I'm so sorry! I'll try and get better at this updating thing.
"Married!" Maddie squealed.
"Maddie, don't!" Kate yelled, trying to catch her best friend and she sprinted across the bar and up to Rick.
"Hi there. What's your name?" Maddie asked, holding her hand out to Rick, who was still staring at Kate in absolute shock.
"R-Rick Castle" he stuttered, holding his hand out to shake hers. "Sorry, are you friends with that woman down there? The one with her head buried into her hands?"
"Rick Castle? Like the writer? Hot damn! Beck's really has been holding out. Yeah, I'm her best friend. So, you two are married?"
"Yeah" he nodded. "E-excuse me for a moment." Rick shifted around Maddie and walked toward the other end of the bar, laying his hand on Kate's back.
"Hey" he said quietly, his hands resting on her back as if she were fragile. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here."
Kate turned and looked him, shaking her head. "Don't worry Castle, its fine. I promise, you're good. I… um… I see you've met Maddie?"
"Ah yes. She's in disbelief that we're married. Well, not disbelief. More like pure shock. I guess you didn't tell her?"
"Apparently not" Kate smiled.
Rick's hand still rested on the small of her back, though neither of them felt burdened by it.
Kate leaned back against his hand a little and smiled, before turning back to him.
"I'm sorry" she blurted out quickly, covering her mouth with her hand in shock. "I mean, well… I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have run away from you guys."
"You had every reason to, Kate. You were scared."
"But, I shouldn't have done it. Not like that, at least. Running away from you was hard for me to do. And I didn't understand why, because I felt like I didn't really know you that well, with the accident and all. I was being a coward and I-"
He cut her off with his lips, soft against hers.
She gasped, startled at his movement, but her hand fell against his chest as she worked her lips over his.
Everything around them seemed to vanish, and she felt he was the only thing in the room that mattered.
His hands wrapped securely around her waist as he tugged her off of her stool, pulling her body flush against his.
Moments later, Kate pulled back from the kiss, running her fingertips over his cheek.
"Can we go somewhere to talk?" He asked, and she nodded quickly.
They sat silent in the car as Rick drove.
Once Kate explained the situation to Maddie, they left for somewhere private. She knew that they needed to talk about her running away from the family, but she couldn't help but keep her hand on his upper thigh as he drove. All she wanted was to feel his lips on hers again. It felt right.
About fifteen minutes later, Rick parked his car at the small beach near the Hudson.
"Here?" Kate asked, joy and surprise laced through her voice.
"You see that river?"
"Yes, Rick. I can see the giant river. Why?"
"About two months after we started dating, we were having dinner here by the lake. And there was an old man walking around, and you, being incredibly nosy, began talking to him."
"I am not nosy!" she chided, smacking his leg.
"Anyhow" he smiled, continuing the story. "The man told us how he and his wife used to jump into the Hudson once a month, no matter how cold it was. And so, we started doing the same. We've done it every month since that day."
"I jump into that river? It's freezing!"
"That's the best part!" he exclaimed, smiling over at her.
"I married a nine year old on a sugar rush" she murmured.
"What was that?" he asked. He had heard what she said, and had a feeling that, whether she knew it or not, she just had another small memory.
"Nothing" she smiled. "So, how do we do this?"
Rick smiled and pulled his shirt off and started unbuttoning his pants.
"Whoa there big boy! I have to take my clothes off?"
"Well, unless you want to freeze afterward, then I suggest yes. You can leave your underwear on. I do."
Kate looked out the river and contemplated what he was telling her. "Seems pretty crazy, but I'll do it" she smiled, pulling her shirt over her head.
Once they were down to underwear, they climbed out of the car.
Kate walked to the edge of the water and slipped her feet in before yelping loudly, turning around to run.
"Oh hell no! That's cold!" she exclaimed, running her hands over her arms.
"Oh no you don't" Rick growled mischievously.
Before she knew what was happening, his strong arm was wrapped securely around her waist and he was carrying her into the water.
"Rick no!" Kate squealed, kicking her long legs, the feels of her feet smacking against him. "Put me down!"
"Alrighty then!" he smiled, knee deep into the water.
Rick wrapped his other arm around her and jumped into the cold water, a shiver running down his spine.
"Damn it's cold!" he yelled as she spat water out of her mouth.
"You ass!" she giggled.
Once again, Rick smiled and grabbed her from around the waist, lifting her out of the water like she weighed nothing. He carried her back to the car and grabbed two towels from the back, wrapping one securely around her before fixing his own.
"Ooh, you're going to pay for that" she stuttered, unable to speak straight from the shivering.
"Oh am I?" he asked, moving closer to her.
"Yeah" she whispered, her back hitting the car as he crowded against her.
As he moved his face closer to her, she sucked in a breath before crashing her lips up against his.
Suggestions on how it should continue? I have something set out, but you never know. I get influenced easily.