A/N: I am replacing the author's note about the passing of my husband with a real chapter four. Hopefully, I will be able to follow that with Chapter 5 and complete this story soon.
Kate heard the whispering and the little feet. Rick twitched a little, so she knew he also heard Ian. Rick kept his breathing even, but she knew he was awake. There was no bench at the cabin for Ian to climb to get up on the bed, so he walked around to Kate's side of the bed with Bunny's feet trailing along on the floor. "Mommy, Bunny and me got cold. Can we sleep wif you?"
Kate reached out to pull the little boy into bed with her. "Shh, don't wake Daddy. Go back to sleep, baby." Rick reached out to pull Kate to him, and she wrapped her arms around Ian and Bunny. They all settled back to sleep. Three hours later the first rays of dawn woke Kate. The males of the family were supposed to go fishing when the sun was fully up. She needed to get her two males moving.
"Babe, time to get up. Alex will be here soon," Kate whispered into Rick's ear and kissed his temple. Rick stirred and stretched, then wrapped Kate in his arms.
"Good Morning, Beautiful. How are you feeling? Can you get the little guy ready or do I need to do it?
"I'll dress Ian," Kate responded softly. Kate turned in Rick's arms, so she could kiss him. After a few quick kisses, the couple rose and walked quietly to the en-suite. After Rick closed the door and a few deeper kisses, Kate asked him, "Will breakfast be eaten here or do the men have another plan for feeding themselves before fishing?"
"I suspect your Dad is whipping up breakfast at this very moment. We all knew Mother wouldn't get up this early," Rick chuckled as he replied.
"Martha said she'd call me when she got up this morning. I don't anticipate that call for a couple of hours at least. What about lunch? Did you have a plan for that?"
"Dad is bringing a basket of food and a cooler of drinks on the boat. If Ian is comfortable long enough for lunch, we'll stay out until after we have an early lunch."
"Ian has fished before. It's his father that I suspect will get bored first." Kate hugged Rick as she chuckled.
"I will have you know, Mrs. Castle, that I have spent hours fishing with friends. Although I was intensely inebriated every time."
The couple laughed together and began getting ready for the day.
Alex arrived on his boat and the four adults ate breakfast with one excited little boy. The fishermen left, and Kate cleaned up the kitchen. She carried her phone into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. Martha's call woke her close to 9 am.
"Katherine, darling, are you ready to do a little shopping? Or would you rather just relax and enjoy yourself without the men around?" Martha asked cheerily.
"Let's save the shopping for when we are back in New York. I'd rather just enjoy the view from that wonderful deck you have."
"That would be lovely, dear. When may I expect you to get here? Have you eaten?"
"I ate a little with the fishermen this morning," Kate laughed as she replied. "It didn't stay down. I think some toast and tea would be perfect, if you have some decaffeinated tea. I can be there in 20 minutes."
"I'll put the kettle on."
Ian was having a blast on the boat. Alex had put a 'Marvel's Superhero Squad' life vest on Ian. The boy was ecstatic and asked his Daddy to take his picture. "Send that to 'Lexi and Mommy, please, Daddy. And Gram, too!"
After baiting their hooks and wetting their lines, the fish were nibbling on worms but avoiding the hooks. Finally, Ian snagged the first catch of the day. After the excitement of reeling in the fish, Jim removed the fish from the hook. Rick told Ian to hold up the fish, so he could take his picture. Ian carefully took the fish from Jim and smiled at his father. Rick got one picture, and then the fish wiggled. "Daddy, the fishy isn't dead. Daddy, the fishy wants to go home. Daddy…" Ian threw the fish back in the water. The men all laughed.
Kate and Martha were sipping a second cup of tea and enjoying the beautiful, quiet view from the deck. "How are you feeling?" Martha asked Kate gently.
"I'm fine. It's just the normal morning sickness. It will be all worth it in a few months. It's much easier being pregnant this time. I know what to expect, and I don't have to deal with calls from the precinct about body drops." Kate smiled at Martha.
Martha smiled in response. The two women resumed their silent observation of the lake.
Kate finished her tea, placed the cup on the table and turned toward Martha. "Rick told me that Alex has proposed to you, several times. Do you want to talk about it?"
Martha sipped the last of her tea, closed her eyes a moment, then set her teacup down. "I've had 2 failed marriages as you know. My second husband disappeared with the entire contents of my savings account and stock portfolio. He was kind enough to leave a few hundred dollars in the checking account." Martha's bitter chuckle punctuated the end of that sentence. "Richard moved me in with him and Alexis. He made sure I was safe and fed and had a place to lay my head. He even gave me pocket money, a generous allowance all things considered. I know he resented it. I have you to thank for his eventual acceptance of .."
Kate interrupted, "Martha, he was adjusted to and happy with your presence long before he and I got together."
"Yes, he was. But it was his partnership with you at the precinct that matured him into the man who became comfortable with my presence. I think the change truly started after you shared with him the story of your mother. Another person's tragedy can certainly shape the outlook on one's own life. His perspective changed, and we grew closer than we had ever been. He shared more of his inner turmoil with me and actually listened to my advice occasionally." Martha smiled at Kate. Kate could see unshed tears glistening just above Martha's lashes.
"You raised a good man. I feel so lucky to have that wonderful man as my husband." Kate ran a hand across her abdomen where the baby bump would appear in a few weeks, "My children are so blessed to have him as their father. His devotion to and love for Alexis was what first helped me to see the real man behind his playboy author persona." Kate paused a moment. She needed to steer this conversation back to its original subject. "Are your failed marriages preventing you from marrying Alex?"
"Yes, that's a part of it." Martha was silent. Kate knew, from her years interrogating people, Martha was preparing herself for a revelation. "The years that Alex was just a memory have left scars. You know how scars pull sometimes and cause you pain. The scars on my heart from those years cause the deepest pains. Richard was such an adorable boy, but a boy without a father. I couldn't even tell him the man's last name. All I knew was Alex. Decades later, I learned that Alex knew about Richard; that Alex kept tabs on us. My mind understands why he was unable to come back to me, but my heart…." Martha faced Kate with a facial expression that Kate recognized.
"He hurt you and you're afraid," Kate interpreted. "You love him. Everyone sees that when you are together. You're afraid he'll leave, aren't you?"
"He has assured Richard and Jim, that if at any time he suspects his presence is a danger to our family, he will disappear. If we are married, do I disappear with him? Would his enemies target me, or possibly our family? I remember Richard telling me, that Captain Gates pretended to be unaware of your relationship. It gave her plausible deniability. If Alex and I marry, I think I lose the plausible deniability option."
"One of my reasons for denying my romantic feelings for Rick was my fear of losing the friendship and partnership that we had. He had become my best friend. He also had two failed marriages and a string of beautiful women on his arm featured on Page Six. He is my favorite author, a quite successful author, and I felt unworthy of him. Why risk what we had for something that might not last? I almost missed out on the best part of my life, because of my fear. Is fear all that's holding you back?"
Martha gazed out over the water for several minutes. Her mind moved from the joyful, yet distant memory of the night Richard was conceived to more recent memories of moments with Alex. "Alex is Gram's friend as far as Ian is concerned. Once we marry, Alex would be become Ian's Grampa. If Alex had to flee, losing a Grampa is very different from losing Gram's friend. Are you comfortable with that possibility?"
"Ian will lose his Poppa, his Gram and his parents someday. He may even outlive his Lexi. Ian already loves Alex. This decision should be based on your heart, not your fears. I told Rick that maybe the third time's the charm, and it has been. I know Alex plans to stay, whether he gets that ring on your finger or not. Only you know what your heart wants. Follow your heart," Kate replied.
"I'll think about it. My heart has not always made the best decisions. Let's talk about my third grandchild." The conversation continued with discussions about the baby, Alexis's wedding and Martha's decorating accomplishments.
The fishermen returned with a few fish, sunburned noses and a sleeping boy. The adults opted to have naps of their own before preparing dinner. After everyone was well rested, they dined on fresh fish and all the leftover side dishes that Martha could find in the refrigerator. The meal was accompanied by fish stories, anecdotes and laughter. Ian chose to spend the night with Gram and Alex. After Ian was settled for the night, Jim, Kate and Rick said their goodnights and headed back to Jim's cabin.
Alex poured two glasses of wine and joined Martha on the sofa. The baby monitor sat on the side table, and they listened to Ian's occasional snuffle while they sipped their wine. Martha placed her glass on the coffee table and faced Alex. "Richard and Katherine asked me my thoughts on your proposal." Alex started to speak. Martha motioned for him to remain silent. "I feel I must be honest with you. My two marriages were disasters, and you have never been married. I'm afraid we will lose what we currently have, if we change the dynamic. We each have our own homes now. There is no constraint on me to constantly stay here at the lake. I'm an independent woman who chooses to be with you. I love you, I do. I don't know if being married is a necessary step for us."
Alex was stunned. His face did not reflect the turmoil in his mind. Martha was not the only actor in the room. As he considered his response, the baby monitor broke the silence with Ian's cries. Alex leaned to kiss Martha quickly and told her he would go check on the boy.
Alex took the stairs two at a time to quickly reach the upset child. Via the baby monitor next to her, Martha listened to Alex comfort their grandson. "Hey, buddy, what's wrong?"
"Alex, the fishies came for me! They were going to take me away. I don't want to go away."
"I'm here and I won't let them take you." Martha heard the rustle of sheets, Ian's sniffles and a kiss. "Gram and I would never let anyone hurt you. We love you. You're safe. Do you need me to stay with you until you fall asleep again?" The sound of another kiss came across the baby monitor.
"Uh, huh. Can you check for monsters? Daddy checks under the bed for monsters."
The sounds coming over the monitor helped Martha visualize the ritual of checking under the bed. "No monsters under the bed. Let's get you covered back up, and I'll lie down next to you. The night light will keep any monsters away."
"'kay. Thank you. I love you." Martha heard the sounds of more kisses. She assumed Ian was kissing Alex goodnight. "I love you, too, buddy. I love you, too." Alex assured Ian.
Alex walked down the stairs as Martha rose to go refill her wine glass. She stopped as they met at the bottom of the stairs. She looked up at him with a smile. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. Martha canted into him, and they shared an embrace. As she pulled away, Martha looked up at Alex, "Give me some time to think, then ask me again."
Alex smiled widely as Martha turned toward the kitchen.
A/N: I have the rest of the story planned out. Little extras pop up out of the recesses of my mind, but they just add to the story.
Thanks to everyone who has messaged me notes of encouragement during the last months. I'd especially like to thank Garrae and Geek Mom for sending me messages to ask how I was doing. Then they would respond to my overly long responses. I am learning to live with my new normal, but I miss my husband every day.
