean, it is really not."

He was willing her to understand with his eyes, and everything else he had besides, because God help him, he did not know how to explain any better than he just did. To be her friend had been killing him by degrees before. To try again now, after everything, he just couldn't handle it. He wished he could, but he couldn't.

"So then, we should probably go on a date."

Wade felt his eyes widen a little at that statement. "I'm sorry, did you just...?" he forced out, sure he sounded as dazed as he felt. "A date? You and me?"

"Yep, that's what I said," Zoe confirmed with a smile. "I mean, if you want to, obviously. I know you said before... but that was a while ago, and since then things have been..."

"Yeah." Wade nodded. "I mean, yes, Zoe. I would love to go on a date with you."

He felt like such a fool saying it, knowing he was grinning like an absolute idiot, sure that the two of them must look real strange, stood three feet apart, just staring and smiling and all, but he didn't care. Zoe Hart just asked him out on a date and Wade was thrilled, except he couldn't quite just take the win, not without checking something first.

"Okay, I'll prob'ly wind up regrettin' this, but I gotta ask," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "What changed in the last three weeks, doc?"

"Me," said Zoe succinctly. "I mean, not that I really changed exactly. Wade, come on, you know how I feel about you, how I've always felt, I was just... I guess, in some ways, I was as scared as you were. But not having you around so much lately, it has just been the absolute worst," she admitted, shaking her head. "I guess what I'm saying is that you were brave enough to take a chance and tell me how you felt, so now, I want to do the same thing. I know it's a risk, I know it could get messy, and when it comes time for me to leave and everything... but maybe if we just give it a try, you and me, it could be good, right?"

Wade gave her a winning smile. "Zoe, I think you and me could be amazing," he assured her.

Suddenly, it seemed like it might just be a very Merry Christmas in Bluebell, Alabama.

To Be Continued...