Return To Maine Chapter 4
A/N: So sorry for the delay on this update. I had some technical difficulties, but hope that is all behind me now. I have chapter 5 nearly complete in my docs and hope to update once per week I had a reader remind me that Espo and Ryan would disobey Captain Gate's order so I decided to flesh that out some and hopefully have some fun out of it, but rest assured, they will be thwarted.
For the sake of the story, this story will have chapters of varying lengths. Hope you continue to enjoy.
In spite of having overslept and in spite of catching a cab to airport on the eve of a holiday weekend and the traffic that was a nightmare on any given day during the peak of rush hour, it was a miracle that she was making her way into the terminal fifteen minutes early.
She entered the American Airlines terminal at the Arrivals level with just seven minutes to spare after having to dodge her way through other travelers and spotted him at the baggage carousel.
He had his back turned toward her, talking on the phone. Probably talking to Alexis.
She hesitated briefly to take in the width of his shoulders, the trim waist, long legs and that well toned ass. Her boyfriend looked as good from this angle as he did coming at her. And that beautiful specimen of a man was all hers! God, she had missed him!
Just then he turned and spotted her, his smile so wide and welcoming. He clicked his phone off and pocketed it, opening his arms wide ready to receive her.
He had grown a small beard while he was away and she liked it! The thought of those fine hairs scraping against her bare skin sent more shivers up her spine. God, she could not wait!
Dragging her small suitcase behind her, she rushed to his open arms, wrapping her arms around his neck plastering herself against him intimately.
"God, I've missed you!" she rasped in his ear.
"I've missed you, too. So very much!"
She leaned back just enough to cup his face in her palm. "I like this." she said, running her fingers along the side of his face, the short hairs tickling her palm, loving the feel of his whiskers against her hand.
"Really? I was afraid that you'd hate it. I was afraid it'd feel too scratchy."
"No. I love it. It's so soft, actually. I can't wait to feel…"
"You will, sweetheart. Very, very soon. I promise." he said, lowering his head and kissing her passionately.
"I wish we were somewhere more private." she whispered, her warm breath tickling his ear.
"Me, too. But they'll be announcing our flight any minute now, so we should head that way. Ready to go?" he asked, picking up his luggage in one hand and wrapping his free arm around her waist, tucking her warmly against his side.
"I am so ready." she answered.
"Have you lost weight?" he asked.
"No. I don't think so. Why?"
"You just seem thinner than when I left, that's all. Don't tell me that you've been skipping meals."
She hesitated, biting into her lower lip before answering. "Well, I might have missed a couple of meals…"
"And by a couple, you mean how many?"
"Okay. Okay. I admit that I haven't had much of an appetite since you've been gone."
"Okay. So when was the last time you ate?" he asked.
Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, sheepishly, :I had a hot dog for lunch."
"And before that?" he questioned.
"A bagel day before yesterday? Look, I'm sure my appetite will return now that you're back."
"Just promise me that from now on when I'm away that you'll take care of yourself. God forbid, anything should happen to you. It would kill me if something did."
"It won't and I promise as long as you promise to do the same thing. I worry about you just as much as you worry about me."
"I haven't slept an entire night since I left, to be honest." he admitted.
"Neither have .I," she sighed.
They boarded the plane and Rick stood in the aisle, letting her take the window seat.
Once they were seated and belted in, she laced her arm through his and lay her head on his shoulder. "So, tell me about the tour"
He shrugged. "Not a lot to tell really. Pretty boring, a lot of meet and greets, interacting with the fans during book signings , which I love doing, lots of late night meetings with Paula and Gina, some late night dinners. So, how are the boys?"
"They're fine. Which reminds me, have you said anything to them about us?"
"No. I wouldn't divulge our secrets, especially since we promised each other not to for awhile. Why?"
"It's probably nothing. Gates sent me home early today because of all the work I've been putting in since you've been gone and I could have sworn I saw them exchange a fist bump in my peripheral as I was leaving."
"I'm sure you're mistaken, honey. I mean, we've been extremely careful. You've been worried and stressed out… and frankly, a fist bump between those two could mean anything." he said, kissing the crown of her head.
"Hmm. I suppose you could be right. We have been very cautious. So you don't think they may have seen us in the stairwell or what about the supply closet down the hall from holding?"
"The supply closet? No, I don't think so. I locked the door behind us and I checked for someone who may have been watching before I pulled you in there."
"So you don't think they suspect anything?" she asked, burying her face further into his shoulder.
"No, honey. I'd swear by it. There's no way they suspect anything."
"So you think I'm stressed and over reacting?"
"What I think is that we both are, but it's nothing that this weekend won't cure and I can't wait to have you all alone."\
"Me, either." she replied, snuggling closer to him, hoping he was right.
"But first things first." he added.
This got her attention. Snapping her head up to look at him, "What first things? What could possibly be first before we…?"
He grinned, that cute little sideways grin that she loved so much and said, "Ahh, that got your mind off Ryan and Espo, didn't it? You'll see soon.:
At quitting time, Ryan and Esposito hit the time clock and headed to the elevator doors.
"Gentlemen, I trust that you'll behave yourselves this weekend." Captain Gates said as she came up behind them to wait for the elevator, too.
"Yes, sir." they chorused together.
"We're just going to The Old Haunt for a few beers. Maybe you'd like to join us, sir." Ryan stated.
Wait! What? What the hell was he doing? Oh, HELL NO! Ryan was sucking up to old Iron Gates? Had he finally flipped? What the hell was wrong with him?
Espo covered his mouth with his hand and coughed loudly. It took everything in him not to elbow Ryan in the gut.
"That's very kind of you to invite me, Detective Ryan. Too bad I already have plans or I would join you." she said, smiling at them.
"Well, some other time then." Ryan said.
The elevator arrived and they all stepped on board.
"That would be nice, thank you, Detective Ryan. Some other time." she replied as the elevator descended.
Once out on the street, she wished them a good weekend and continued to her car.
Ryan and Esposito stood on the sidewalk and watched her drive away.
"What the hell is wrong with you, bro? Are you crazy? You could have ruined our whole operation sucking up to her like that." Espo asked, heatedly.
"Come on, Javi. You heard the Captain. We can't get caught near Beckett's apartment."
"Since when do we let that stop us? We may not be able to stake out her apartment, but she didn't say we couldn't call her. I have a plan."
"Of course you have a plan. A plan to get us busted down to traffic or worse. What about letting Beckett's private life be private?"
"Have you forgotten what happened to her last year?"
"No. Of course, not and we were right there with her when that happened and we still didn't prevent that from happening. Besides, this is more personal."
"So?"
"So, I think we should leave this alone. It isn't as though her life is in danger."
"How do you know it's not?"
"Because she doesn't seem scared, just sad and lonely."
"Look man. If she's involved with someone, we need to know who it is because he could be anybody. He could be a serial killer for all we know."
"That's true. But just for the record, I trust that Beckett is perfectly capable of making her own choices without any input from us. Obviously, you are not. Okay. What do you have in mind?"
"I'm thinking that we call her apartment building, tell them I need to get in touch with her. I can't call her myself because I damaged my phone at a crime scene and am having to borrow one. See if the doorman will deliver a message to her to call me back."
"Okay, genius. What if she answers and calls you back? I don't have a good feeling about this, Jav and if this goes south, you're on your own."
Espo scowled at him, took his phone and punched in the number he had for Beckett's apartment building.
"Hello, this is Detective Javier Esposito. Detective Kate Beckett's partner with the NYPD, 12th precinct and I am needing to talk to Detective Beckett. She left work earlier this morning for the holiday weekend and I'm needing some advice on a case I'm working on and it's imperative that I talk to her right away. I was wondering if you could get a message to her to call me?"
Ryan paced outside the precinct as Javi's voice droned on in background. Oh man! This could all go so horribly wrong for them. He mopped at the thin coating of perspiration that was coating his face.
"That was Leroy, Beckett's apartment manager." Javi said, snapping his phone shut, startling Ryan out of his musings.
"And?"
"And he said that Beckett left out of there pulling a small suitcase behind her. Didn't say where she was going. Just that she'd be gone for the weekend."
"Well, I guess that settles it then. Come on, bro. I'll buy the beers." Ryan replied.
"No. No, no, no. This settles nothing."
"What do you mean? She left for out of town. We have no idea where." Ryan felt the hackles rise on the back of his neck.
"I bet she's meeting Castle at his beach house."
"Jav, Castle has been gone for two months on a book tour."
"So?"
"So, we don't even know for sure that she's with anyone right now."
"Seriously, bro? The way she's been mooning over Castle's empty chair since he's been gone? She has to be with Castle. And since she left with a suitcase, that means they're meeting at his beach house. And I have the address." Espo said, pulling his wallet out and fishing a photo and a slip of paper from it and thrust it at him.
Ryan took the photo and looked at it. He let out a low whistle. "Wow! That's some spread."
"Damn straight it is. I'm wondering why he hasn't invited us all up for a weekend."
"Jav, how did you get this?"
"Remember a couple of years ago when he was thinking about not coming back? He gave this to me and told me that if we ever needed anything, that's where he'd be. Now tell me that wouldn't be the perfect setting for a romantic getaway. That's why we're going to stake out Castle's beach house."
"Whoa! Whoa! You serious about this, bro?"
"Hell yeah, I'm serious! Beckett is with Castle and I'm going to prove it."
"You're not going to let this go, are you/?" Ryan asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"No."
"Okay. Say we get up there and nobody's there. What then?"
"We come back here and carry out our own plans. So, are you with me or what?"
Ryan hesitated for a few moments. He could either humor Javi and go along with his plans or he could just stay out of it. He was reasonably sure that this little road trip would come to nothing, but the romantic in him secretly hoped that wherever their friends were, they were together and happy.
"Fine! I'll call Jenny. She won't be happy about it, but if this goes awry, it's on your head! But if this turns out and Castle and Beckett are not there, you have to promise me that you'll let this go."
"Okay. Deal. For now."
A/N: So sorry for the underlined words that appear towards the end of this chapter. Not sure why they are like that as they weren't there in the original document. I tried to redo them, but they still came up underlined. My guess is that for over a week, nearly two weeks, this doc was stuck in my files and wouldn't sync. So I had a computer guy look at my pc. He fixed the problem, but may have inadvertently underlined them. Anyway, I hope it doesn't do that in my next update.
I have a large part of the next chapter written, but need to complete it and will do so later today and hopefully get it posted by Friday or Saturday.
Hope you all had a fun filled weekend and have a blessed week.