Chapter Thirty-Three ~ Pacey's P.O.V.

"So Pace last night of freedom, any regrets?" Matt asks from across the table a beer in one hand, cards in the other.

"Yeah, being here with you fools." I say smiling at my friends gathered around the poker table.

"Got some place better to be?" Bodie asks.

"I can think of a couple." I say grinning, thinking about Joey.

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Any that don't involve Joey? And possibly breaking a few town decency laws?" Matt asks.

"Probably not." I say leering at them over the neck of my beer bottle.

"Too bad, because you know that Jen and Bessie aren't going to let you get with in fifty yards of your fiancee tonight." Bodie teases.

"Don't remind me." I groan. "Over the past few months I've gotten so used to having Joey sleeping beside me, I'm not sure how much sleep I'll get tonight not having her there."

"Nervous?" Jack asks.

"Why should I be? Tomorrow all of my dreams come true. I get to marry the love of my life. We are going to stand in front of our friends and family and pledge our lives to each other."

"I'd be nervous as hell." Matt says.

"Well, yeah, look at Linds I'd be nervous about marrying that girl too."

"She's pretty amazing actually, I almost asked her a while ago. That's why I took the second job. So I could afford to buy her a ring.

"I knew it. I knew you were going to ask her."

"How?"

"The way you look at her when you think no ones watching. It's the same way I look a Jo."

"And the same way I look at Bess." Bodie says, even though he's only met Matt and Lindsay a couple of times; the love they have for each other is hard to miss.

"Guys are we going to gossip all night or are we going to drink and play cards?" Jack asks, feeling a little uncomfortable being the only one in the room with out someone to love.

"Fine, you deal." I say tossing my cards towards him.

"Five card draw, Jacks are wild." He says shuffling the cards in his hands.

"Hey." she whispers quietly, as she stands next to me on the dock later that night.

"Hey, I thought you'd never escape Bessie."

"I saw you out here, and since its only..." she looks at her watch, "11:47; I begged for ten minutes. Bessie's standing on the porch timing us so anything you want to say better be quick." She says smiling at me.

"The only thing I really wanted to say is this." I cup her face between my palms and softly kiss her lips. We continue kissing until Bessie softly clears her throat behind us.

"Okay you two break it up. Joey you have exactly one minute to get your butt inside, and Pacey I better not see you out here after midnight." She says turning and walking back towards the house.

Resting my forehead against hers I look deep into her eyes "I love you Josephine."

"I love you too Pace. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Count on it." I say, giving her one final kiss before turning and walking away with my hands in my pockets so I won't be tempted to pull her into my arms again.

Then next morning as the sun shines into the room I wake up and roll over reaching for her, only to discover that I am alone and in the guest bedroom at Jack's dads place. Smiling I think about what today is.

"Knock, Knock." Jack says poking his head into the room.

"Come on in Jack." I say climbing from the bed. "What time is it?"

"A little after eight. Andie just left for the B&B, but she left breakfast."

"That was nice of her."

"That's Andie, always taking care of someone, even if it is only by feeding them." Jack says describing his sister perfectly. Pulling on a shirt and sweats I make my way down to the kitchen, where I can smell fresh brewed coffee and warm cinnamon buns.

"So we have about three hours until we need to get ready, what do you feel like doing?" I ask around a mouthful of food.

"Dunno. What do guys usually do before something like this?"

"I have no idea. I think I really just want to take a walk or something, you know to remember what got me to today."

"She's a lucky girl Pace. You make her very happy. Thats why you're here today."

"No Jackers, I'm the lucky one. And after today I get to spend forever with the most beautiful woman on the face of the planet."

"Dude, you're such a closet romantic. Anyone ever tell you that?"

"Yeah, Joey." I say smiling, finishing off my breakfast. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Wandering about town I end up at the marina. Memories flooding my mind:

I think I love you.

You think or you know?

I know.

Permission to come aboard?

Permission Granted.

Don't you ever get tired to talking?

I'm going to kiss you in about ten seconds. And if you don't want me to kiss you then, well if you don't want me to, I guess you're just gonna to have to stop me, 10

I'm going count to 10 and then I'm going to start kissing you. If you don't want me to you're just going to have to stop me. 10, my love.

I remember everything!

Looking at my watch I notice the time, and start to head back to the McPhee's to get ready, smiling and whistling the whole way. When I get there Jack has the tuxes we picked up the day before laid out on the sofa.

"Hello?" I call stepping into the room.

"Pacey, in here." Bodie calls from the kitchen.

"What's all this?" I ask, taking note of the food covering the counters.

"This is lunch, Bessie sent me with specific instructions that we are all to eat before we put our tuxes on, something about how messy we all are, and her not trusting us to keep clean."

"Oh...probably a good idea. After all dinner is what about eight hours away and that's a long time to go without food." I say, picking up a sandwich and biting into it some of the fillings spill out and drop into my lap, I just look and Bodie and laugh.

"Hey guys. Whoa did Bessie send enough food over? She does know that there's only four of us here right?" Jack asks as he and Matt walk into the kitchen.

"Yeah, well I'd much rather be here than at the B&B right now, so I didn't say anything. People have been running around since six this morning. The guys from the restaurant we're starting to set up when I left." Bodie explains.

After eating we all head into the living room, grabbing my tux from the sofa I trudge towards the spare room to get changed, looking at the clock I see that its twelve forty-five, and we have a little over half an hour before we are all due at the B&B. Pulling on my tux jacket I look at myself in the mirror and smile knowing that Joey will be impressed. I wonder what she's doing right now, probably yelling at Jen that her hair isn't absolutely perfect. Adjusting my tie one last time I head out to find the others.

"So are we all ready?" Jack asks, once we are all assembled back in the living room.

"Yeah, you have the rings?" I ask, nervously.

"Right here." He says patting his coat pocket, reassuring me.

"Good, then let's go." I say grabbing the keys to the rental car off the sideboard; I'm anxious to see my bride.