Hopefully this chapter clears up the issue some readers had with Kate and Rick not knowing each other...

Johanna asked her daughter, "Aren't Sam and Alexis best friends?"

"Yeah. That's why this whole thing is so strange. They've been friends for years. Alexis has even spent the night at our house."

"Maybe they are fighting over boys."

Kate rolled her eyes, "They are only ten mom. They can't start fighting over boys until they are at least twelve."

Johanna laughed and reminded her daughter, "I remember you and Maddie fighting over boys when you were that age."

Kate gave her mother a dirty look, "They aren't like that mom. Alexis has always been a nice, sweet girl."

"Maybe they are just growing apart Katie. It happens you know."

"I know, but I just hate that it's happening to Sam. She already has so few friends that to lose even one is a lot."

"You should probably get to the school and see what's going on."

"Yeah. Love you mom."

"Love you Katie. Call me tonight and let me know how everything went. And give Noah and Sam a kiss from me."

Kate hugged her mother goodbye and headed towards the school. Kate had known for years that her daughter was friends with Rick Castle's daughter. They had known each other for years. She had smiled at the memory of their first meeting.

Sam was six and had been invited to Alexis' birthday party. It was a sleepover party and Sam had been over the moon excited about finally being allowed to sleepover at her best friends house. To say that Kate was nervous would be the understatement of the year. She had never allowed Sam to sleep anywhere except her house or her parents place. So, she had insisted on going up and meeting the people that she was entrusting her baby girl to.

As Kate walked into the lobby of the building where Alexis and her father lived, Kate realized that this place was, in a word, expensive. As they took the elevator up to the penthouse floor, Kate wondered what their place looked like.

Walking up to the door, Kate was hesitant to knock. She wanted to turn around and leave. She felt so out of place here. When she looked down at her daughter and saw the excitement on her face, she knew that she couldn't do that to her little girl. She sighed to herself, raised her hand and knocked on the door. Then she waited for the door to open.

The door was quickly opened by a woman wearing the most colorful clothing she had ever seen before. Alexis was standing to the side of her and ran over to Sam and hugged her, "You came! I was getting worried Sam!"

Sam had laughed at her friend, "Mommy just got off work late."

Then the girls disappeared into the house. Leaving Kate alone with a complete stranger. The woman standing by Kate held out her hand and said, "Welcome to our home. I'm Martha. Alexis' grandmother and Rick's mother."

Kate had smiled and shook the woman's hand, "It's nice to meet you."

Before she could say anything else, she saw a man dressed in a tux coming out of what looked to be an office. He stopped in front of her and then whispered, "Who are you?"

Kate smiled at him and said, "I'm Kate. I'm Samantha's mom."

"I'm Rick. Rick Castle. Thank you for bringing her. Alexis couldn't stop talking about her all day."

Kate could only nod. She had heard the stories about this man. The stories about how he only cared about women and parties. However, the man standing before her was nothing like that. He seemed to only have eyes for his daughter.

Then, he reached out and took her hand and she felt the sparks fly between them. When she looked in his eyes it was clear that he felt it also. She swallowed hard and then he asked, "Would you care for a drink? Wine maybe. Or juice. I have lots of juice."

Kate could only nod as she watched him walk to the kitchen and grab two wine glasses. He poured wine into them and handed one of the glasses to her. Then, he smiled at her, "So, tell me about yourself Kate..."

And so began a romance that lasted for the next six months. Neither of them wanted it to end up on page six, so they kept it quiet. So quiet that no one in either of their families knew. It ended when he was rumored to be back together with his ex-wife. The split had been hard on her and she knew that she would always love Rick Castle.

The one thing she was grateful for was that he hadn't let on that he had known her at the book signing. Her mother knew nothing of their brief, but wonderful time together and she really didn't want to explain it to her. After nearly four years, it would be hard to explain to anyone. At the time she had simply told him that they were done. That it had been nice while it lasted, but she wanted more out of a relationship. More than she thought he was willing to give. So, they had parted ways and hadn't see each other since. At least not until the day of the book signing.

Walking into the school that their daughters both attended was surreal for both Kate and Rick. They arrived at almost the same time. Part of her still loved this man. She knew that she always would. However, hearing that he had gotten back together with his ex had hurt her so badly that she would never forgive him. So, she buried the hurt and found someone that she thought would replace him. All it did however, was reenforce how much she would always love him.

Before they got to the principals office, Kate turned to him and said, "Thank you."

He turned to her with a look of confusion on his face and asked, "What for?"

Kate sighed, "For not saying anything about our past. At least not in front of my mother."

Rick laughed harshly, "Like I want to admit my greatest failure."

Before Kate could say anything else, Rick opened the door to the office and walked inside. Leaving Kate standing there shocked. What did he mean by that? Did he still have feelings for her after all this time? He couldn't still love her. Could he?

Kate sighed and walked inside the office. Wondering what in the world Rick Castle could have meant when he said those eight words to her...