Memories

Kate leant her arms on the railing and drew in a deep breath, the salt-laden air incredibly refreshing and enticing after months of breathing New York's traffic-saturated version. She can hear him moving round inside the house, probably preparing breakfast for twelve! How she was expected to keep her figure with the pancake stacks he produced each morning was beyond her, just as well they were headed back to the Big Apple tomorrow … well, ok, maybe another week, or another month of this quiet luxury wouldn't come amiss, especially now that Chief Brady had the real perp in jail, Kate was no longer being regarded as a dubious member of Hampton's society and they'd had two days with no more bodies dropping into the pool … not to mention that she and Rick had barely left their bed during that time.

She heard the door sliding open behind her and felt him lean over into her back, sliding his hands round her waist and leaning down to place a kiss on her neck.

"How would you like to take a walk on the beach before breakfast?"

Straightening up she turned within his arms and pulled his head down till their lips met in a gentle kiss, then a second and third one before she stepped out of his embrace and held her hand out to him. They walked around to the steps, went down them and across the lawn to the beach below. The breeze picked at her dress, pushing the cloth against her legs and then flicking it to one side again before repeating the process. The water lapped at the sand, white tongues of foam rushing up the beach, curling round their ankles before pulling back again in readiness for the next assault.

The sun was warm on her face, the water cool on her feet and the gentle swishing and gurgling of the sea a balm to her ears. She felt him run a finger down the side of her face to pull an errant strand of hair from her mouth and tuck it behind her ear, she knew the breeze wouldn't allow it to remain there for long, but couldn't resist smiling at him for his consideration.

A touch of colour in the sand drew her attention and she bent down to pluck the shell from its semi-internment and rinsed it in the next onrush of water. The brilliantly mottled blues and greens of the abalone shell sparkled in the sunlight, a shimmering show of colour captured and frozen in time. He'd come to a stop next to her and watched her in appreciation, her actions reminding him of those long ago beach walks with his daughter and her delight in discovering a shell or some weirdly shaped drift wood.

A few steps further on and the oval shape a surf clam protruded from the bubbling edge of water. Without even waiting for her tug on his hand, he stopped, a knowing grin on his face, as she bent to down, glancing up at him with a smile.

They walked along the beach for almost a mile, Kate pausing occasionally to prise a shell from the sand before rinsing it and handing it to him to hold in his free hand. They talked about their return to the City, how they would deal with this still new situation. He got a Beckett Glare when she warned him about any slip-ups in front of the boys … unfortunately, the breeze chose that moment to whip some hair across her face and by the time he'd tucked it back behind her ear and bent down to kiss her, she couldn't quite remember where she'd got to in her warning … not to mention that right now her mind couldn't really hold on to anything other than his eyes and his lips and his leaning in to give her another kiss …

They turned back towards the house, still holding hands, Rick with his free hand to his chest as it cradled over a dozen shells. Kate was now on his right, swinging their hands gently back and forth as she hummed a tune he didn't recognise but was quite happy to listen to. The breeze was gently blowing in their faces, tugging the loose strands of her hair over her shoulder and pressing the thin material of her dress to her body.

She was aware of his hot glances but chose to ignore them, hiding her grin behind her humming of Emo Side Project's Walking on the beach. The lapping water was soaking the bottom of his trouser legs, but he seemed oblivious to it.

As she reached the third verse of the song, she couldn't resist singing the words, quietly, so that he'd have to lean in to hear them she sang …

"A seagull just flew by

and it pooped in my eye

You stood laughing by

Your smile it makes me die"

… and she had to stop as he burst out laughing.

Making their way back to the house, he paused on the terrace to place the shells on the table so the sun could dry them out and he couldn't help glancing at her as she stood in the doorway smiling at him and saying "I think maybe breakfast can wait .."