Snowed In

Chapter 15

She wasn't thinking.

No.

Not one ounce of energy was given to thinking too much over her actions. Lanie was constantly telling her to stop overthinking things. So that's what she was doing. Kate Beckett was finally taking her best friend's advice. Lanie would be proud.

She wanted to have fun. And, boy, was Richard Castle fun. Infuriating, at times, but damn… was he just fun to be around.

And as a not-so-secret fan of his books, Kate was thrilled at being able to read an early draft of a new story—even if said story was one based partly on her. Nikki Heat. Yeah. She really needed to work on him about that name. But, guessing solely on that sly grin of his, Castle was probably going to win on that battle. Still, better not let him know that. Oh yes. That would be fun.

Besides, she'd save her true vetoes for more important battles.

Presently, Kate turned her attention to the two shimmering pots of stew. Having relieved her aunt of the cooking duties, Kate had then quickly assembled a small plate of cheeses, grapes, raisins, and sliced apple for Castle and her to snack on while that talked as she monitored the stews.

He was endlessly fascinated by her work. And she told him about some of her more interesting cases. He asked surprisingly good questions about certain points that impressed her. For a man who joked around a lot, he was actually quite intelligent and insightful. It also got her thinking over something she'd read in an interview once.

"So, is it true?"

"Hmm?" he hummed as he took a bite of cheese after eating two slices of apple.

"You were telling me how you did your own research," Kate reminded, smiling as she stirred the contents of the stew.

"Yes," Castle nodded, and tilted his head as he waggled his eyebrows. "I'm very hands on."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "Exactly how 'hands on' were you with your other… inspirations?" She wasn't going to say muses.

Castle hesitated before answering, which was an answer in and of itself.

She frowned. Her heart clenched in her chest and nibbled on her lower lip. Perhaps she should be overthinking things. Kate didn't want to be another conquest. Even if this was just a fling while she was away from work, she still wanted it to have some meaning.

"Hey," Castle said, stepping around the prep table and placing a hand on her shoulder, garnering her attention. "What is it? Tell me what you're thinking."

She jerked her eyes up to his, unable to prevent the momentary flicker of her gaze to his lips before meeting his. A wrinkle formed between her brows. "Just wondering how big the club is?"

Castle let out a little laugh. "I'm not denying I've had other muses—er—sorry… inspirations, but I can promise you one thing."

"Can you?" she asked, not bothering to conceal her doubt.

He cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. Apparently, he wasn't used to people challenging him like that. She could see the inner debate swirling around behind his eyes, before he made a decision. "You're different."

She swallowed, easily sensing the truth of that statement.

"How?"

He just stared back at her, willing her to deduce the answer for herself. It struck her so rapidly, she almost gasped.

"Oh," was all she said.

He nodded. "Exactly."

Castle moved his hand up to cradle her jaw, and he eased forward, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. She closed her eyes and leaned into it, relishing in the feelings that kissing him evoked within her. Never before had kissing someone felt so… amazing.

"Is that really true?" she asked when they parted, curious.

He hummed. "I never let anyone—anyone—read a first draft like you just did. Not even family. Or even my editor. And I was married to her." Castle moved back around the table to pick at the snack plate as she returned to gently stirring the stew. "I certainly have never given anyone approval rights."

"Yes, I was wondering about that," Kate bobbed her head.

There was a brief lull in their conversation, until Castle broke it.

He gazed at her for a long interval and then asked, "You really liked it?"

Kate arched her neck to glance over her shoulder. A small smile touched her lips. "Yeah, I did," she assured. And she was being honest. Even knowing the inspiration behind the main character, and the lack of some details within the murder mystery, the story had sucked her in. And she was eager to read more. The wait was going to be excruciating. But still… "Obviously I'm not keen on that name—"

"It'll grow on you," he insisted.

She let out a harrumph at that. "We'll see."

"We shall," he agreed happily, reaching for a grape and popping it in his mouth. "I shall convince you." He waggled his eyebrows.

Kate shivered with anticipation at the suggestive implications of his gesture. Playing along, she glanced back at him with a sultry look. "I look forward to our… spirited debate, then."

His grin grew wider.

Kate blushed. She couldn't believe she said that. But there was just something about Richard Castle that destroyed her filter. Her pulse quickened as the faded memories of those so vivid dreams from the previous night percolated back into her conscious mind.

She chewed on her lower lip as she turned back towards the stews, all the while pondering just how the fantasy would stack up to the reality.

XXX

She decided to join him out in the dining hall with the other guests. After he offered to help set up the serving table, Aunt Theresa had turned to Kate and nudged her with an elbow, hinting that Castle was a keeper. Kate had just rolled her eyes at that. It was far too soon into whatever it was this was to make those sorts of determinations, but yes… she had to agree it was nice that he was willing to help. It showed her a different side of the man that she supposed many didn't get to see.

The Gilberts took the table by the window, while the Thompsons, with their young daughter, took the one closest to the lobby. Castle set up his bowl in the corner, next to a potted ficus plant. But before Kate could bring her bowl over to join him, her Aunt Theresa went over and clucked her tongue in disapproval, moving him over to the large table in the center of the room, where she'd already placed a bowl for herself and Herb, who was mouthing an apology towards Kate. Her Uncle Herb had easily recognized that they'd be intruding on the younger couple, while her Aunt Theresa seemed rather oblivious to the fact Kate would have preferred sharing a meal with Castle alone.

Aunt Theresa was just a bit of a handful at times. But Kate still loved her.

"So, Mr. Castle, when did you know you wanted to be a writer?" Theresa asked without preamble after everyone had seated.

Castle glanced up from his stew, having yet to take a single bite. "Oh… since I was young," he answered with a practiced smile. "I always liked telling stories. Just didn't really realize it until I got a little older that I wanted to make a career of it." His grin grew both cocky and self-deprecating, a truly stupendous feat, but if anyone could pull that off, Kate knew it was Castle. "I was a bit of a class clown."

Theresa chuckled.

"Why doesn't that surprise me," Kate added in with a stifled smirk.

He looked at her and waggled his eyebrows, which made her laugh. Wow. It was amazing how much the man could make her laugh. Something, if she was being honest, had been lacking in her life as of late.

"Where'd you go to school, Mr. Castle?" Herb asked conversationally.

"Me," Castle raised his eyebrows. "Well… when I wasn't learning the lessons of life backstage at my mother's theatrical endeavors, I was bouncing around schools." He preceded to ramble off a list of numerous public schools, private schools, and some boarding schools, before wrapping up with saying, "And eventually I landed at Faircroft in my senior year."

"So… you graduated from Faircroft?" Theresa asked, frowning in confusion.

"I didn't say that," Castle replied with a twinkle in his eye as he looked towards Kate. "I would have if it wasn't for the fact that one night my buddies and I sneaked in and pushed a cow up twelve flights of stairs and onto the roof."

"A cow? Really?" Kate nearly choked on her stew. She held up a hand and stifled a laugh.

"Yep," he nodded, puffing up a bit, as if he was still proud of his adolescent self.

"So, what happened?" Kate asked, finding herself intrigued in spite of herself. "Did you guys get expelled?"

"No," Castle shook his head, narrowing his eyes as if traveling back to those younger days. "Just me. I wasn't connected like my buddies were. I was the scholarship kid, so I got the boot."

Kate couldn't hold back a soft smile as she gazed at him. "Well, I think you turned out all right."

The praise seemed to renew his peacocking. "Me too."

Across from them, her Uncle Herb was swallowing his second mouthful of stew when he suddenly paused and stared down at his bowl.

"Tea?"

"Yes, dear."

"Did you give me the vegetarian stew?"

Theresa patted his arm and gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm only following those instructions the doctors gave us. Sorry, dear."

He grumbled, but didn't protest any further.

"So, what about you, Kate? Where'd you go school?" Castle asked, returning them to their conversation.

"Stuyvesant."

"Wow… They're really selective with admissions. You must be really smart."

Kate offered a self-deprecating shrug. "So I'm told."

He grinned.

"Well, our Katie was always the serious student," Aunt Theresa interjected. "Even during her rebellious stage."

She shot her aunt a mild glare, but Theresa just smiled back.

"Kate the Rebel," Castle tilted his head to assess her with new eyes. "Now this I have to hear! Yes. Please do tell."

She pursed her lips together and raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, Castle. You might not be able to handle that."

Their eyes met and Kate could feel the charged air between them. Yeah. She would have definitely preferred it if they could have shared the meal alone. Flirting so openly with Castle right in front of her aunt and uncle hadn't been on her to-do list. Yet… she couldn't seem to help herself.

"Oh, nothing too salacious, I can assure you," Theresa interrupted their little moment. "Or perhaps so," she added, noticing Kate's expression.

"I got a tattoo," Kate supplied, knowing it was perhaps one of the milder tales from her wild days. "Totally freaked my Dad out."

"A tattoo?" Castle perked up.

Oh, yes. She could read his mind. If not for her aunt and uncle's presence, Kate would have teased him about where he'd find it. Instead, she offered a simple shrug of her shoulders. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal," she said. "It wasn't anything bad. Just some simple ink. But if you'd listened to my dad at the time, it was the end of the world."

After a long beat, Castle knitted his eyebrows together in thought. "Actually, I think I can understand your father's reaction. If Alexis suddenly showed up with a tattoo I'd definitely freak out."

Kate chuckled. For some reason, she couldn't quite place it, hearing about his relationship with his daughter, and seeing him as a caring dad rather than a freewheeling playboy made him more appealing and endearing in her eyes. It showed her that there was more to him than what the papers or online forums said.

"Alexis?" Aunt Theresa asked, a puzzled look flashing across her face.

"My daughter," Castle explained, frowning and a little bemused. And then he beamed with fatherly pride as he announced. "She turns 16 this year."

"You have a teenage daughter!" Theresa exclaimed with some alarm, and then turned to Kate. "Did you know about this?"

"Yes," Kate said, confused by her aunt's reaction. "It's not exactly a secret."

"And… you're okay with—?"

"Tea," Herb cut her off with a gentle warning.

She let out a long breath. "Sorry. It's just… Kate's far too young to become a stepmother to a teenage girl!"

Kate nearly spit out her mouthful of stew. "What!?"

Castle's eyes went wide.

"Well, it's the truth," Theresa insisted, baffled by everyone's reaction.

Kate didn't think. She just responded on instinct. "We just started dating, Aunt Theresa. It's not like we're getting married. And even if we were—which we're not—it wouldn't matter."

And there it was. Wow. She just said it out loud. They were dating. She actually used that word to describe their relationship. Kate was stunned. She hadn't even realized it herself until that moment. Even though it was all so very, very new, and they hadn't done anything besides kissing—which they were really great at—Kate guessed she already knew that she wanted more than a fling. And what stunned her more was the fact that if this thing progressed beyond just dating, and grew more serious, apparently her subconscious mind was telling her that she wouldn't mind becoming a stepmom to a teenage girl.

Now that was some revelation there.

Castle was staring at her with this amazed look in his eyes.

She couldn't blame him. She'd just amazed herself.

"You… you really mean that?" he asked, clearly stunned.

"Um…," she stalled for time, still shellshocked over the realization. "I… I apparently do."

Castle smiled. And she felt her lips spread wide in a matching smile. Her pulse quickened as their eyes locked and so much was communicated with just that look. She was under the sudden impression that this thing between them, while new, might… just might have some staying power. That both thrilled and terrified her.

"Tea, dear, I'm feeling a bit tired," Herb asserted.

Theresa snapped out of her gobsmacked look, and jumped to help him. Kate casted a grateful look toward her uncle, who offered her a conspiratorial wink as Theresa gathered their bowls and followed him back towards the kitchen. Bless him.

"You must really like me," Castle asserted after they'd been alone for several minutes.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers. Her breath caught. Their intertwined hands fit together so perfectly. Like matching puzzle pieces.

"I guess I do," Kate replied.

And that's when the lights flickered out.