The Interlude
Kate made arrangements for Bobby to follow them back to the highway as a precaution. If the Escalade did not cut out by the time they arrived at exit 169, she felt it would be best to continue on to Fairfield.
When they parted ways with Bobby at their exit, Castle couldn't resist one last jibe at Kate about her flirting.
"I hope you weren't too attached to your new boyfriend."
"Why?"
"Because," he said waving the tow bill in her face, "…he charged you fifty bucks to help you out with the tire."
"He didn't!" She snatched it from his hand. "He did!"
"Losing your touch detective?"
Kate crumbled the bill into a ball and threw it at Castle's feet.
He quickly withdrew to the safety of his cell phone and placed a call to his mother. He knew she would be worried when he hadn't called last night. The phone rang four times before she answered.
"Hello Richard. How are you?"
"I'm fine mother. How are you and Alexis?"
"We're just fine, Alexis is at school and I'm getting ready for my meeting. How's detective Beckett?"
"She's fine. We had a little trouble yesterday, that's why I didn't call last night. We were stuck on the side of the road for the night and there was no cell reception."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you need me to do anything for you?"
"No mother we're ok and back on the road. We are running behind so I may be gone a day longer than planned."
"That's alright sweetie, take all the time you need. I need go. My first appointment is due any minute. I'll talk to you later."
Castle stared at the phone after she hung up.
"Something wrong?" Kate asked.
"No…just strange. I tell her 'I love you' and she sends the entire NYPD out to find me. I don't call for twenty four hours and she could care less."
"I wouldn't sweat it Castle, they knew you were undercover. Maybe they thought you weren't able to call."
"Maybe, but I promised my mother I would call her in the evening."
"What are you, sixteen?" Kate mocked. "You have to check in with your mom everyday?"
"Hey! I have a mother and a daughter who both worry about me."
"With her new boyfriend Ashley around, I bet Alexis doesn't even know you're gone."
"Don't say that."
"Why not?"
"I'm not ready to be replaced."
"It's gonna happen someday."
"Well, that someday can come after she's graduated from college."
"You'll be ready when the time comes. You'll have your life. She'll just be moving on with hers."
"Yeah, what life?" He sighed. "She is my life."
….
They made the turn on to 169. They spent the last leg of their drive reviewing their identities and backgrounds. When they were done, Castle pulled out the Clinic itinerary and gave it a quick review. He had questions for Kate.
"You realize we will be attending therapy sessions while we're there?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Well, what's our problem, you know, our reason for going to the clinic?"
"It really doesn't matter. Improvise something. You're an expert a making up stories."
"I don't need to make up stories. I have enough baggage from two failed marriages to fill up a hundred therapy sessions. I was mainly wondering about you. What are you going to talk about?"
"I was just going to talk about my philandering husband."
"Why do I have to be the bad guy?
"Because in my line of work, the guys usually are."
"That's not fair! Why can't you be the slutty nympho housewife?"
Kate gave him a disapproving look.
"Hey, you're the one who said we should make things up. We're only going to be there a couple of days so, like you said, what does it matter?"
"You're right," Kate said tersely. "It doesn't matter. You just say whatever you want."
"Fine, I will!"
"Fine!"
The mood that settled over them was timely as the next bend in the road brought Fairfield Mountain Center into view.