She stood in the doorway to Bessie’s bedroom watching her sister. Bessie was smoothing out the skirt of her dress and staring at her reflection in the mirrored closet door.
Finally, Bessie turned, a soft smile gracing her lips. “I’m getting married, Joey.”
“I heard that.” Joey winked and walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She held a small bag in her hand. Setting it down on Bessie and Bodie’s bed, she examined her sister. She looked lovely. “You’re so pretty, Bess.”
“I am, aren’t I?” Her sister grinned and spun girlishly around in her long dress, sending the yards of tulle flying.
She blushed and set about to straightening out the fabric again. Joey moved behind Bessie and fingered the intricately beaded fabric, before tugging at it with a gentle touch to smooth out the train. Bessie raised an eyebrow over her shoulder.
“You’re fluffing my train?”
“Yep,” Joey answered. She grinned. “As I understand it that’s one of my duties. That, holding the bouquet and...” Joey stepped over to the bed to pick up the delicate white bag she’d brought in with her. “This.”
“What is this?” Bessie took the purse from Joey’s outstretched hand. Opening it, she pulled out a folded pale blue handkerchief. When she unfolded it carefully, she let out a gasp. “Jo?”
“Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue.” Joey smiled, reaching out a hand to finger the silver bracelet Bessie held within trembling fingers. “The bag is new. I thought it was pretty and you can put some tissues in it, in case you cry.”
“Like that would happen,” Bessie scoffed, dabbing at already forming tears with the edge of the handkerchief.
“Right. And the handkerchief is blue. Also new. So double on that one. Um, the bracelet,” Joey started slowly.
“Is Mom’s.” Bessie ran a finger over the beads gently. “She gave it to you.”
“I found it,” Joey shrugged. She raised an eyebrow. “Not really a gift.”
Bessie shook her head, insistent. “She gave it to you.”
Joey smiled. “Something borrowed.”
“Yeah.” Bessie cleared her throat and putting the handkerchief back in the purse, placed it on the bedside table. “Can you help me put it on?”
Joey nodded. She bit her lower lip and clasped the bracelet around her sister’s wrist. Once done, she slipped her hand into her sister’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. She looked up into her eyes with the same awe she had as a child. “My big sister is getting married,” she whispered.
Bessie pressed her forehead against her sister’s. She smiled. “I know.”
**
Joey wiped at a stray tear as she left her sister’s room. She nearly bumped into Bodie as he exited a guest bedroom, tugging at the ends of his tuxedo.
“Bodie!”
“Hey Jo,” Bodie grinned, pulling Joey into a close hug. “You look beautiful, Sweetie. How’s your sister doing?”
“She’s gorgeous,” Joey beamed.
“I knew that,” he said, winking at her, “How’s the big fluffy white dress look?”
“Very fluffy.” The two laughed warmly. Bodie ruffled Joey’s hair. “You look great too.”
“Thank you kindly.” Bodie straightened his shoulders and brushed at the starched white shirt. “I wanted to thank you for coming home. Bessie really appreciates everything you did to put this together, Joey. And taking Alex is no small favor.”
Joey bowed her head, blushing slightly. “I haven’t done enough for my family lately.”
“You come through when it counts,” Bodie said. He leaned down to kiss her cheek. “We’ve missed you.”
“Me too,” Joey whispered. They stared at each other for a moment before Bodie brought her into a bear hug, swinging her into the air with a laugh. She squirmed out of his embrace giggling. “Bodie!”
There was a small cough and they both turned. Dawson stood in the hallway, a silver wrapped present in his hands. He smiled hesitantly.
“Hey Joey.”
“Dawson. Hi.” Bodie wisely chose that moment to break the rule about seeing the bride before the wedding and walked into his bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him.
“Hi.” He turned the present over in his hands. “You look nice.”
“You too.” Joey smiled tentatively. “It was nice of you to come. You didn’t have to.”
“This is big,” Dawson said, shaking his head. He smiled, belying the strain in his voice, the bitterness of tone. “A family gathering for an important event. Weddings, funerals. I’ll always be here for you.”
Joey stared at him, her eyes widening. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” He held onto the present tightly, the joints in his fingers turning white. “Where do these go?”
Joey held up a hand, pointing towards the family room. Her lower lip wavered and an errant tear slipped past her lids. “Dawson...”
“Yes?” He frowned and seemed to rethink something. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m just gonna put this in there. I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah.” She watched him go, seeing a little bit of Mitch in his stride. Another tear fell down her cheek at the thought.
**
“I never knew I’d love anyone as much as I love my family,” Bessie said, smiling widely up at him. “From the moment we met. You’re my family, Bodie. I love you.”
Bodie cleared his throat and from Joey’s place beside her sister, she thought she saw him rub his eyes. “I never had any doubt that you were the best thing to come into my life. You gave me Alexander. And I even managed to get a great little sister. You’re my family, Bessie. Everything I love.”
“I now pronounce you Man and Wife,” the Justice of the Peace proclaimed in a booming voice.
Bessie and Bodie kissed tenderly, linking hands and striding down the aisle, bubbling over with wide smiles.
Joey watched them walk away for a moment, before taking Pacey’s offered arm and following slowly behind. “That was pretty great, Potter,” he whispered into her ear.
“Yeah.” She replied, delight evident in her dancing brown eyes. “Absolutely beautiful.”
**
It was barely an hour into the reception and she couldn’t stop the words to save her life.
“Pacey, I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears as she watched Bodie slowly turn Bessie in a waltz.
“For what?”
“I wasn’t a very good girlfriend.”
He frowned, eying her lazily. “You’re gonna tell me about the other guy now?”
“I’m not talking about him.” She nodded her assent to the caterer, who stood on the B&B back porch with a small tray of hors d'oeuvres.
“Tell me about him first,” he said. He followed her out of the crowd and into the kitchen. He took one tray filled with mini potato pancakes covered in small dollops of sour cream. Joey moved to the refrigerator, pulling out a small jar. “Why’d you break up?”
“He wasn’t you.” Joey held up the caviar proudly, despite her serious tone.
“Liar.” He grinned as she pulled out a teaspoon and carefully drizzled small amounts of the expensive eggs on the sour cream. “Why did you break up?”
“I’m telling the truth.” She batted his hand away from the food. Lifting the completed tray carefully, she continued. “I couldn’t get you out of my head. Every time we were together I compared him to you. I couldn’t stop thinking about what my being with him meant to you. I was afraid to betray us.”
“Together?”
“Oh.” She froze mid step and darted a cautious glance back at him. “You’re not going to ask, are you?”
“No.” He held the back door open for her.
“Anyways, it was deja vu. Him, you. You, Daws-”
Pacey cut in, frowning. “You’re telling me I became Dawson?”
“No. Just...I wasn’t ready for him. And I gave a billion little signs to that effect.”
“Like?”
“Like, talking about you one too many times.” She smiled pleasantly as a guest reached out to her tray. Lowering her voice and directing her eyes forward she continued. “Fending off his advances like he had the plague.”
“That’s my girl.”
“Exactly.” Her eyes lowered guiltily. She walked through the small crowd lingering around the edge of the small dance floor. Bending down at the waist, she held out the potato pancakes to her nephew. He wrinkled his nose at the caviar and ran off, pulling a laughing Jen behind him. Joey watched them go with a fleeting smile. “I’m sorry.”
“I knew what I was getting into, Jo.” He reached for her hand, taking the tray from her and setting it down on one of the small bridge tables set up to surround the platform.
“I didn’t.”
“Excuse me?” His eyes darkened, the warmth fading with the dimming sunlight.
“I screwed up so badly, so repeatedly,” she explained, her voice strained, “I wasn’t ready to love you, Pace.”
“Oh.”
She looked up to see him take a step away from her. “But I did, I loved you,” she said, staring up at Pacey. “I just wasn’t very good at it.”
“Oh, you were good at the bright work.” He grinned fondly, quoting the first movie they’d ever rented as a couple.
“I made her shine,” she laughed, her eyes watery.
He placed a hand on her cheek. “You shine,” he murmured quietly.
“Please don’t-” Joey whispered.
He cut in, eyes blazing. “Don’t what?”
“I don’t have any intention of staying in Capeside.”
“Who said you did?”
“I’m going back to California in a month.”
“With the surfers,” he supplied, eyes softly teasing.
“And I don’t like you anymore.” Her voice dipped lower as Pacey slowly ran light fingers over her ribcage.
“Right,” he huskily agreed.
“I’m certainly not in love with you.” Joey’s head lolled against his shoulder as his hand circled her waist.
“Oh,” he breathed softly. “Me neither.”
“Just so we’re clear.”
“Crystal.” He kissed her hard, scooping her up into his arms and walking back towards the B&B.
