in person

She wiggles the dress down over her hips, smoothing the blue-grey fabric. Her hair looks fine but she tweaks one of the curls, leaning over the sink in the restroom to get a closer look at her make-up. But even that looks perfect. So she snaps her clutch shut over her phone and service piece and badge, stretching her toes in her heels before she heads out of the room, unable to procrastinate any longer.

There are guests crowding the front foyer of the church. It's a beautiful stone building and her heels click on the flagstones.

"There you are!" calls Lanie, snagging her elbow. "Javi's getting us seats together. You look nice."

"You think? Figure I've gotta show up the rest of the people without dates at the single table," Kate sighs, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You sure we can't kick someone out of your table so I don't have to put up with Ryan's cousin with the weird hand gestures?"

Lanie grins, shrugging. "Bunch of detectives, you'd think you guys would figure out how to do this stuff by yourself."

"Come on, Lanie," she groans, starting toward the entrance to the church.

And stops, nearly tripping over her own shoes.

It's him. Oh dear god, he's standing right there, just down the short flight of stairs from her.

He is way more handsome in real life. His eyes are crinkled as he smiles at Ryan, shaking her co-worker's hand.

"What's wrong?"

Her fingers tighten around her clutch. "It's..." She shakes her head, taking a step backwards.

"Beckett! Lanie! Come here!" shouts Ryan, waving his hand over.

Oh, his book jackets do him no justice, she thinks as he turns to face them. He's wearing a well-cut jacket over a pale blue dress shirt, bringing out the bright blue of his eyes when he watches them approach.

"Guys, this is Richard Castle. He's friends with Jenny. Rick, this is Dr. Lanie Parish from the Medical Examiner's office and Detective Kate Beckett."

"It's a pleasure," he says, shaking their hands. "Jenny speaks highly of Kevin's co-workers. Speaking of... You look beautiful, Jenny."

Ryan shifts to look behind him, following their gazes but Kate and Castle catch his shoulder, their fingers brushing as they make sure that he doesn't see Jenny.

"Bad luck, Ryan," Kate tells him. "No looking at the bride before the wedding."

"Maybe that's why mine failed," she hears Castle mutter but he's smiling at Ryan. "Go take your place, Kevin. I'll escort these lovely ladies to their seats."

The other man jogs off down the aisle, catching up with Esposito just in front of the alter. Kate takes the moment to look over the man next to her. Definitely more handsome. The fabric of his suit jacket is stretched over his biceps, there's one lock of hair that continues to escape and fall over his forehead, and then he turns to her and she's hit again with his smile.

"So," he says. "I don't see men trailing after you two. You cannot tell me that you're both single."

Lanie laughs. "Oh, I've got Javi down there. Beckett's single though," she adds with a wink.

"Stop," Kate hisses, elbowing her friend.

"No," Castle says. "You can keep me company at the singles table. Jenny's told me that Kevin has some strange cousins that'll be there."

"See? You'll be a great couple at the singles table," Lanie teases. "I'm gonna go sit before Javi's arm falls off from waving to me. Come find me before the ceremony."

Kate can feel her cheeks flaming as she looks down at her shoes, letting her hair hide the blush.

"She's something," Castle comments, stepping closer to her side.

"She's wrong," Kate murmurs, letting her fingers brush over the careful embroidery on the bodice of her dress.

"You're not single?"

She hesitates. She broke up with Demming over four months ago. They were too similar. It had been nice at first. She didn't have to edit stories from her day at work for civilian ears. The sex was great. They both worked strange hours, didn't annoy the other when a call came in at three in the morning. But then personalities started to clash and she called it off.

"Yeah, I'm single," she finally admits. "So are you."

"You read the tabloids, Detective," he remarks.

Kate sighs. "Rick, listen. If we're going to end up sitting together for this thing, you should know that I'm something of a fan."

His eyes twinkle with amusement. "How big a fan?"

"Maybe you can find out tonight."

"Ah, some mystery," he says, holding his arm out for her. "Let's see if I can solve you, Kate."

He sits a little close to her in the pew, his hand between their thighs so that his knuckles brush against her leg. It's distracting and she catches Lanie grinning at her as Ryan and Jenny say their vows. But when she looks up at him, he's smiling softly, watching as the couple kisses at the end of the ceremony and she can almost see the faintest glint of tears in the corners of his eyes.

So maybe not completely the devil-may-care playboy that Page Six makes him out to be.

Once the newlyweds have walked back out of the church, the guests start to file out. He lets Kate tuck her fingers into the crook of his elbow on the way back to the entrance, Lanie following behind them with what Kate knows to be a I-told-you-so smirk on her face.

"So, Kate," Castle says as they wait in line for her car to be brought around. "You ever done the wedding thing?"

"No, never." When he gapes at her, she shrugs, checking for any messages on her phone. "I'm more of a one and done type."

"Any serious candidates?"

"I'd have brought him if there were one," she replies, taking her keys from the valet boy and slipping him a tip. "You're awfully inquisitive."

He shrugs. "Novelist's habit. Be prepared, Detective. I'll have more questions for you once we get to the reception."

Lanie fiddles with the radio as Kate drives to the reception hall. "He's handsome. And we both know you love his books and he's intelligent and single."

"I'm not taking him home, Lanie."

"We'll see," her friend sighs, finally settling on some pop station.

Despite the amount of amaretto she drinks at the open bar, she doesn't take Castle home.

The next day, he's at the precinct, chatting with Montgomery. And then, she's got a shadow for "research."

She might just shoot that ridiculously handsome face.