CH39
"Hi Katie." Johanna suddenly shows up in front of Kate.
"MOM!" And Kate tries to wrap her arms around her, but goes right thru her instead and stumbles a little.
Johanna just smiles back at her. "I'm so proud of you honey."
"Mom I've missed you." Kate starts crying.
"I know you have honey. I watched what you did after I was gone. I watched your father lose himself. It broke my heart to have to watch that." Johanna has tears of her own.
"What happened mom? Who did it?" Kate gets right to the point.
"I don't know honey, I never saw him. He stabbed me in the back and left me there. I really don't know." Johanna has to tell her. "I love your new family honey." And Johanna steps right up to Rick and looks right in his face.
"I still can't believe it really. Who would have thought?" Johanna turns to smile at Kate.
"Yea, he was your favorite author. It's really amazing huh?" Kate agrees.
"He really does love you honey. And his daughter is almost unbelievable." Johanna is truly impressed.
"Alexis is amazing, I love her so much. Her and Castle." Kate agrees.
"You call him Castle. Not Rick, Richard or Rickey." Johanna teases.
"I guess it's a cop thing." Kate shrugs her shoulders.
"I take it your mother is here?" Rick asks.
"Yea, she's here Castle. Standing right in front of you actually." Kate tells him.
Then chuckles when Rick reaches his hand right thru her.
"I'll be right back, don't go anywhere." And Rick races down the hallway.
"I can't stay long honey, and I won't be back again. I need to move on after this." Johanna warns her.
Kate stands there a moment. "That was you I heard in the church wasn't it?" Kate realizes.
"You called Katie so I came. I was so happy to hear you admit that you loved them. Then you said you wanted to have a baby with him. I couldn't be more happy for you. …. My little girl is all grown up and has a family."
Rick comes back into the living room carrying Alexis who looks sleepy. He hands her off to Kate.
"Dad says your mommy is here?" Alexis asks looking at Kate.
"Yes sweetie, my mom is here." Kate tells her as new tears run down her face.
Alexis looks around. "I don't see her." Alexis sounds sad.
"I know sweetie only I can see her." Kate tells her.
"Oh! … I love Kate grams." Alexis calls out to open air.
Kate can see and hear Johanna suck in air and start crying in earnest. Then steps over to her and Alexis and does her best to kiss Alexis.
They both watch Alexis inhale sharply and touch her face where Johanna had kissed her.
"That was my mom sweetie." Kate tells her.
Alexis responds by reaching her arms out wide in front of Kate who is still holding her.
Johanna does her best to hug her back. "I was convinced no one would ever call me grandma. …. Don't ever lose this one honey. She's one in a billion. And don't let that witch ever touch her again."
"You saw that?" Kate is shocked.
"That woman has no clue of what she gave up. …. I need to go honey." As Johanna turns her head to look somewhere.
"I'm still going to miss you mom." Kate tells her with new tears.
"And I'm going to miss you to honey. Try not to be hard on your father. He's suffering too." Johanna starts to back up.
"I'll try mom. Bye." Kate is now full on crying.
"Let them love you honey. You deserve it."
"We'll take good care of your daughter Ms. Beckett. I promise." Rick tells her. Hearing Kate say bye.
Johanna blows Kate a kiss and slowly fades away until she is gone.
Kate falls to the floor with Alexis in her arms crying in large heaving sobs. Alexis wraps her arms around Kate. While Rick gets down on the floor with her to envelope both of them.
"Are you ok mom?" Alexis asks her.
Kate can only cry in return for a minute. "I'm fine sweetie."
"Is she gone Kate?" Rick asks.
"Yea, she's gone. Gone forever." Kate responds still crying a little.
"You got to say goodbye Kate. And I think you'll see her again. Just not for a lot of years from now if I have anything to say about it." Rick counters.
Kate responds by smiling and grabbing him and kissing him.
Breaking from the kiss. "Marry me Castle, NOW! And I want that baby." Kate tells him.
"REALLY?" Alexis asks, sounding more than happy.
Kate looks at Alexis. "YES, really." Then Kate looks at Castle.
"We need to shop for a ring, you need to shop for a dress, it could take days to get a license, …." Rick is forced to stop talking when Kate covers his mouth with her hand.
"I don't need a dress, yes I want a ring but that can wait and I want to be married by this time tomorrow Castle." Kate looks at him pleading.
"Alexis go wake Grams, we're flying to Vegas to get married. And I need to make a few phone calls." Then Rick kisses Kate soundly. "Oh and that was a yes. No, better make that a HELL YES!" And Rick kisses her again.
"I'm gonna get a real mommy!" Alexis is excited. "I gotta get grams." And Alexis runs for the door.
After Alexis is gone. "You're sure about this Kate?"
"I'm sure Castle. My mom told me not to lose you two and fight for you if I have to. And I'm going to do exactly what my mom told me to do. Besides, … I love you Castle." Kate tells him grinning. "And I want that baby."
"Then you better go pack, I have work to do." And Rick kisses her again and heads for his laptop and his cell phone.
The Venetian
3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
COURTYARD ROMANCE
Exclusive use of our Venezia® Courtyard for one hour
Use of our bridal room
Personal event planner to assist you with ceremony details
Custom-created bouquet and matching boutonniere
Two lavish floral arrangements for the courtyard
Aisle décor to include simulated luminaries and rose
petal treatment
Two hours of professional photography including
a walk-around of the property
Second photographer for the ceremony
Forty-eight 5"x 7" color prints and
four 8"x10" color prints
Wedding photo album
DVD of your wedding ceremony
String trio for your ceremony
Thirty-minute rehearsal
Champagne gift set
A "Wedding Wish" gift basket delivered to your guest suite
Advanced reservations on our signature white wedding gondola
to include two souvenir color prints taken by the gondola
dock photographer
Honeymooners' breakfast in bed served in the comfort
of your guest suite
Chocolate dipped tuxedo strawberries delivered to your
guest suite
One-hour of limousine service
$300 credit to Canyon Ranch SpaClub®
Sound system for the ceremony
Up to 100 Chiavari chairs for guest seating
Up to 20% discount on a suite accommodation
for the bride and groom
Prima suite upgrade, based on availability at check-in
Exclusive invited guest check-in for the bride and groom
Celebrant to perform your ceremony
Rick offered and agreed to pay double the rate for them to be ready in the time requested.
Next came a phone call to the Cessna Bravo pilot to see if he was available to fly them there. Rick threw in another $1,000 for him to play with and arranged for a suite in the Venetian to stay in along with all his meals.
Alexis was going to miss a day of school, but Rick could live with that and he didn't think she would mind.
He didn't know how Kate was going to explain her missing days from work, but he would remind her later.
Kate was still sitting on the floor recovering from it all when the front door opened and Martha came in and found her sitting on the floor.
"Katherine dear, tell me my granddaughter is right?" Martha kneels down in front of her.
Kate could only nod her head.
Martha wasted no time in hugging her. "Oh Katherine, I'm so happy for you. I know my granddaughter loves you, and I have no doubt my son loves you. Welcome to the family dear." And Martha crushes her again.
"How are you getting married in one day? What about a dress?" Martha asks.
"I don't need a dress Martha and rings can come later , …." And gets interrupted by Martha.
"Oh no dear. Every bride deserves a dress. And I know just the person. All those years in acting are about to pay off." And Martha gets up and walks for the front door. "You leave it to me dear, I'll find you the perfect dress." And Martha waves her hand as she goes out the door.
Martha is replaced by Alexis who wraps her arms around her. "You're really going to be my real mommy?"
Kate can only grin and squeeze her tight. "Yes, I'm going to be your real mommy. Which reminds me, I need to talk to Castle about making you legally mine." Kate adds. "I'm not losing you for anything. You're mine from now on."
"I love you mom."
"I love you too sweetie. Let's go get packed, I don't know how or when we are leaving." Kate tells her picking her up as she gets up.
They run across Castle in the Library/Office just as he gets off the phone. "I have to run, I'll be back in a couple of hours." Rick stops to hold onto Kate and kiss her. "Pack something for me and we fly at first light." And walks quickly for the front door.
"Castle where are you going?" Kate calls after him, but he doesn't stop. "What is he up to?"
But Kate continues on to pack her bag and help Alexis pack hers.
Then she goes to Castle's bedroom to pack something for him.
Castle isn't back for almost three hours. Kate had put Alexis back to bed and she was sitting on the sofa doing the best she could to stay awake, when Castle finally comes thru the front door.
"Where did you go Castle?" Kate questions him.
"I'm not letting my future wife go without something." Castle tells her and hands over a small rectangular box.
Kate immediately sucks in her breath and stops breathing. Kate with trembling hands opens the box slowly. And starts to hyperventilate the second she sees it.
Diamond-Me
One of a Kind 2 1/2ct TW Certified Marquise Diamond Ring in 18k Gold
This stunning ring features a 2 carat Certified Marquise White Diamond of D color, VS clarity, encircled by 171 Round-Brilliant White & Fancy Yellow Accent Diamonds. All stones are 100% Natural Diamonds.
$23,459.99
"It's gorgeous Castle!"
Rick reaches to take it out of the box and takes her left hand and places it on her finger. It was a little big for her but not overly so.
"We can get it re-sized later." Castle tells her.
Kate just stares at it on her finger. Takes a moment to look at Castle then goes back to look at the ring on her finger.
Then takes a hold of Castle and kisses him. "I love you Castle."
"I love you too Mrs. Castle." Rick arches his eyebrows a couple of times.
"Not just yet Castle. However I like the sound of it." Kate tells him. "Mrs. Castle." Kate tries it on for size.
"It's still a little early but we should probably head for the airport. Maybe the pilot will show up early." Rick suggests.
"You chartered a jet Castle? Again?" Kate was planning on flying an airline.
"Simplest, easiest and fastest way to get there. Plus he has space and was happy to go." Rick counters.
"Castle, just how rich are you?" Kate wonders, not really wanting a complete breakdown.
"All of the day to day expenses are covered by the profits I make. There are no mortgage or car payments. Things like insurance, taxes, utilities and food are covered from the profits. Other things are a mix of profit and bank account." Rick tells her.
"You own this place outright? And the one in Hawaii?" Kate asks with her mouth hanging open.
"Yup, paid cash when I bought them. It helped make the cost less and I didn't want a mortgage payment so I had to be a little careful in how much I spent." Rick explains.
"How much?" Kate asks looking a little scared of the answer.
"You sure you want to know?"
"Well I am going to be your wife, so I think I should know something."
Rick just smiles. "I'll make an appointment with my lawyer for you so you can get to know everything. But to answer your question. This apartment was just over 10 million at the time. Using cash saved me 3 million.
And the home in Hawaii was just over 12.5 million at the time. Not including the car and some minor redecorating that was done after the purchase." Rick tells her wincing waiting for Kate to slap him.
Kate however just sits there opening and closing her mouth like a fish, and starts playing with her ring. If he paid that much for a home he hardly lives in, what did he pay for her ring?
Rick opens his mouth like he was going to answer her unspoken question. "No Castle, I don't want to know how much you paid for it. Maybe someday, just not today." Kate tells him before he can tell her.
"You're worth every penny Kate. Every last penny." And then he gives her a quick kiss and helps lift her up.
They had a flight to catch.
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Copy and paste into Amazon to view the ring. Yes, i know. I used Amazon. So sue me.