Potter, wake up."

Joey groaned and pulled a pillow over her head.

"Josephine, we have things to do. You can't laze in bed all day."

"Pacey," she growled, her voice muffled by the pillow, "I'm having this nightmare about ... you. You're trying to drag me out of my bed at the crack of dawn on Saturday."

"It's 9 a.m., Potter. Get your lazy rear out of bed. Hurry."

Joey pulled the pillow off her face and glared at him. "Don't you want to hear the rest of my dream? The good part? The part where I smothered you to death with this pillow and went back to sleep?"

He grabbed the pillow and tossed it on the floor. Hopping off her bed, he went to the door. "You can tell me on the way," he said, ducking out the door in time to avoid the other pillow, which was aimed for his head.

Joey flopped back on the bed and groaned. If she didn't get out of bed, she knew he'd come back and physically drag her out.

She threw on a ragged pair of cutoffs and a red tank top that appeared to be relatively clean. She grabbed her sneakers and a pair of socks and stumbled into the kitchen.

Pacey and Bessie were sitting at the table, drinking coffee.

"It's about time, Potter. I was about ready to --"

With a growl, Joey held up a hand to stop him. She dropped her shoes and socks next to an empty chair and grabbed his coffee cup. She took a sip, then downed the rest in two gulps before falling into her chair.

"Rude much, Joey?" Bessie asked, getting up to refill Pacey's mug.

"Never mind, Bessie. If it's all right with Little Miss Joey Sunshine, we need to get going."

Joey glared at him. "Please, Mr. Witter, may I take time to brush my hair and teeth before we go?"

"Please do."

Joey didn't say another word until they pulled out of the drive.

"So, where are we going?"

"She speaks!" Pacey said. "It's a miracle."

"Well, I'm almost awake now."

"You always this grumpy in the morning, Jo?"

"Only when I'm dragged from my bed at the crack of dawn."

"Hate to tell you, honey, but here in Capeside, dawn comes a bit earlier than 9 a.m."

"Bessie and I were up until 3 or 4 this morning."

"Ah, had to tell her every detail of your fabulous date with me, no doubt."

"Of course."

"It's a good thing I didn't kiss you goodnight, then." He shot a look at her. "Then you'd have been up at least another hour."

"Oh, at least," she agreed, rolling her eyes.

"It's all part of my plan, though," he confided.

"Oh?"

"I'm playing hard-to-get."

"Well, it's working."

"Yeah?"

"I'm being driven mad with passion."

He nodded sagely. "It's the famous Witter charm, you see. They all fall victim to it."

"So I've heard."

Pacey pulled into a parking space near the city park. After he got out, he leaned back in and whispered, "Don't worry, Joey. I'll let you have me soon." He grinned at her and closed the door.

She shook her head. "I'm definitely not ready for that," she muttered.

He opened the back of his Explorer. She got out and went around the back. Reaching behind the cooler and camping equipment he had stored in the back, he pulled something out.

"A kite? You dragged me out of bed to fly a kite with you?"

He sighed, a long-suffering look on his face. "You said you wanted to be a kid again, Potter. And it's not just any kite." He flipped it over to show her the picture on it.

"Snoopy? Oh, I had a kite just like this, and--"

"And me and Dawson crashed it into a tree and broke it."

Joey touched the kite, absurdly pleased. "I loved that kite. I can't believe you remembered. But I didn't think they made these anymore."

He shrugged. "They don't. I found it at a garage sale last summer. It made me think of you."

She touched his hand. "Thank you, Pace."

They stared at each other. Joey found herself having trouble breathing again. In, out. In, out. You remember how, Potter. She was starting to vaguely remember how to breathe when he leaned in closer. She knew he was going to kiss her. Her eyes drifted shut.

"Uncle Pacey! Aunt Joey!" They jumped apart at the shout from Alex, who raced across the park to them. "Whatcha doing?"

Pacey cleared his throat. "We're going to see if we still remember how to fly a kite."

"Do you want to spend the day with us?" Joey asked quickly. She could feel Pacey looking at her, but she kept her eyes on her nephew.

"Naw," Alex said. "Me and the guys are going to Paul's. He has a pool."

They watched as he took off toward his friends. She could feel Pacey leaning closer to her, but she refused to look at him. She got goosebumps as she felt his breath on her ear.

"Think we need a chaperone, Josephine?"

She took a shaky breath and turned toward him. "Don't be silly, Pacey. Now, let's test that thing out."

"Yes, ma'am."

Friday night, Joey pulled up in front of Pacey's house. It was a neat-looking white clapboard house with blue trim. The lawn was in perfect shape, there were flowers along the sidewalk up to the front step and lovely rose bushes lined the front of the house.

Joey looked again at the directions she'd scrawled on the back of a Potter B&B brochure. This house looked like it belonged to a nice suburban couple with 2.5 kids, not Pacey Witter. But the directions said this was it.

She checked her hair in the rearview mirror and touched up her lipstick. She was suddenly nervous and chided herself for being silly.

She'd spent time with Pacey every day this week. He'd stopped by the B&B after he got off work and whisked her off to see a movie or go bowling or play pool. Once, they'd stayed at the B&B and played a brutal game of Monopoly with Alex.

But they'd never been alone.

Swallowing, she pushed herself out of the car and stood next to the mailbox. It was in the shape of a cow. Its mouth opened so you could put the mail in it. She didn't even need to see the "Witter" lettered on the side to know it belonged to Pacey.

"You gonna stand out there all night laughing at my mailbox?"

He stood in the doorway, barefoot and wearing jeans and a snug white T-shirt. His hair was tousled, and he had a goofy grin on his face.

This is a bad idea in so many ways, she thought, mentally reminding herself why she couldn't get involved with Pacey Witter.

Even if he was the sexiest man she'd ever laid eyes on.

She knew what she had to do. She had to tell him the truth. Tonight. It was the only way to stop what was happening between them.