18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

While Castle was meeting with Paula, Beckett squeezed in a professionally unnecessary, but personally required, trip to the morgue at the end of the day.

"What's important enough to drag you away from work?" Lanie asked, turning from where she was laying out the implements she needed for the next autopsy. Did you and Castle enjoy the weekend?"

"Other than family, we wanted you to be the first to know." Kate held her left hand out to Lanie, whose mouth dropped open in uncharacteristic silence. The silent shock quickly turned into a joyous squeal accompanied by a breathtaking hug.

"Really? I thought you two would take years to get this far. I'm so happy for you. Wait a minute. Let me change out of the scrubs. We're having dinner right now, and you're telling me everything."

"Can you leave right now? It looks like you were just getting started."

"Later shift today. It's time for dinner anyway. I was going to skip it and have a granola bar, but I doubt Mrs. McCarthy will be insulted if I work on her a little later. This takes priority. Be right back."

Lanie returned in her street clothes and the two women went to a restaurant close by, more to talk than eat. She listened to Kate's description of the bench, the conversation and proposal, and the walk on the beach before they left the beach house; and she sighed.

"I keep hoping that man will suddenly discover he has a long lost brother just like him…one who might be looking for a shorter, darker girlfriend. Honey, I don't think I've ever seen you look this sure of what you want."

"It's the first time, and it feels like it's supposed to happen. The thing with Royce a couple of months ago shook my confidence, but Castle was right there like a rock. He understood and took it in stride…never wavered."

"I hear the thing with Tyson was pretty hard on your boy. Were you…"

"I needed to take care of him almost as much as he needed me to. It hurt to see him like that." She paused, seeming to be gathering her thoughts. "I want things I've never consciously wanted…marriage, children. I've never been sure I wanted to be tied to someone this way, but it's different with him. I'm sure. No children right away, but I want at least one."

"Have you talked about it…kids?"

"No plans yet, but he said he likes being a dad. He's willing."

"And you finally trust somebody enough to be this certain. I'm so proud of you."

"I do. It's still a little scary sometimes, but I do."

"Why is it still scary? Has he done anything to worry you?"

"No. Just the opposite. It's just… I'm so completely invested in him. If anything happened now, I don't think I could ever trust anybody again…and I'd never be able to put the tiny little pieces of me back together."

"Well, from all any of us can tell, that's not likely to happen. I don't think you need to worry about it."

"Me, either. Look at me, Lanie. He's turned me into mush."

Lanie laughed. "For what it's worth, it looks good on you. Have you decided on a date for the wedding?"

"The week before Christmas."

Shocked silence again. "That's only…"

"We know it's crazy, but he says he knows people who can make it happen. A small wedding. Family and friends. I can't get married without you."

"Damn straight you can't," Lanie answered, and they both laughed.

Kate spent that night at her apartment, but Castle called her to let her know he had hired a party planner he had worked with often. He said he explained what they needed, as well as his own his own schedule and its time constraints, and promised Bradford a generous bonus if the man could make it happen.

To add to Castle's joys of the week, Kate came in the next morning with a motorcycle helmet under one arm and put it in the bottom drawer of her desk.

"What's that?" Castle asked.

"A helmet. What did it look like?" she teased.

"And why do you have it?"

"The car wouldn't start this morning. I may have to pick up another one to use until I get it back. It had to be towed, so I rode my bike to work"

"Bike, as in your motorcycle?"

"Yes."

"You're going to take me home on it, right?" he asked excitedly.

"I can't do that. You don't have a helmet." She sat down at her desk and glanced at him flirtatiously. "A guy who did have a helmet, and his own bike, hit on me this morning… asked me out to dinner. He said he was a cardiac surgeon."

"That probably impresses a lot of women."

"We talked while we waited for coffee, and he seemed like a nice enough guy…tall, dark, and handsome. But I told him my fiancé probably wouldn't approve, and then I left. I'm perfectly happy with my writer/detective/good dad/ magic maker."

Castle lifted his pinky from where it rested near her right hand and pulled it very deliberately across her opal ring, and she smiled as she turned to check her emails.

"Same here," she answered softly.

Beckett's desk phone rang then, a mechanic telling her that she would need to pick up another car, that it would take a couple of days for the repairs on hers. Before she could leave, though, another call came in alerting her to a new crime scene and giving her what information was available. Castle and Beckett rode with Ryan and Esposito, and they started work on their next case. The boys dropped Beckett and Castle off at the motor pool later to pick up the loaner car, and they all met back at the precinct.

Castle offered to make a lunch run while they put together the murder board. They had picked up a lot of good information from neighbors that morning. When he returned with their lunch orders, he also had a large plastic shopping bag with him. He handed the bag with the lunches to Esposito and told him he had brought Montgomery's favorite, too. The boys immediately stopped at the captain's door to see if he wanted lunch and then went to the break room to sort them out.

"You hungrier than usual, Castle?" Beckett asked, nodding toward the bag.

"It's a helmet. Now you can take me home on the bike."

A Beckett eye roll was accompanied by an amused smile and, "Fine." Then they joined their partners and their captain for lunch and informed them that they would soon be invited to a wedding. Although they were all as surprised as Lanie, lunch quickly became a celebration before they steered themselves back to the case.

After several interviews with people connected to the victim and follow-up on the neighbors' information, they had made some good progress by the end of the day.

When they left work, Beckett took an excited Castle to her apartment on her bike, warning him before they left that if he sat that close she might be too distracted to drive. After checking in with his mother and daughter, he stayed for the night; and they took a cab to the precinct the next morning.

The case moved along more smoothly than usual. It seemed the victim was well-loved, and everyone who knew him wanted to help. A relative, a ne'er-do-well brother who expected to inherit most of his money, was their prime suspect from the beginning; and evidence including big gambling debts soon proved him the killer. As it turned out, the will had been changed to leave everything to the victim's niece. It seemed fitting to all the team members when they later found that the killer had been left to the skills of a young and inexperienced public defender.

The wedding planner contacted Castle on Thursday, asking to meet with them, saying he had several venues to show them. On Friday night, Castle and Kate had not only pictures of four possible venues, but pencil sketches of possible decorations for each. The one they liked most was the ballroom at a small but rather exclusive hotel, which had been built in the early nineteen hundreds. It was obviously old, exuded history, but it was extremely well-maintained. The dark wood trim along with the accoutrements and architectural elements of its time period gave it a feeling of subtle elegance. They went to see it the following day, and one look at Kate's face told Castle they knew where their wedding would be.

The wedding planner assured them that they only needed to make the decisions about what they wanted from the choices he provided, decide what they would wear for the wedding, and show up on time. He promised to take care of the rest. Castle trusted him, so it was easier for Kate to be less stressed, too. And the man unfailingly brought tasteful and appealing choices. Before the book launch, they had a guest list and had made enough other choices that invitations could be in the mail before Thanksgiving.

xxxxx

The Castles celebrated Kate's birthday before Thanksgiving. It was becoming clear that this family wasn't going to allow her to neglect the celebration of milestones.

The book launch was approaching for Castle…looming for Kate. They were both excited that the second book was about to be released, but it was clear that Kate was worried about facing the press.

The day of the party, she brought her dress and accessories to the loft so they could leave together from there. Castle had a limo pick them up so his mother and daughter could ride with them comfortably, and they all entered the party together, Kate holding his arm a little more tightly than usual.

They mingled for a little while, being sure to spend time with the five fans who had won invitations to the party, and who seemed enthralled at how friendly both Castle and Kate were. Then Paula spoke to the group, indicating that they might have more news coming soon about the Nikki Heat books, and introduced Castle to the crowd. After he read an excerpt from Naked Heat, the moment Kate had dreaded was there. Paula introduced her as the real Nikki Heat, and Castle extended a hand to her, inviting her to join him at the lectern, and when she arrived next to him, he put his arm around her protectively.

"Kate has been introduced as the real Nikki Heat, but Nikki only exists in our imaginations and on the pages of the books. Kate's strengths and abilities are what inspired Nikki, but the very real Detective Kate Beckett is the only woman standing beside me tonight. She is also the woman I hope to have standing beside me for the rest of my life, and I'm fortunate enough that she has agreed be my wife. Now, please enjoy the party and help us celebrate both our engagement and the publishing of Naked Heat.

Cameras started flashing as soon as the words "my wife" left Castle's lips, some from fans and friends, some from the reporters. The rest of the evening was spent circulating among the invited guests, speaking to the entertainment reporters present, accepting congratulations, and signing autographs. People spoke to Castle's family about Kate, and Martha and Alexis were enthusiastic in their responses. The reporters were charmed by the couple but still asked the expected questions about the other two wives. When asked about a wedding date, the couple simply said they were still in the planning stages.

Gina had bowed out of the event that night, allowing someone else to represent Black Pawn in her usual place. She gave Castle her congratulations and said the reporters might be less judgmental if he didn't have both a fiancé and an ex-wife present in the same room. Castle turned down a few opportunities to sign breasts, citing both his teenaged daughter's disapproval and his respect for his fiancé. A number of guests wanted both Castle's autograph and Kate's, leaving Kate feeling entirely out of her element; but she cooperated without complaint.

Once they were back at the loft, and finally alone, Castle kissed his fiancé and asked, "Was it terrible for you?"

"Not as bad as I thought it would be, but it's going to be a while before it feels comfortable." She snuggled closer and admitted, "I'm really glad to be home."

"I'm really glad you're here and calling it home."

"I guess I might as well get used to that, too. It won't be long before it really is."

"Thank you for tonight. I know how much it took for you put yourself on display like that."

"It's part of your life; and if I'm really going to be beside you for the rest of your life, I have to get used to it. Will you make it worth all the photographs and schmoozing and autograph signing now?" she asked as she loosened his tie and started unbuttoning his shirt.

The next day was the beginning of pictures and mentions of the engagement on page six, TV entertainment news, online fan sites and blogs…and a little razzing at work. Content of the news stories ranged from those sounding congratulatory to those sarcastically speculating on how long Castle's next marriage would last. He was right, though. By the end of the week it had blown over on nearly all fronts, conversations on the fan sites holding on a bit longer.

"I can't believe we already have this much done for the wedding." Kate told him as they looked at the checklist they had been given. "We say, 'We like this one.' And it just happens."

"I told you money can buy getting things done."

"It's been amazingly easy so far."

"Isn't that what we needed?"

"Yes. And thank you. I already miss my mom. If I were trying to make all these decisions from square one, doing this without her would be a lot harder."

"Then I'm even happier I can do this for you."

"Dad called yesterday, and I went by to see him."

"He hasn't changed his mind about me, has he?"

"No. He likes you a lot. He said he wants to pay for the wedding…that he's not good at planning that kind of thing, but his money works as well as anybody's."

"He doesn't have to do that."

"It may be your first argument with him. I've already told him I expect to help him, but he thinks it's his job as a father to do it all. He said the guy we're working with should send him the bill."

"I'll talk to him, and we'll work something out. I want to take care of the expenses. Was that the only reason to see him?"

"No. He enticed me there yesterday by saying he had a surprise for me."

"What was it?"

"My mother's wedding dress. It fits me, and it's beautiful. When I was little I always thought she looked like a princess in her wedding pictures, and Dad looked like the handsome prince."

"And now you get to be the princess, and I get to be the ruggedly handsome prince?"

"Yeah." She smiled, but tears started forming in her eyes and one trickled down her cheek before the dam broke. "I don't know how I can be so happy and so sad at the same time. I know how long she's been gone; but I still miss her, especially now."

He gathered his fiancé in his arms and let her cry. "I can't replace her, but I'm here any time you need me."

She nodded her understanding through her soft sobs.

xxxxx

Castle and Kate's dad came to an understanding earlier in the week about who would pay what for the wedding and had come to an agreement they could both live with. Castle won the larger portion, including the cost of the expensive-but-worth-every-penny planner, with Jim taking care of enough to feel he had done an honorable share. Neither of them would allow Kate to contribute anything except her choices on how it was spent. By Thanksgiving, everything for the wedding was already arranged. The only thing left was putting it all in motion.

Jim and Kate had Thanksgiving dinner at the loft with Castle's family, and talk turned to the wedding and the impending publicity tour.

"Aren't weddings supposed to be fraught with last minute drama?" Jim asked.

"Not if you hire, Bradford, apparently," Kate answered. "It's like we decided to get married and it came right to our door with all the stress taken out of it. He's certainly earned the bonus Castle promised him."

"I've known him a good while, and I'm amazed, too," Castle agreed. "I can go on this book tour without feeling like I'm leaving Kate with stress and distraction to deal with on her own."

"So, what does this tour entail?" Jim asked.

"Ten cities in two weeks. I start on the west coast in LA, do a late night talk show, meet with the studio people about a Heat Wave movie…"

"Wait. There's a movie?" Jim asked. "Nobody told me that." He looked accusingly at his daughter.

"Sorry, Dad. Been busy."

Alexis and Martha looked on in amusement but said nothing.

"Do you have good representation when you speak to them? Jim responded, ever the lawyer.

"I'll speak to them first…test the waters and see what they have in mind. Apparently they have tentative plans lined up. I've contacted an agent Paula recommended. I checked up on him before I called, and he looks as good as she made him sound…and of course, my attorney won't agree to anything without my say. I may not seem to fit the role, but I'm careful…not a bad businessman. The agents and attorneys will follow before anything is finalized. I'll stay on top of things."

"Sounds like you know what you're doing. I only meant to say that I'm available if you question anything. What do you do after Los Angeles?"

"After the book signing in LA, we go to Seattle, another book signing and a radio show, similar stops in the Midwest, a couple of stops in the southern states and back up the east coast."

"That sounds exhausting."

"It is. I don't leave until Saturday and I'm already looking forward to it being over. I do enjoy the fans, but the string of airports isn't appealing."

"And then you get some rest?"

"When we're back there's another signing and a morning show here, and then I can devote my full attention to marrying your daughter. A much nicer prospect." He turned to reach for Kate's hand and found her eyes glowing with pride as she watched him. Smiling at her, he caught a glimpse of his mother and daughter, who both seemed to feel the same way; and he felt good about himself. He had an entire family who was satisfied with him, exactly as he was. Something to be thankful for.

Martha guided the conversation in a new direction, and they had an enjoyable Thanksgiving meal together.

As Jim was leaving that evening, Castle's family gathered to let him know they had enjoyed his company and then let Kate have a minute alone with her father.

He took her hand and said, "I feel good about turning my little girl over to this family."

"I'm glad. I think they've already adopted you, too, if you want that. It feels good that you and Rick get along so well."

"There's more to your writer than meets the eye. He keeps surprising me."

"Me, too. I really love him, Dad."

"I know, Katie-bug. Sometimes I'm a little jealous."

"You shouldn't be. I'll always need you, too, and he won't try to keep me away."

"I know that, Honey. Just being a dad." He gave her a longer than usual hug, then said goodnight, waved to the others, and went home.