Second to last chapter! Sorry it's a bit short... last chapter coming soon! ANd I am still very interested in your feedback for the next story :) Enjoy!
Kate woke up to Rick smiling at her. It was actually a semi-creepy grin, like a little kid watching cartoons while eating Lucky Charms.
"Hey, darling…." Kate said slowly. "You okay?"
"Yup," he nodded, still grinning weirdly.
"Okay, so why do you have that look on your face?"
Rick stopped grinning and laughed. "I just saw your beautiful face when I woke up and realized that from now on, I get to call you my fiancé… and eventually my wife."
Kate grinned and kissed him. "Sounds good… fiancé."
He took her hand under the covers. "So what do you want to do today? We have the whole day to ourselves."
"Hmmm… I don't know. What do you want to do?"
"Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing you in a really hot bikini," Rick said, his eyes sparkling mischievously. Kate smiled sexily.
"I did bring a bikini... and that swim suit from last time."
Rick grinned and rolled out of bed and onto the floor. Kate laughed.
"What are you doing?"
"We want to make sure we get chairs by the pool!"
He jumped up and went through his half-unpacked bag, tossing out his swim trunks and a white v-neck tee. Kate sat up, the covers falling off of her.
"You can totally go down to the pool that way if you want," Rick said appreciatively, looking at Kate's naked chest. "Unless you want to go for round 2." She blushed. Engagement sex had been pretty awesome.
Kate pulled the covers off and slipped out of bed, walking over to her bag and bending over to find her bikini. Rick whistled, and she pulled the sheet off of the bed and tied it around her body like a towel. She found her bikini and tossed it on the bed. Rick sighed.
"Awwww, why?"
"Because nothing will get done otherwise. Hey, you got me, and my body, for life."
Rick dropped to his knees and pumped his fist. "Yessss!"
They both laughed, and then Kate slipped into her bikini bottoms and Rick went to brush his teeth. She put on her top and looked in the mirror to check her hair. She froze, staring at her chest with pain in her eyes.
"Kate, do you have a tote or something we could put a few things in?"
Kate just stared at herself in the mirror, her heart pounding. Her hand gravitated towards the scar right in between her breasts.
"Kate, honey?"
Rick came out of the bathroom and saw Kate standing in front of the mirror. He rushed to her side.
"Kate, baby, are you okay? What's wrong?"
He saw her hand on her scar and kissed her hair.
"I forgot about it for a while," she said slowly, looking at him in the mirror. "All the pain just went away. For a while, I was completely happy."
"Oh, Kate," he murmured, cupping her chin and turning her head to look at him. "You have no reason to be unhappy. You look beautiful."
Kate sighed. "Do I? Because I kinda look like a war victim."
"In a way, you are. But you won the war, honey. You are alive, and this scar shows that you are strong."
Kate half-smiled. "I guess so. God, you're good at making me feel better."
Rick smiled and bent down to kiss the scar. She hugged him.
"Thanks, Rick."
"Of course, darling. Hey, did you take your meds last night?"
"Damn, no," Kate said, sighing. "I'll go take them now."
"Good," he kissed her on the forehead and then went riffling through his bag again for his sunglasses. "I'm going to pack a bag with some sunscreen, books, etc."
"Okay. Oh, and I do have a tote. Canvas, navy and white stripes, in my suitcase," she said from the bathroom.
Rick smiled. Of course.
Less than forty minutes later, Rick and Kate were stretched out on poolside lounge chairs pushed next to each other, sharing Rick's iPhone earbuds. Kate flipped through the newest issue of Glamour, and Rick read a manuscript for a young new author who needed back-of-the-book praise. Kate took her earbud out of her ear and dog-eared the page of the magazine she was reading. She tapped Rick's arm.
"Hey, I'm going to get in the pool. Want to join me?"
"Maybe… I don't look as hot in my swimsuit as you do."
Kate laughed and took off her aviator sunglasses, setting them on her chair. She made sure to walk to the pool very slowly, so that Castle had time to watch her exit.
She dove into the cool, clear water and stayed under for as long as she could before surfacing. She waved at Rick, flashing him her sexy smile. He waved back, then took off his sunglasses and came to the edge of the pool. She swam over to him and bit her lip, because she knew it drove him crazy.
"You're really going to turn down swimming with your hot, wet fiancé?"
Rick shook his head. "No, I don't think I can anymore."
He pulled white v-neck off, tossed it onto his chair a few feet away and slipped into the pool. She grinned and wrapped her legs around his waist, putting her arms around his neck and leaning into him so her nose was touching his. He kissed her passionately, tangling his hands in her wet hair.
"I think swimming is my new favorite sport," he said, the sunshine beating down on them. Kate laughed.
"Me too."
After they swam, Rick and Kate got poolside burgers and Rick finished the book he was supposed to be reviewing while Kate stretched out on her lounge chair and tanned. Then they went back up to their room and got dressed; Kate in a white summer dress and Castle in plaid shorts and a t-shirt. Now they were walking hand in hand on the boardwalk at Santa Monica pier.
Kate adjusted her crocheted bag on her shoulder. "So is this a tour of our epic crime-fighting last year?"
"Did you just say epic? Oh my god, you are so sexy," Rick said, grabbing her face and kissing her fiercely. She grinned and hugged his arm as they kept walking.
"But to answer your question, no, not really. I just think this place is fun. And it gives me the chance to win you a cheap stuffed animal, rom-com style."
Kate laughed again and stared at the beach, with the perfectly blue water lapping at the sand. They sat down on a bench and she leaned into Rick's side. "It's so beautiful here."
"It is," Rick agreed, putting his hand on her thigh. "It makes me feel... I don't know. Young. Like I'm falling in love for the first time."
"Like a romantic comedy," Kate said with happy sigh. "It makes me feel that way too. Romantic and mushy and happy."
They sat there together in silence for a while, watching the kids run around on the beach and build sandcastles, and the young couples making out on their towels.
"I have another present for you," Rick said after a few minutes.
"Rick…"
"No, hear me out. Paula wanted to extend the tour, hit up more of middle America, like Omaha and Kansas City. I told her no. I'm ready to go home, and celebrate my engagement."
Kate smiled and then shook her head. "No, I can't let you do that. You already make too many sacrifices for me."
Rick smiled and stroked her hair. "I did this for us. And I also told her not to release a statement about our engagement until I'm ready. She was pissed, but I promised we could throw a huge party back in New York next week when the book officially goes on sale nationwide."
"Oh, that must have been hard," Kate teased. "I know how you hate parties."
Rick laughed and took her hand, standing up. "So how about that cheap stuffed animal?"
She stood with him and they walked towards the boardwalk. "Sounds good."
xxxx
Three days later, they were back at the same bench, watching the sunset. Kate was wearing a pale pink tank top, denim shorts, and wedges, and it had taken Rick ten minutes to stop staring at her legs while they walked. She had to keep him from almost running into at least 5 people.
"It's even prettier with the sunset," Kate murmured. Rick nodded and pulled her into his lap. "I'm going to miss this gorgeous view."
"Well, we can always get a house down here," Rick said, kissing her cheek. She stared at him.
"I'm only half-joking," he promised, and she just shook her head and laughed.
"Besides," he said, resting his head on her shoulder. "Nothing rivals the view I wake up to every morning. Sparkly green eyes, silky brown hair, soft pink lips, smooth skin…."
Kate kissed him. "My view is pretty good too."
Rick pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked around. Finally, he spotted a woman and man about their age, walking in their direction. He gently pushed Kate off his lap and stood up, waving at them.
"Hey! Excuse me, would you take our picture?"
The woman, a tall African-American girl with beautiful dark curls, nodded and took the phone from him. Rick pulled Kate up and they posed, with Kate leaned into Rick's chest, the sunset as the background. They smiled and the woman said, "Say cheese!"
"Cheeeessee!"
Rick thanked her and she handed his phone back.
"You guys are a beautiful couple," she said, taking her boyfriend's hand and smiling at them.
Kate smiled back. "Thank you. Have a good night."
"You too!"
Kate and Rick looked at the picture. They looked happy and in love.
"That's a really good picture," Kate said. Rick nodded.
"Engagement announcement?"
"Good idea!," she said, taking his hand as they walked back up to the pier. They started walking back at their hotel, stopping at an outdoor bar for drinks. While Kate sipped her margarita, Rick sent an email to all their friends and family on his phone with the picture, a caption under it saying:
Maybe they should call L.A. the city of love….. we're engaged! We can't wait to share this special day with all of you. See you when we get home.
XO, Rick & Kate
Kate grinned when she saw the message. "That's cute." Rick nodded in agreement, hit send, and took a swig of his beer.
"It's so weird… I never pictured myself as the engagement announcement type," Kate mused out loud and she finished off her drink. "But I guess Ryan was right. Love does change you."
"In the best way possible," Rick said, kissing her. "You ready to go back to the hotel? We could rent a movie, get some room service, finish packing…."
She nodded and they headed back to the hotel. When they got to the room, Kate looked around the main living room area.
"We've come a long way in the last year."
"We have," Rick said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "And everything we went through was worth it."
"I couldn't agree more."
Rick went to get the room service menu from the bedroom and Kate's phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and checked her texts.
Lanie: WOO-HOO! Way to go, girl! Javi and I are so happy for you. Can't wait to see the rock ;)
Kate smiled and typed back:
Kate: Thanks. I'm going to need some bridesmaids… you in?
Lanie: Hell YES!
Rick came back with the menu and 2 glasses of champagne. He saw Kate's screen and laughed.
"Good news travels fast."
The second the words left his mouth, his phone went off too. He and Kate looked at each other and laughed.
"Here's to the rest of our life," Rick said, handing her a glass. They clinked.
"Always," Kate said, her eyes sparkling.