She was standing by the window,the light of the moon filtering through.
She was holding her hand up in front of her, still awed by the beauty of the ring he had placed on her finger earlier that day.
He came up behind her his arms circling her waist, gathering her in close against him. His chin came to rest on her shoulder. He was watching her as she turned her hand in different directions, catching all the nuances the moonlight brought to life in the ring. She leaned back into his embrace a contented sigh escaping from deep within her.
" Tell me again". she asked.
He laughed softly in her ear. "Never knew you were a sucker for romance Beckett" he said.
She turned rising up on her toes to kiss him softly on the lips. "Yeah, and if you tell the boys, you know I will have to shoot you". she answered, a smile lighting up her face.
Taking him by the hand she led him over to the sofa. She waited as he settled himself, then she curled up on his lap, her head resting on his chest, the steady beat of his heart in her ear.
He took her hand, the one bearing the ring and pressed his lips tenderly over it.
She closed her eyes waiting for his words to wash over her. Their fingers intertwined he began the tale.
He was traveling through Europe looking for work trying to scrape together enough money for passage to America.
All he had to his name was the ring left to him by his Father. The ring had belonged to his Mother who had died giving him life. He had been raised by his Father who had never remarried. His Father once told him that his Mother was the only woman he had truly loved. "Once you find true love my boy, nothing or noone will ever replace it"
He happened upon her family farm on a late summer's afternoon. He hoped maybe to find a place to rest his weary bones and fill his empty stomach.
Little did he know that this place would change his life forever.
He saw her sitting there, her back against a tree. Her legs curled up under her dress, soft curls laying across her shoulders, a book held reverently in her hands.A ray of sunlight filtered through the leaves highlighting her face.
Whatever it was she was reading brought a tender look to her face. She was a vision of loveliness sitting there.
He approached her slowly not wanting to break the spell the book had over her.
Hearing footsteps she lowered the book. Realising it wasn't her Mother she got up to greet the approaching stranger. Smoothing the wrinkles from her dress she looked up an inquisitive smile lighting up her face.
Their eyes met and in that instant the world stopped spinning.
Later they would both say it was love at first sight.
"Kind of like when you walked into my book launch". he said.
You really believe that Castle?" she asked.
"Come on Beckett, we're engaged now, you can admit it". he replied.
"Fine, I said Richard Castle, Detective Kate Beckett NYPD", you turned around our eyes met, yada, yada, yada now finish the damn story" a hint of laughter in her voice.
Chuckling he kissed her temple, and clearing his throat dramatically he began again.
They fell in love there under that tree. Her holding a book and him stammering out a request for a cool drink of water..They walked side by side up to the tiny farmhouse stealing shy glances at one another.
He ended up staying for dinner, then ended up staying for the summer to help work on the farm.
He would tell her of his plans to move to America as they strolled through the meadow in the early evening.
"There's a million opportunities there" he would exclaim picking her up and twirling her in his arms. "There's nothing here to hold me back, to hold us back" he would say.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring his Father had given to his Mother.
Dropping to his knee, he reached up taking her hand in his. "I have nothing really to offer you, just this ring and the promise of my love."
"Marry me Rose?" he asked.
With tears streaming down her face she answered "Yes Alexander, yes, a million times yes".
They were married the next month and off to America not long after. By the time they reached America Rose was pregnant with the first of six children. Five daughters and one son.
They had a wonderful life together and lived well into their eighties.
So like his Father before him and his Father before him he passed down the ring Father to son.
Silence fell over the room. She knew he always got stuck at this point in the story, the memories flooding over him.
"Unfortunately" he continued his voice gruff with emotion, "Alexander and Rose's son never married. He did however have his one true love. They only had one night together. And in that one night they loved enough to last a lifetime.
And this one night gave him a son to pass along the ring to.
Rick brought her hand up to his lips again pressing another tender kiss to it.
The hand that was bearing that exact ring. The ring that was the center of the story.
Kate sat up and with both her hands cradling his face she kissed him softly on the lips.
Their foreheads touching ,she whispered "Tell me again".
A.N. Not sure why this story came to me, but I was thinking how in "Hunt" Rick's dad had all those pictures of his family and how he gave Rick that copy of Casino Royale when he was a kid. So why not pass down the ring that he was meant to have. Father to son.