"Having a good time, Kate?" She wondered how long he'd been outside her door.
"Yes, actually, we are." Kate was annoyed at his tone. She was not surprised that she was having a good time, but she knew that Josh would be surprised. As far as Josh knew, Castle was her annoying shadow who wrote books based on her. More recently, she'd made known that she was indebted to Castle for saving her life. And for this scholarship he insisted on to honor her mother.
Kate had certainly been touched and flattered by Castle's gesture, but it also forced her to explain to Josh why there would even be a Justice Initiative Scholarship in her honor. She'd only told Josh that her mother had passed away, not that she was murdered. Or that she was consumed with a need to bring her mother's killers to justice.
Josh hadn't been happy that she hadn't been forthright. He'd been even less happy that Castle knew all about her mother's murder and that he'd helped her bring her mother's killer to justice. Kate told him what she had to, but left out so many details that were important to her. How Castle had gone behind her back to discover her mother's murderer was a killer-for-hire. How he'd held her when she'd been forced to kill Coonan before learning who hired him. How she'd gone to him when Raglan called her wanting to meet. How he'd kissed her…how she'd kissed him…when they went to rescue Ryan and Esposito. No there were some things Josh didn't need to know.
Josh walked into the room and set his helmet on the bar. "What's he doing here, Kate?" He asked, shaking his head at Rick.
"We are just wrapping up some details for the scholarship and fundraiser." Kate answers.
Turning toward Castle, Josh says, "I thought you hired an event planner?"
"I did, but some of the details required a more personal touch."
"I would have helped you, Kate." Josh said, looking dejected and a bit hurt.
"I don't doubt that, Josh," she says. She steps closer to him and asks more quietly, "What are you doing here? I thought we had plans for later?" She turns to look at Castle, who's packing up his laptop, and the notes they've taken. "You don't have to leave, Castle."
"I just realized the time, Beckett. I'll be late if I don't get a move on."
Josh seizes the opportunity to draw her attention back to him. "That works out great. It'll give us a chance to spend some time together before I head back to the hospital. I'm pulling a double tonight." He'd reached for her hand, but she turned away to help Castle gather his things.
He picked up the envelope of photos. "Do you want me to take these now or bring them later with the others?"
"May as well get started. I'll raid my dad's collection and bring the rest over later."
"Okay, I leave the rest of this here. That way, if you two get a chance, you can decide on some of this other stuff." He was giving her the opportunity to include Josh.
He glanced at his watch and moved to grab his jacket and the reusable shopping bags. Josh had moved to the other side of the bar, glaring at the two sets of dishes in the sink. Breakfast. Food. Catering.
He turned back toward Kate. "I almost forgot. Madison agreed to do the catering."
Kate smiled, "That's perfect! She actually knew my mom! And Madison was one of my only friends that my mom actually liked!" She walked over to the bar to stand beside Castle. Her smile widened. "My mom used to make a pumpkin quiche every fall that Madison loved. I'm going to ask her if she'll put those on the menu."
"He knows your friend, Madison?" Josh sighed, disbelievingly.
"They, uh, went on a date." Kate smirked.
"It was a disaster," Castle stressed. They were trying to lighten Josh's mood. But he didn't appreciate the inside joke, or realizing just how much shared history the two had.
Silence. Castle felt he should say something to Josh, to reassure him that his only interest was in Kate's happiness, and he didn't want Kate to back away from the friendship they'd established for Josh's sake. So, he glanced at his watch again, and as he turned to the door, he glanced back at Josh to find him watching him, his body leaning into his arms which were braced on the counter. He hesitated, but finally said, "You know we're just friends, right?" He hoped Kate wouldn't kill him.
Josh made a noise that might have been "yeah," but otherwise didn't react.
Castle gave Kate an apologetic shrug and headed for the door. She followed behind, trying to mask the pain and confusion she felt at Castle's attempt to pacify Josh. She opened the door for him. As he brushed past her, she said quietly, trying to make it sound light and jestful, "Just friends, Castle? I thought we were partners."
"That, too," he promised. "Always."
"I really gotta go before the red-headed women in my life give me a verbal tongue lashing."
Kate turned back to her apartment and the man inside. She really wasn't up for another argument. They didn't argue often, but when they did it was typically about him not understanding why she didn't put an end to Castle following her around. Most of the time, they were either together and perfectly comfortable or playing phone tag trying to negotiate a time when they were both available. Scratch that. The vast majority of the time, they spent apart…maybe crossing each other's minds.
She stormed back into her living room. "What the hell, Josh? Castle was helping me. He is my friend and my partner. And there is no reason for you to treat him like that—ever." Kate was steamed. Why hadn't she been this mad at Castle after the way he'd treated Alex Conrad? She'd even gone so far as to call him sweet and encourage his unrequited devotion. But Castle hadn't hurt anyone she cared about—and Conrad earned the ribbing he got.
"Is that all he is, Kate?"
Kate's shoulders sagged. She took in a deep breath. She wasn't confident she could say the right things. She couldn't make sense of her private thoughts, much less voice them to someone else. Certainly not Josh. With all that was playing through her mind, Kate was glad that Josh couldn't read her like Castle could. She knew Josh couldn't read anything she didn't want him to. And she wanted Josh, right? A chance? In that moment, she plastered desire in her eyes.
She wasn't done being angry, but barring chin ups or a trip to the gym, she wasn't above using him to get her aggressions out.
She stepped toward him, unsnapping her shirt with each step. When she was close enough to kiss him, she trailed her finger from his collar along the buttons on his shirt, until her finger rested on his belt. "I told you before," she said, leaning up to kiss his jaw with each of her next words: I. Am. A. One. Man. Woman." That much was true. But what man did she belong to?