As she turned, Kate saw the man who had nearly knocked her down just a few minutes before. Castle (and it was probably him!) was a little out of breath and very excited; his shirt was tightly pressed around his pumped body, wet patches under his arms and on his chest, large drops of sweat glistened on his temples. Rick said hello with a polite nod, then, making sure he didn't need his help, took his hand away.

Close up, Castle seemed even larger than when she first met him, and his whole mass involuntarily "pressed" on her, which would not be to everyone's taste, much less hers. Accustomed to keep her distance, especially when circumstances required it, Beckett took a few more steps back, not letting the unexpected interlocutor out of her sight, and froze, bowing her head slightly sideways. The glasses were clearly in the way, and so they went without regret into her bag. Now Kate was inwardly ready for any, even the most unexpected changes.

All the time Beckett was moving from place to place, Castle was watching her carefully. A cordial, open smile bloomed on his face, and unable to restrain himself any longer, Castle exhaled noisily, with a gasp. Because everyone in his place would have done exactly the same!

Her luxurious, tightly braided auburn braid, flowing down her right shoulder, exactly matched the shape of her neat chest, almost touching the slightly loose ends of the narrow leather strap. The matte, deep black strap gracefully encircled her chiseled waist. A strict scarlet blouse with a minimum neckline suited Beckett, giving her mouthwatering forms even more seductive, and her long, slender, model-like legs in tight black pants looked even more stunning.

Holding the strap of a fine leather purse, Kate studied Castle carefully, smiling faintly. The beautiful, refined face of the stranger had practically no makeup on it, which did not spoil it at all, but on the contrary, attracted her with its naturalness and openness. Carefully outlined, slightly swollen sensual lips and expressive green eyes, with a subtle brown tint, so irresistibly attracted her, that Castle, nervously and even convulsively swallowing, just shifted from foot to foot. His already boundless imagination was running wild, and Rick quickly ran his palm across his forehead, wiping off sweat. If only to imagine how impudent and even defiantly he was looking at his newfound apprentice, the best way to tame the emotions would be to return to family values.

And Castle immediately turned his attention to Alexis. Huddled in the back of the seat, she obediently awaited her fate, and through the doll curls Castle could clearly see her guilty, slightly flushed eyes. He gently beckoned his daughter with his finger, and the dejected Pumpkin reluctantly got out of the car. Now father and daughter were face to face, and while Castle silently and reproachfully shook his head, Pumpkin's chubby fingers fidgeted with the folds of her doll's dress. Looking like Miss Universal Despair, Alexis sniffled her nose every now and then; her lips quivered in frustration and tears welled up in her eyes. Pumpkin didn't even raise her head when her father walked around her, slammed the door softly, and hovered over his daughter again, arms crossed regally on his chest. Castle seemed to be carefully selecting a punishment appropriate to the misdemeanor.

"I wonder what kind of man he is? A domestic tyrant, or a better one after all?" - Beckett pondered tensely, watching the reproachful shift of the eyebrows on Castle's frowning face. Compared to Rick at all, Pumpkin resembled a small, hapless sparrow, and Kate felt a protest steadily brewing within her. This hapless parent who had abandoned his daughter to her fate had suddenly come to his senses and decided to make a fool of himself! Well, fuck him! After all, if she didn't intervene now, who would she think she was, Beckett? This is no way to treat the little ones, regardless of their "faults", and a few sarcastic phrases in the rich vocabulary of the future lawyer Catherine Beckett, were ready to sober someone, as suddenly Castle, slyly glanced at Kate, barely noticeably shook his head. It was as if he was implicitly insinuating that there was no cause for alarm.

His rounded face transformed in an instant, becoming smiling and even comical, the stern crease above his eyebrows smoothed out, and then Kate suddenly realized that Castle was not going to be angry at all, and his eyebrows were only furrowed for showmanship. Rick's good-natured, open smile had nothing to do with his own disgruntled expression of a moment ago. And how wonderfully the clear blue eyes sparkled! Sincere, with a sparkle and ineffable cheerfulness, they were undoubtedly attractive, drawing her gaze like a magnet, raising the already excellent level of her mood.

"Uh-oh, be careful, Kate! - Beckett, suddenly agitated, was flushed to the brim. - He's got more than a hundred women to impress with his irresistible charm! I don't want to get into trouble with him!"

And interrupting the dangerous duel of glances, Beckett beckoned her eyes to the car with an obvious hint. To Castle's credit, he didn't play the brash, self-righteous type. Understanding perfectly, he apologized with a modest smile and leaned toward his daughter.

- So there you are, my disappearance! - he repeated, extending his weary, soiled hands to her. - Don't you feel sorry for your father? I missed you, and I was so worried, I couldn't find room for myself!

Still not raising her head, Pumpkin came close. Rick picked her up in his arms, trying to look into her lowered face.

- My little naughty girl," Castle said in a heartfelt, loving tone, "promise me, please, that you will always tell me where you go! Do we have a deal?

Pumpkin nodded accordingly and, realizing that she was no longer angry at her, immediately cheered up.

- I'm sorry, Daddy," Alexis wrinkled her nose painfully. She wrapped her arms around Castle's neck and snuggled happily against his prickly cheek, "but until there are no cartoons on TV, I want to be with you, and only you! And I don't like ugly, boring Aunt Rachel, who chews like this all the time!

With her toadstool eyes bulging and her cheeks puffing out comically, the girl made such an amusing and inimitable face that the adults, unable to stand it, laughed infectiously.

Beckett, however, was quick to contain her laughter, but not Castle. He was so loud and cheerful, as if he'd finally shed an exorbitant weight, that his cheerfulness had once again enraged Kate. And she appreciated the instructor dash writer's good sense of humor. Realizing that this cute skit would soon be over, Beckett decided to be patient a little longer. Noticing with a side-eye as she patiently shifted from foot to foot, Castle hurriedly kissed his daughter on the cheek.

- All right, Alexis, will you please wait for me in the lounge, because you and I are wasting Miss Beckett's personal time. And time, as you know, is money.

Looking furtively at Kate, Alexis reached her lips for Castle's ear.

- Dad, her name is Kate," Pumpkin said in an unexpectedly loud whisper, "and while you were away, we met her. Do you know how much I liked her? Can she be your girlfriend?!

Alexis' revelation shocked Castle so much that he nearly let her out of his hands with an astonished eyebrow raised. Rick forced a smile, but quickly overcame his embarrassment and made a neutral face, and only hurriedly averted his eyes to the side.

- Please excuse her, miss, for speaking inappropriately. I have my reasons for that," he thought a little, and then added carefully, "though I confess that eloquence is our family trait.

- Daddy, Daddy," Alexis was rubbing Castle's shirt sleeve, demanding attention, "and Grandma always talks more than I do, but you never tell her it's too much.

- She doesn't talk, she teaches parts," Rick politely corrected Pumpkin and saw fit to explain, "it's just that my mother is a professional actress.

Beckett only shrugged her shoulders. An actress is an actress, what's the big deal? After all, children are not responsible for their parents' professions, and you can always be sympathetic to that. Beckett adjusted the strap of the bag on her shoulder and smiled again kindly at Alexis, who was staring at her mesmerized with all her eyes. Delighted at the relentless attention, Pumpkin quietly tugged at Castle's ear.

- Daddy, Daddy, look at what a wonderful smile she has! - With a begging corner to her eyebrows, Alexis looked pleadingly into Castle's face. - Can we invite her to visit us?!

Rick was embarrassed again. He flashed and looked away, not knowing what to say. Grunting with embarrassment, he let Pumpkin down from his arms, whispered something to her, and jabbed his index finger at the porch on the way out of the building. Alexis reluctantly nodded and wandered with visible sadness down the path along the front, still clutching the doll to her chest.

Castle gave Pumpkin a kindly look, slammed the back door of the car shut tightly, and gestured for Beckett to take the driver's seat. He walked around the other side of the car, but remembered something and didn't get in. With a sly glance at Kate, he slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand and shouted after Alexis, who was slumping her shoulders:

- Hey, little miss! Where did you put the keys?

- There," Alexis half-turned and waved her hand languidly, "on your seat, Dad. Well, to find it right away.

This little hilarious passage made Rick's face change slightly, and when he noticed Kate biting her lip frequently, hiding an understanding smile, he helplessly flapped his hands:

- I can't help it, it's all my genes! - blinking guiltily, he turned into a frightened child who had received a no-nonsense scolding for a cracked vase. - Please forgive us, Miss Beckett. Since Meredith and I divorced, Alexis' imagination has blossomed, and sometimes that's how it works. If only I could see myself from the outside.

- It's all right," Kate nonchalantly pulled the door open, and the bundle was immediately in her field of vision. They're children!

Realizing they were no longer angry, Castle nodded happily. He pulled the baseball cap off his head, deftly caught Beckett's tossed keys, and was the first to dive into the car.