CH57

"Alright fine. I love Katherine Houghton Beckett with every part of my being. Next to my daughter she is the most precious person in my life. I've gone through a lot in my life some of which you've likely read about back in New York and a lot that happened long before I ever reached that city. I've let Kate in on all of that, absolutely everything. I'm not hiding anything. If I've left something out it wasn't done deliberately. She knows about my ex-wife and she knows about what happened in New York that put me in the papers."

"She tells me you're her best friend so I'll give you a free pass. Ask me any one question and I'll answer it as completely as I can. You'll learn what Kate already knows," Rick offered. Her friends meant a lot to Kate so they needed to feel good about her being with him. "Any one question?" Lanie confirmed looking at the others that were there except for Oscar and Johanna who were still taking a nap so they would be awake tonight.

Lanie decided to make it simple and all encompassing. If he was going to tell them everything, this was the one thing that bothered her the most. "PLAYBOY."

Rick took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "To understand fully we need to go back about a decade. I was born in a really small community about a quarter the size of Newcastle actually. If you'll pardon the pun...if you were good enough you really could have thrown a rock from one end to the other." That got a couple of light chuckles.

Hunt and Martha's giant house was actually the largest building at the time and not considered part of the town. Speaking strictly about the town itself when Rick was a kid, he was basically correct.

"I got a lucky break and found a publisher that liked what I had written and I signed a contract with Black Pawn. I was young and stupid and didn't know much about contracts or that I really should have had a lawyer read it before signing."

"I met a woman who was nothing like anyone I had ever met before which was no surprise when you consider where I came from. She ended up pregnant and I married her because of it. The result was Alexis who is the shining point of my life. Meredith divorced me but that has nothing to do about your question. I was left with a little baby to raise on my own and dove into writing to make up the money I had lost in the divorce. It was during this time that my publicist and publisher brought up a method to increase sales. I fell for it and my playboy image was born."

"I'll admit that at first having women fawning all over me was a good thing. I had some of the most beautiful women I had ever seen to take on dates hanging on my arm. Others were asking me to sign their chests at book signings." Rick paused when he saw Espo grinning only for him to be hit hard in the arm by Lanie.

This little action told Rick something. 'Are Espo and Lanie an item?' he asked Kate. 'Off and on. They're interested in each other just not willing to commit completely. Where did that question come from?' she inquired. 'I'm being grilled by Lanie and Espo was smiling about when I was signing chests and Lanie punched him for it,' he explained. 'Interesting! Sounds like they're back on again. Thanks babe, you just gave me something I can use later. If Lanie gets to be too much just fight back and she'll back down. For the time being that is...' she informed him.

"Being a playboy, however, was beginning to become uncomfortable and there were other things in my life that were taking place that were acting on that feeling. I finally took my contract to a lawyer to have it reviewed and found out that I had effectively signed my life over to my publisher. I was now a playboy or anything else they wanted me to be, like it or not. And I did not."

"It was at this time that I bought land here using a different name. I hired an architect to design the house and hired Oscar to design the kitchen."

"My contract with Black Pawn was still in effect for a number of months, 18 months to be precise. My final wake-up call was when I got a call from the grade school Alexis attended." He stopped talking since this was embarrassing and he wasn't proud of it. He actually squirmed in his seat a bit.

"Alexis had gotten into a fight defending my honor against what the other kids were saying about me. I found out after that that she was being teased about who and what I was from the other kids who probably heard it from their parents. It broke my heart that my baby girl was defending me against others. Worse was that I had allowed it to happen in the first place since I had been stupid enough to go along with Black Pawn's idea."

"That was the final straw. I already didn't like the image being that kind of playboy since it really didn't feel like me. I fired my publicist and publisher at the end of my contract, changed my name, and moved out here with my daughter. Rodgers was my mother's maiden name and save for Johanna who, it turns out, was a fan, I've managed to remain hidden until now and now you four know." Rick concluded his answer to Lanie's question.

"But you're still publishing books," Lanie snipped. "I have a new publisher out of Los Angeles and no publicist since I'm writing books under the name Richard Castle as a ghost writer. My new publisher has agreed as part of our contract not to divulge the name of the author who is writing them. I wanted to get away from New York and the playboy image and insulate Alexis from being teased in school again. So far it's worked out well. I haven't heard anything from anyone I left behind and Alexis actually has more friends here than she did in New York." Rick started shining brightly about that. "One of them is going camping with us later," he added.

Rick loved Kate but how his little girl was doing was the shining point of his decision to change his name, how he lived, and where he lived. His bear didn't even remotely miss New York City. Not even a little and neither did he anymore.

"Does that answer your question?" Rick asked looking at Lanie. "May I ask another?" Lanie wasn't afraid of pushing her limits. He laughed. "Sure." Maybe this one would be easier to answer.

"Why here? I mean this isn't anything remotely close to New York," Lanie questioned."Have you asked Kate that?" he countered. "I know she moved to get her mother back and we can respect that. As to why she chose here, no I don't think any of us have asked her that yet." Lanie intended to though.

"Think about it, really think. It shouldn't be that hard," Rick told them and looked at them one at a time. "My name was Richard Castle and I came all the way out here to remake myself. Become the new me or maybe more correctly, be the me I was meant to be. I live in Newcastle," Rick offered trying to see if any light bulbs go on. He slumped; he had thought it was so obvious. It wasn't the only reason but he couldn't resist it when he bought the land. "Richard Castle makes himself into a new Castle as Richard Rodgers in Newcastle, Wyoming," he said. Jenny was first, followed by her husband Kevin, then by Lanie while Espo still struggled with it but kept his mouth shut lest he get punched by Lanie again.

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Kate left the office to attend her lunch meeting with the mayor. What she didn't know was that it was a campaign lunch for her run at being elected sheriff. She got to meet all the major people in Newcastle. All of the owners of the major stores were in attendance along with real estate agents and a developer that the mayor had gotten to show up.

She was really late getting back to the office. She was feeling a whole lot better about her chances at being elected sheriff though. Most everyone knew that she used to be a homicide detective in New York City. They were also shocked to learn what Dahl had been doing with the office's budget.

Kate replacing the ancient cars, computers, and other equipment had gone over pretty well. Her making arrangements to fix the building had gotten a few lifted eyebrows until she explained that the cost of having the illegal roof replaced would be recovered in 3 years and the walls in 2 or 3 years. The roof work would start next week while she was off. The computers had already arrived and the conversion was underway, while delivery of the cars was still just over a month away.

What happened at Dahl's house was still unknown but she was expecting the results of all the samples she sent in about 2 weeks; when the State would get theirs back she didn't know.

She also now had an account to use for the purpose of working to get elected sheriff along with a lot of paperwork on how the funds could and couldn't be spent. The first thing to go out would be a flyer to all of the houses and farms. They were places that she had already visited during her time out on the road when she was first hired. Those connections were now coming back to help her.

Kate got a phone call about when she could expect to get the next set of computers to replace the ones in the cars, meaning they didn't need the expensive program that Elizabeth had pointed out. Getting the program would have been less expensive, but the computers in the cars were old just like the ones in the office.

It was only a few hours later when Kate was driving home with Sam next to her. They were both met at the door by Midas and Maggie who demanded they be petted.

"Hi guys!" Kate was happy to see everyone. "I have news but give me a chance to get cleaned up and change clothes," she asked them and started for the stairs. "We have dinner reservations at your mom's tonight. You have…45 minutes until we have to be at AFTER DARK," Rick called after her. That had Kate silently cursing since she knew it was easily 20 minutes just to get there. She was in and out of the shower in minutes, quickly dried her hair, and put in some curls with a quick use of the curling iron. She found something to wear, added a quick dab of make-up, and she rushed back downstairs. "Ready," she announced.

Rick wrapped his arms around her. "You're so beautiful." And he gave her a quick kiss. The mini hug alone helped her feel better. "Since we have Alexis and Sam tonight we're going to need two cars." He knew his truck wasn't big enough for everyone. "I can drive, just don't lose me," Espo warned.

"You two awake back there?" Kate asked after they were on the road and turned to look at Alexis and Sam. It was late in the day and both of them really should be in bed, not headed for a meal. "I'm fine Mom," Alexis said perking up. "Me too," Sam added. Since Kate didn't see any yawning she took them at their word for now.

"We have a reservation for 8 under Rodgers," Rick told the young woman up front. "Of course Mr. Rodgers, we've been expecting you. Just give us a minute to put the tables together," she advised him and rushed off to do just that with a little help. That was the benefit of having so many tables that seated four. The staff could put them together quickly for larger groups.

They were soon seated and a young woman came to the table. "Hi I'm Cynthia and I'll be your server this evening. Can I start you with drinks?" she asked then took their beverage orders and left.

"This is nice!" Jenny looked around and saw framed art on the walls. "Are those real paintings?" She pointed at the art on the walls. "Those are, thanks to Oscar. He found a little known artist who hadn't made his name yet and got them cheap. Maybe 20 or 30 years from now they'll really be worth something," Kate replied. "They're very nice." Jenny liked them.

"They're really busy here," Lanie noticed. "Mom is doing pretty well at the moment. Oscar brokered a deal with a tour company that takes people over to Mount Rushmore every day. She only gets three of those buses that run daily," Kate informed them.

"She's also going to shoot off fireworks after each University of Wyoming win," Rick said. "Oscar even got her jerseys for the University with her logo on the sleeve. They're up front for sale," Kate added.

"I saw all the cookies up front. Some of those are definitely going home with me," Lanie said happily. She loved cookies. "Especially the one that looks like a tarantula," Jenny remarked with glee.

Their waitress was back and took their dinner orders and left again. "What was that thing she was using?" Kevin was curious. "It's an order tablet. Oscar found it somewhere. She can even show you a picture of a food item on it if you are curious or need to see it. It's state of the art. And it helps Johanna keep track of what's ordered based on what she has in the coolers or dry storage so she knows what is popular and what isn't. If something isn't selling she can change it out for something else. It also helps her determine what to order for deliveries tomorrow," Kate explained.

"Hi Kate, Rick, Alexis." Oscar touched each of them and nodded hello to the others. Johanna had introduced them to him previously at home. "I know this lovely young lady!" Oscar bent down to look at Sam who blushed. "It's so nice to see you Sam," he remarked.

"Hi Sam." A young man wearing all black walked past and waved, getting Sam to smile widely and wave back. "And who was that?" Oscar asked Sam. "My brother," Sam answered his question. "Well, I'll let Jo know that you are here. If she has a moment I'll send her out," Oscar left them to their meal.

"Oscar has done a lot for your mother hasn't he?" Lanie asked. "Mom wouldn't have this restaurant without him. Without him and his help I'm not sure Mom would be as alive as she is now, even after coming out here. He's been good for her." Kate looked where Oscar had gone. It gave Kate a reason to give Oscar a break.

Espo flagged down their waitress. "What kind of bread is this?" He had eaten almost all of it and wasn't the least bit ashamed of it. "It's Russian black bread," she replied. "Can we get more?" he asked, both for himself and the others. "Of course, I'll be right back." And she took the now empty board it had been served on and left and was back moments later with another just like it. "Thank you," Espo said. "You're welcome. Your meal should be out shortly." Then she walked away.

Fifteen minutes later which was 40 minutes after they ordered, she came back out with some of their meals. Sam's brother was also helping her serve. Sam got a pat on her shoulder from her brother as their server refilled their drinks.

"This is really good!" Lanie commented. "I'll say," Kevin added. "How is everything?" Johanna sneaked up on them while they ate. "This is amazing Ms. Beckett," Jenny commented. "This is good too." Espo pointed at his Beef Wellington. "I'm glad you like it. Please call me Johanna or just Jo. You're staying in my house after all. And I'm happy to see you again Sam." Jo bent down to her level. "Your brother is a good worker. Maybe he'll own his own restaurant one day." Johanna stroked her hair. "That isn't seafood is it?" Johanna was still looking out for her and watched Sam shake her head. "Oscar and I will be home really late so don't wait up on us," she warned them.

"Well, I for one am leaving here with some of those cookies," Lanie told her. "And that tarantula cookie," Jenny declared. "Mom, before you go, I want to share what happened to me earlier today. I had lunch with the mayor today which turned out to actually be a campaign funding lunch with people from town. I'm officially running for sheriff."

"That's great honey!" Johanna hugged her daughter and kissed her head. "You're going to win easily sweetheart. I'm proud of you and I know your father would be too." Johanna kissed her again. "Thanks Mom." Kate blinked back tears. "Back to the kitchen. If anything goes wrong let me know and I'll personally fix it." Johanna kissed Kate's head again. "You two be good." Johanna pointed at Alexis and Sam then she went back into the kitchen.

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"Jo's food was so good!" Kevin commented as the others agreed. "And they were busy all night long. I barely saw an empty table," Jenny remarked. "It's a new restaurant and people want to find out what it's like. So long as people can continue to afford to eat out, she should be fine," Lanie added. "If Oscar is as good as it sounds, she'll do fine," Jenny agreed.

"These two are out cold," Kate commented looking back at Alexis and Sam. "It's almost 11:00 pm. They should have been in bed hours ago. Getting Sam up in the morning to go into work with you is going to be a challenge," Rick pointed out. "I know, but it was worth it," Kate said, pleased with how their evening went.

"And I'm proud of you, too, by the way, Ms. Future Official Sheriff of Weston County." Rick smiled and looked at her. Kate blushed. "Thanks. …Are you sure you're okay with this?" she questioned him. He was quite perplexed. "Why would I not be? I still think you can run for mayor and do both jobs at the same time," he replied.

"That's not happening unless you can somehow clone me," she countered. "Ooooo, think of the possibilities. Two Kate Becketts. Two sheriffs, double the safety. Oh, I know! A threesome with two Kate Becketts!" He was grinning while he waited for the reaction he was sure was coming.

"And if you cheat on me with anyone including me, I'll shoot you. Are we clear?" Kate challenged him. "Crystal. …However we are bonded, so technically I can't cheat on you since it would be physically impossible," Rick pointed out. "Which means you can cheat on me with me," Kate countered using his logic. "Well, technically a clone of you would still be you so it might be possible. However since I don't know anyone who can clone anything it's not going to happen," he said laughing.

"And since you're going to live as long as I am, who's to say what we can do a thousand years from now. And it's still not happening or I'll shoot you and do without for the rest of my life," she informed him. "Got it. …Are you tired too?" he asked her looking in the rear view mirror quickly. Kate started smiling. "Not that tired babe."

Kate had given Lanie her key to the house so Kate and Rick waved as they turned right and the others turned left. Rick shortly pulled into his drive and parked the truck. He got out and picked up Alexis. He carried her limp, sleeping body up the steps and into the house then upstairs to her bedroom while Kate carried with an equally heavy Sam. Kate didn't find Sam as heavy as she was expecting.

Both girls were soon tucked into bed with kisses to their heads while Rick and Kate retreated to their bedroom. Each did their best to get the others clothes off of them leaving Midas in Alexis's room and Maggie in Sam's.

Kate woke up in the morning to find herself snuggled up in Rick's arms; he was staring at her. "How long have you been staring at me? It's creepy," she stated. "Just admiring the beauty of my fiancée," he told her. "Hmm," she hummed happily. She liked the sound of that word.

"Have you thought about when or where you want to get married?" he asked her. His question had Kate twisting in his arms so she could look him in the eye. "No, not yet. Are you in a hurry?" She liked being engaged and wanted to enjoy it. "No, no hurry. But some venues can be hard to get depending on where it is or even when," he remarked.

She hadn't thought about it, though Rick had been married once already. "Where did you and Meredith get married?" Kate wanted to do whatever she hadn't done. "We were married in a little church outside of town. It was small with not many people," Rick told her. "Then we're getting married somewhere grand with a lot of people," Kate told him. "And how many is a lot?" he wondered. That had Kate thinking about it. Her friends of course. Roy and his family naturally. Anyone from the sheriff's office that was off work that day. Suddenly she realized that she didn't have that many people to invite. "Maybe 15 or 20." Kate thought that was a pretty small number. "You?" She looked at him.

That left Rick thinking, though in his case he thought out loud. "Serena, Joanne, and anyone from their family they want to bring. Hayley and Allison since they helped us and we owe them. Certainly not my parents." That had Kate stroking his face and feeling sad for him again. She grew up with loving parents while Rick grew up being beaten until he bled. She leaned in to kiss him. "Andrea since she is the Alpha now and maybe her family if they want to come. And Alexis's friends and their families," he suggested.

His list wasn't that big either. Now they just needed someplace everyone could reach that didn't cost them an arm and a leg. "We'll think of something." Kate told him just as the hated alarm clock went off. "I'll start breakfast," he said and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll get the girls into the tub," Kate said as she groaned when she left Rick's arms and rolled out of bed.

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Please tell me that you, the readers, already caught on that Castle was being remade into the new Castle in Newcastle, Wyoming! Was it really that difficult? My beta reader caught on really fast. Why do you think I picked this town?