Still reeling from the party, Kate awoke to the touch on her shoulder. She turned around with difficulty, and through tightly clenched eyelashes she could make out a fuzzy silhouette.

- Honey," her mother said loudly. - There's a phone call for you!

Kate's general state left a lot to be desired, and she struggled to get her eyes open.

- What time is it, Mom?

- Nine o'clock! - Joanna folded her arms across her chest expectantly. - Not the earliest, shall we say, time...

- "What the devil is this?" said Kate in an exasperated voice. - And who is this impertinent man who dares to call me at nine o'clock on a Saturday morning? If it's Peter, tell him to go to hell; if it's Michael, tell him the libraries open on Monday. And anyway, I'm sleepy!

And she turned back against the wall, pulling the blanket over her head.

- Have you had all your boyfriends? - Mama grinned ironically. - In that case, you weren't right. It's Rick calling.

- Who's Rick, for crying out loud? - Beckett was in the cruelest annoyance that the dream was already gone. - I don't know that one.

- What do you mean you don't know? - Mom spluttered her hands in surprise. - He introduced himself as your driving instructor.

She shook her head reproachfully.

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on Kate. She jumped up on the bed, thinking feverishly. Even yesterday, at the end of class, Castle had dropped in passing that it was his day off and he had some urgent business to attend to, but what did that have to do with her? Did something else happen besides what had already happened? After all, that scene with Arlette had shaken her, pissed her off, and there was an instant chill in their communication. It's more accurate to say, on her part, yes. Because Castle was still dazzling, courteous, gentle, sent out charming smiles that could touch anyone, but to all his attempts to talk she answered in one word: "Yes ... no... I don't know," looking at the distraught Rick nonchalantly. He made a childishly hurt face, his eyes grew dimmer, and they were no longer filled with the perky glow that she had loved at first, and what a shame it had not ceased to please her afterward. Except that she couldn't get the brunette's cuddling out of her head. Because she perceived it as a deception of her hopes and aspirations. And it was the meeting with the groupies that finished her off, and as if on purpose, on the same day. During those two hours, they drove exclusively through unfamiliar routes, and finally Castle asked her to stop in front of a building. Kate saw Rick enter the entryway, and for some reason he was gone for a very long time. When Castle finally emerged, a flock of girls poured out after him. They took the writer in a tight ring, they chattered something, came in kissing and shoving notepads and pens in his face. Rick responded with a radiant smile, sent air kisses on his lips, and lightly gave real kisses to the particularly obtrusive. Then he finished signing, and sat down beside Kate, hot and contented.

- But you are in demand, Mr. Castle! - she remarked sarcastically, and Castle dramatically raised his eyebrows. He was so accustomed to communicate with Kate on the "you" side, that the abrupt reversal in their relationship was perceived as a personal tragedy. And what was most unpleasant: Beckett was clearly not ready to accept his excuses, no matter how convincing they sounded.

Castle looked at the door from which he had recently emerged, then shifted his gaze to Beckett biting his lip resentfully and staring blankly ahead of him. Yes, it seemed clear enough as it was. Sighing regretfully, Rick muffled:

- It's part of my image. I need to work for the public to secure publicity and fees. After all, it's just a mask.

Snorting angrily, Kate jerked her shoulder nervously.

- Well, what's in it for me? Since it's part of your job," she said firmly to herself, "you can kiss whoever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want. Well, are we going or not?

With a sad look, Castle buckled down and turned away from the window. Kate even noticed how his eyelid flinched inexplicably: it looked like Rick was about to cry.

- And who's stopping you from hitting the gas?

All of this flashed through her mind, his big, saddened eyes, the nervous crease between his eyebrows, and the tightly raised corners of his lips.

"Like a puppy with a broken paw!" she awarded him with another epithet at the time. It had been forgotten then, but now it had come up again.

The blanket flung ruthlessly aside, and Beckett sat down on the bed, hugging her knees. A rigid crease furrowed her brow, her still sleepy eyes staring dumbfoundedly at her mother standing in front of her. Joanna seemed to notice her daughter's confusion. Frowning, she leaned slightly toward Kate.

- Honey, why don't you let him off the hook then? I haven't yet learned how to politely dismiss various intrusive types!

And I was surprised to notice with embarrassment the daughter's look full of confusion and the inner struggle on her face. So immediately decided to clarify everything:

- Did he hurt you?

Kate lowered her head ashamedly.

- N-I don't know, I guess not.

- Did he make a pass at you, or did he harass you?

Beckett shook her head indignantly.

- No. No! Come on, mom! He's so... so... well, not like the others...

She was at a loss, not knowing what else to say. Blinking often, she winced at the pain in her bitten lip.

- Well, what shall we tell him, eh?" her mother saw a tear glisten in the corner of her eye, but Kate brushed it away with a flick of her wrist. - What do you want me to say? - Joanna moved her hands to her stomach in tactful anticipation.

- I can do it, Mom, I can do it. I'm all right...

With a wave of her hand on her slippers, Kate ran down the stairs leading to the hall. On the shoe nightstand was a phone with the receiver off. Beckett slowed her step and put her hand over it, listening for the humming beats of her heart. All the blood seemed to rush to her face, humming in her ears like the surf of the sea. She was short of breath, her cheeks burning like after a pepper compress, her fingers trembling as if she'd worked too hard. Clenching her left hand into a fist, Beckett picked up the phone, held her breath, and spoke as evenly as possible:

- I'm listening.

- Kate? Hello!" she recognized Rick's soft voice, and he sounded guilty. - I apologize in advance. Could you help me? It has to do with Alexis.

- Alexis? - Kate felt her heart leap, hard and fast, pumping the blood rushing through her veins.

Rick could feel her excitement right away.

- No, no, it's not what you think. She's fine, it's just... it's just..." He hesitated, sniffling into the phone for a while. - Mom got an urgent offer for a traveling role, and I urgently need to do things, but I have no one to leave my daughter with, - he added, anticipating her question. - Such was the grimace of the universe.

Kate was tempted to ask about the brunette, but her sense of tact gave way.

With a sigh of relief, Kate stretched her lips into a restrained smile:

- Okay. When shall we meet, and where?

- Suburban New York, Chester Racetrack-c. In three hours. Thank you, Kate," and hung up the phone...

...All the way to the racetrack Beckett was more nervous than ever. At times she regretted her acceptance of Castle's proposal, and then, as if by chance, to dislodge the growing indignation, Alexis's sweetly spontaneous face would flash before her eyes, her melodious voice would sound in her head, and the strained rhythm of her breathing would calm itself. In the end, already on the threshold of the meeting, Kate decided for herself to keep Castle at a distance, which, however, did not prevent her from treating his daughter as before. And hand on heart, Beckett admitted to herself that she, too, was very, very unhappy without Alexis' companionship. It was as if getting to know the girl had become a part of her life, and it had made a dramatic difference in her soul. It made the summer shine with new colors, brightened her life and enriched her consciousness with hitherto unexperienced emotions. It was easier in some ways, but more difficult, but she would bear it, endure it, just as she had recently had a bloody unpleasant conversation with Petar. Who was dead to her forever...

The brakes of the cab creaked, pulling Kate from her troubled thoughts, and she readily handed the driver a sweaty, crumpled banknote in her palm. She slammed the door, put her hand to her head to look around. The weather was pleasant, with its unobtrusive coolness and a light breeze that carried to her the discordant crackle of motorcycles. And as if guided by a magnetic arrow, Kate headed toward a fate whose vicissitudes could take her anywhere. That's why you always have to be on your guard...

As Beckett had learned beforehand, the racetrack had been officially closed several years ago, but still various extremists, mostly - motorcycle racers, used it for their "adrenaline" needs. Since she, Kate, ended up here, it means that Castle is also connected to motorcycle racing, and that connection forces him to drag his kid along with him. Though it's outrageous from her, a woman's point of view, it's still not uninteresting. And it wouldn't be her, Catherine Beckett, if she didn't get it right.

Along the bumpy tarmac path, Kate made her way to the main entrance. Some coffee shop, a few stores lined up, and only when Beckett passed the pared-down parking lot, unguarded and with the lone skeleton of some sedan, did she notice from afar a company of three people at the entrance to the racetrack: Castle, Alexis, and some other unfamiliar type.

"Something, somehow, doesn't feel right to me! " - Beckett noted to herself unhappily, nevertheless accelerating her step, for she was not accustomed to be late. And she was close enough to appreciate the fullness of the picture: concentrated and serious Rick was discussing something heatedly with a short, chubby man, with a thick baldness, a slight bump on his nose and dry lips. A Frenchman, Kate determined, and she was not mistaken. The little man greeted her first, and Alexis, who had been hiding in her father's shadow, ran toward her with a shriek of joy, then took hold of her hand and wouldn't let go.

And so the two of them, hand in hand, approached Castle. With an unapproachable look on her face, Kate took a moment to catch her breath: Castle's presence still bothered her, and it was hard to get rid of it. If not quite possible even now, but in time very possibly...

- Hello, Mr. Castle! Well, what have we here? - she asked the question dryly, while her heart was jumping out of her chest with emotion.

- Hello, Kate. Thank you for coming! - A delighted Rick flashed like a boy, but then shyly let his eyes go. This is my colleague and companion Louis Arnaud, with whom we are now dealing with an important and urgent matter. And so, Kate, you wouldn't mind taking Alexis for a walk, would you?

— Иначе бы сюда не пришла. В противном случае, вы бы могли догадаться, мистер Касл, что может произойти, — строгим, не допускающим возражения тоном заявила Кейт, выдерживая дистанцию. — И да, не думаю, что нам с Алексис будет скучно. Ведь правда? — последняя фраза адресовалась уже Тыковке.

В ответ на открытую, бесхитростную улыбку девушки Алексис расцепила руки и запрыгала вокруг Беккетт, словно мячик.

- One, two, three, four, five! - Pumpkin clapped her hands loudly. - We're going for a walk with you! Three, four, five, six - what have we got with us?

And she laughed loudly, gleefully. Looking at her, the adults also smiled, and Castle, as if regaining consciousness, handed her daughter some bills.

- I have, I have! - briskly, as if in class, he raised his hand. - Peace to mirth, war to adversity! И...

- ...What's that for? - Kate pursed her lips in frustration. - I may be a student, but I don't need to be sponsored...

- I didn't mean to offend you, and I don't dare question your financial solvency, - Castle made a hilarious grimace and even got down on one knee. - It's just that, in a way, I'm teaching Alexis to be self-reliant and financially independent. Everyone has their own methods, though.

"If he's fooling around, he's still doing it great!" - Beckett gazed intently into his face, grasping the edge of his lip with her teeth. On reflection, she nodded in agreement: as far as her gut told her, Castle was sincere in his message, and her soul was slightly relieved. So Kate watched Alexis hide the money in a hidden pocket before taking the girl's hand. Chattering about unimportant things, they stepped onto the asphalt path that had brought Beckett here, and for a long, long time Kate felt his, Castle's, gaze staring and caressing her back...

..Four hours flew by like an instant. It turned out that there was not only a cafe and stores near the racetrack, but also a modest-sized but very cozy, clean park. And Pumpkin dragged Beckett there. She swung around on swings, jumped ropes and played hide-and-seek among the sprawling bushes around the perimeter of the park. They ate ice cream, ran on swinging logs, wandered through a maze, and splashed water on each other from a small, well-groomed pool. We had a darts contest and almost shot a stern employee with a plastic bullet. Threw balls in the basket and held up a Frisbee. And it was only natural that they worked up an appetite that strictly needed to be quenched. And Alexis again dragged Beckett by her index finger, babbling on and on, infecting her with her cheerfulness and joie de vivre.

And there, the cafe she was looking for. Simple but clean wooden tables and similarly ascetic benches. Light curtains over the windows, the unobtrusive aroma of cooked food, and the smiling Mexican woman who brought the menu.

While Alexis, looking smartly, furrowing her eyebrows like her father, ran her finger over the list of pictures of dishes, Beckett enthusiastically suggested the names to her, nevertheless, glancing sideways at the front door: waiting for Castle to appear. And her intuition was not deceived: Something very anxious Rick pushed the creaky door with mosaic inlays, but only when he saw them, he immediately transformed. Something was wrong with him, though, something Kate knew at once. Probably, by the dim expression in his eyes. And Castle was walking toward them somehow obliquely, with his left leg a little wobbly, and strenuously hiding the disheveled bandage under the cuff of his sleeve.

"I think he fell off the bike, and it's a good thing he didn't break anything. He's thinking somewhere else, trying hard to hide the injury and the dirt on his cheek hasn't been wiped off yet. A daddy who would do anything for his kid. What kind of sacrifices, Castle? What sacrifices are you willing to make? And then what am I supposed to do?"

Feeling her earlobes crimson, Beckett cringed in one place, and it was a good thing the waitress shielded her from Castle, who sat across from her. That gave Beckett a head start of a few minutes, after which she was ready for some distracted conversation.

- Everything all right, Mr. Castle? - Kate tried to smile as simply and casually as possible, so as not to spoil the continuation of the day.

- Yes, fine, - Castle leaned back a little, but a pained shadow slid over his face. - I'm lucky today, in every way.

And he lowered his eyes.

She didn't ask any more questions, but concentrated on Alexis. While she was bobbing her fork on the plate, Kate was elaborating on her idea of dinner etiquette, to which Castle just absently shook his head, thinking about something of his own. And he hardly touched his food. Only with a familiar Beckett direct look did he beg for the right to pay at the table. And she, for the umpteenth time, could not resist.

Picking up Alexis in her arms, the adults went outside. Castle's car was parked nearby.

- Can we come? - and Castle's hand pointed to the car.

- Can we come? - Alexis repeated in unison and with a laugh, and Beckett could not refuse them. Just wanted them to stop on demand.

The brakes squeaked and the engine stalled, and the adults continued to sit silently, avoiding looking at each other. They never exchanged a word the whole way, even though Alexis was peacefully snoozing in the back seat. And now, the more Castle was in Kate's company, the harder he gripped the steering wheel. And Beckett saw his knuckles turn white, so she spoke softly:

- What do you know about changeable natures, Mr. Castle?

- About how circumstances change us? - Suspecting what this was all about, Castle's face hardened, only his lips moved.

- Not only that. A man is free to choose his own way, and circumstances are those that accompany it...

Castle sighed heavily and somehow even painfully.

- But no one can know how we will change, - said Rick and sighed again. - Maybe I'll be famous someday, and you'll get a degree and teach law or philosophy, or maybe you'll suddenly change and do something you never planned to do.

- Can you see into the future? - Beckett grinned indulgently, but Rick shrugged uncertainly.

- I'm a writer, Kate, and I have to comprehend the world. If you ever feel bad, you know you can always count on me. And by the way: my third book is coming out soon. I can send you a copy, if you like.

- No, thank you," she politely declined, "I have other things on my mind right now.

Rick didn't insist. He leaned back in his chair with a hard-to-hide regret.

- Then all I can do is wish you good luck with your driver's license. I hope everything works out for you in life, too.

- Good luck," Kate repeated quietly, pissed silently at her pride and prejudice, but realizing that both Petar and Mandy were partly right, "good luck to you, and good luck to Alexis, too. And one more thing... Don't walk me out, please.

Castle just ran his palm across his face, but as if connected by a mental connection, they got out of the car at the same time. And Castle seemed to even see a reassuring smile on Kate's face, but then the rain clouds came over him, and Beckett was already looking at Castle seriously and without any emotion at all. Then she adjusted her blouse, gently shut the flap of the door, and headed away from them, into the graying evening.

And Castle... With his hands folded over his chest, he stood, furrowing his brow, watching the fairy tale girl move away from him. He stared until he hiccuped at the unexpectedly frank thought. Fairy Tale Girl? Was he serious? Castle even shook his head, as if he feared he was being overheard. Though, what a surprise, he adored giving women such descriptions, and observing them in the process of classes or just a pleasant pastime, he was glad to be convinced of his ability to understand people. Naturally, all his considerations remained inside him, sometimes finding themselves in the images of book characters, but Castle never said such things aloud for fear of being indelicate. And now he wouldn't...

As Castle stared absently into the distance, Alexis suddenly awoke. She yawned sweetly and said, "Where's Kate? " she climbed out. And since Castle hadn't reacted then either, Pumpkin ran up to the front to tug on her shirt.

- Daddy, Daddy! - the girl looked at her father in surprise. - And why are you so sad?

- Я... I don't know," Rick didn't know what else to say, and just threw up his hands.

- Is it because of Kate?

- I-I don't know," he mumbled uncertainly.

- She made you happy. Wasn't she, Dad?

Castle just chuckled: you can't deny his daughter's sensitivity and caring.

- Yes, sweetheart.

He was sincere in his amazement, which was clear in the lost look and offensively curved line of her mouth, the network of wrinkles on her forehead. No doubt they would never be together again, unless some twist of fate contributed to it. And yet he has a daughter, a mother, and that's his family.

- Come here, sweetheart. - and Castle picked up his daughter in his arms to bury his face in her soft, fiery curls. We had to get home...

..."Damn! Do they need anyone else? " - cursing herself for her cowardice, Beckett watched the Castles from cover for a while longer. She saw both the way they stood in their arms, and the way Castle gently nestled Alexis behind him, and the way he slowly pulled away from the curb: all of which Kate saw and only then got out of hiding. And it took an obscenely long two blocks to get home: she was in a state of utter confusion. I wanted it all at once: to take Alexis' hand again, to throw herself at Castle with kisses, and to reprimand him for hugging Arlette. And whatever Castle had to say to justify himself, one part of Beckett would reject those attempts at excuses... And the other... The other part was telling her that she should have given Castle/they a chance and not been so hotheaded. Because following her genuine interest in the writer, Beckett did find some "skeleton in the closet": Alexis's grandmother, Martha, was to be operated on. Because of inflammation of the knee joints she, a professional actress, could not stand on her feet for long. And Castle was tearing at his heart, earning every penny, but what it had to do with Louis and Arlette - Alexis, unfortunately, did not know. As Beckett herself suspected, motorcycle racing was one of the possible sources of income, but her pride prevented her from asking Castle directly about it. And she, Kate, had already set herself a goal, a goal in which love had no place as yet. And all her recent infatuation with Rick was nothing more than a first experience. Yes, that's how it looked now. And time would put everything in its place.