154. Chapter 154

Chapter 154

"Copenhagen is a great place for a kid vacation," Castle said as they ate breakfast. When Alexis and I were here, there were so many things to see we couldn't fit them all in."

"You wanted to surprise us, so where do we go first?" Kate asked.

The Children's Museum opens at 10:00. We can start there and see how far down the wish list we get before we have to admit defeat."

"Then let's get ourselves together and get started. Jamie, we're going on another adventure today. Let's get you dressed. I'll put your clothes on your bed and you can put them on."

Before everybody was dressed and ready, they consulted the concierge about a car service and it was arranged for someone to pick them up in half an hour. They met the driver at the front of the hotel and set off for the children's museum, and they found that everything there was hands on. They started with a peek through some boards to see what children in the 1920's were playing, after that there was brick laying, a Viking ship, and making a snack in a Medieval kitchen. Then they found a boredom button. Castle warned Jamie that something would surprise him if he pushed the button; and he pushed it, seeming to have his parents' sense of adventure. A statue close by started moving, and Jamie squealed in surprise then started laughing and watched. He was standing a little closer to his parents than he was before, but fascinated nevertheless.

When they left, they had lunch at the National Aquarium and went looking for the exhibit called The Blue Planet…part of it like a tunnel through the water. There were fish everywhere, swimming all around them.

"Sharks, Daddy!"

"They're big, aren't they?" As they watched, Jamie asked what to call some of the other fish that caught his eye. Some his parents could identify and some they couldn't.

As they wandered, there were colorful salt water fish zipping past them, and suddenly a couple of fish appeared from behind some sea creatures that looked like white plants, raising shouts of "Nemo!" from several young voices as the orange striped fish swam past. There were fish of all sizes and shapes, some that seemed to like their individual space and others that traveled in large schools, moving together and occasionally turning en masse. There were areas where there was a view from both above and below the water, and they watched a duck from both perspectives then went to see the Amazonian birds and butterflies. They had stayed for almost two hours before Castle was ready to move on to another part of the wish list.

"Anybody ready for Bakken Deer Park? Amusement park, nature preserve, beach we aren't going to today, snacks, rides… Gotta decide soon. It closes at sunset, so we won't have much time if we don't go now."

"Is there something special about it?" Kate asked. "We've been to amusement parks before."

"It's part of the oldest amusement park in the world. The actual beginnings date back to the late fifteen hundreds."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Not like today's amusement parks, though…the fifteen hundreds' version. Somebody discovered hot springs, people decided they were therapeutic and started visiting, people wanting to make money on the visitors started opening shops and places to eat and setting up games and entertainment. Not so different from now, just not as fancy. The age old story of somebody always being around to help you spend your money on things you don't need. The deer park used to be royal hunting grounds."

"Well, it would be a shame to miss that. But now they have rides, too?"

"Yep. And if I remember right, plenty of them are little kid friendly."

"Okay. Call our driver and let's go. It's going to be a busy week. Might as well squeeze in as much fun as we can today."

The driver took them to the park, a short ride outside town, and promised to be waiting when the park closed at sunset. They decided to start with the natural area where the deer roamed free, and they were able to point out some of them to Jamie. Then they took a ride in a horse drawn carriage to see what else was around them before heading back toward the more commercial part of the park. After letting Jamie ride a few things he could ride on his own, they found a couple that they could let him ride with them; and by the time they had something for dinner and found a couple of souvenirs, it was time to go home. Their driver took them back to the hotel, and all of them collapsed on the sofa. "Fun day?" Castle asked as he leaned his head back.

"Uh-huh," Jamie answered from where he had curled up in Kate's lap and leaned against her.

She was leaning against Castle and just nodded. He had one arm around her shoulders, she had hers around Jamie, and they all sat there together quietly for a few minutes before Castle opened his eyes and chuckled. "This is a pretty worthless looking stack of Castles."

"Mmm. Good tired, but plenty tired," his wife answered with her own chuckle.

"You and Peanut stretch out on the sofa and relax. Come on, kid. You and Daddy are going to take a shower."

Castle brought Jamie back clean and in his pajamas, and they had to wake Kate so she could shower off the day's dust. He and Jamie entertained themselves with a couple of his new books until she was back to help tuck him in.

As they left their son's room, Castle put an arm around Kate's shoulders and said softly, "I completely wore you out today, didn't I? I'm sorry. I should have thought…"

She leaned against him contentedly and mumbled something pretty unintelligible but sounding vaguely like, "It's okay."

Then he swept his other arm behind her knees and picked her up bridal style. It was telling that she didn't protest at all, just leaned her head on his shoulder and let him carry her. He placed her gently on her side of the bed, got in on his side and pulled her close, saying, "This time it's your turn." He had only rubbed her back for a few minutes before he could tell she was sound asleep, and it wasn't long before he gave in himself.

xxxxx

Since there are a lot of English speakers in the Scandinavian countries, Castle had been booked for another TV show early in the morning. He let the rest of the family asleep, dressed quietly, and slipped out in time for his early appointment. Kate took Jamie to have brunch with him at the big café/bookstore where he had his signing that day. Then she took Jamie to a children's theater, one that caters to very young children, allowing interaction with the audience. Jamie loved it and couldn't wait to tell his father about it when he got back to the hotel.

"It was great," Kate told him. I think we should give Martha tickets to take a friend to Copenhagen so she can see what they do. She does some really good children's productions at her school, but this was different. Training the youngest audiences, they called it. I think she'd love it…could see her interacting with the little ones the way she does with Jamie, all enthusiastic and responsive. She could stop in Paris for some shopping on the way back to add to the package."

"Well, you had me right up to Paris and shopping…all on my credit card, of course."

He got a backhand to the chest for that. "You know it isn't nearly as bad as you make it sound, and you love that you can give her that. I've got your number, Big Boy."

"Just don't tell her, okay?" he answered with a grin.

The next couple of days were like part of the week before, one day stops in Warsaw and Prague, and then moving to Salzburg, where they had a free evening and Castle had an afternoon signing the next day. From there he would have a work day in Venice followed by another day there to regroup before meeting the rest of the family in Munich. On their day off, they didn't push as hard as they had on the day in Copenhagen. They walked around through the narrow streets and eventually found a friendly gondolier who spoke some English for Rick and Jamie, and Kate engaged him for a gondola tour through the city.

"Not just the normal tourist places," Castle told him. "Show us anything interesting, and tell us about it, and gave him enough more than the normal fee to encourage it.

And the man did just that. They navigated through the Grand Canal and then through some of the narrow ones, hearing bits of information a lot of tourists might not have been party to. When the man's English faltered, Kate asked questions in Italian and translated to her men.

"Why is Mommy talking funny?" Jamie asked.

"She's talking the way she talks to Signore Arturo when we go to his restaurant."

While Kate talked to the gondolier, Castle gave Jamie a quick explanation of other languages, this one being Italian. He explained that they would hear more other languages when they went to other places, and then they settled into their seats and the gondolier was pointing out new things on their tour. As requested, the gondolier dropped them off where there was good, high end shopping. Castle wanted to take home a nice souvenir they could display in the loft, a reminder of their trip and Kate's time away from her job. They rewarded Jamie's tenuous patience with a small purchase from a toy shop. Then they had a quiet dinner and a relaxed evening before they had to leave the next morning.

The rest of their family would be arriving at their hotel in Munich in waves, depending on the flights their schedules allowed. The first to arrive were Jim and Meagan, who were just checking in as the Castles got there. Castle was carrying Jamie, and Kate suddenly said, "Jamie. Who is that?"

"Meagan!" he called out excitedly, and she came to them immediately and took him into a big hug.

"Granddaddy and I missed you," she told him. Then she turned to where Jim had just completed their check-in. "Look who else is here."

"Granddaddy!" Jamie scrambled to get down and Jim went to one knee, bracing for the oncoming three year old. They wrapped their arms around each other in a big hug, and Jim stood, holding him, rubbing his back and seeming to soak in the joy of seeing his grandson again.

"They've definitely bonded," Meagan commented with a smile. "I figured I'd better get my hug first." Then she turned to hug Rick and Kate. "We've been looking forward to this. I'm glad you thought to do it."

"We already have a luggage rack," Castle told Meagan. "We'll add yours on and take it up to our rooms.

Turning to Gina and Paula, who were standing back witnessing the reunion, Kate asked, "Gina, have you met my father? I think he and Paula may have run into each other at the loft. This is his wife and my good friend, Meagan." Jim joined them at that point, Jamie still clutching his neck. Gina and Paula shook Meagan's hand, and Paula reached for Jim's.

"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Beckett."

"Jim," he said. "Jim is fine." Then he shook Gina's hand. "I know you were at Rick's birthday party, but I don't think we actually met."

"I'm sure we'll cross paths often in the next week or so," Gina answered. "Enjoy your family, Richard. I'll get all of us checked in." The family gathered in an area a little away from the front desk and talked, catching up.

"All done," Gina told them. "We can move into our rooms now."

"Thank you for taking care of that, Gina," Kate said, standing next to her father…and her son, who showed no sign of separating from his grandfather.

"No problem," she answered. Nodding toward the grandfather and grandson, she said, "Looks like those two are pretty close."

As they followed the bellhop, who was moving the luggage cart to the elevator, Kate answered, "They are. I love seeing them together. Dad and Rick are pretty close, too…and he and Alexis."

"We're taking your son with us," Jim announced as they reached their rooms. "That okay with you?" he asked Jamie. The boy nodded and smiled. "We're taking your son," he confirmed with a similar smile.

Rick and Kate laughed and said, "Just remember to bring him back." Once they were in their room, Rick wrapped his arms around her and kissed her to within an inch of sanity. "How long do you think they'll keep him?" he asked with a grin.

"We probably shouldn't plan on that long," she said, laughing. "But it's a nice thought. You've already got me all hot and bothered."

"So how fast could we fix that?"

"You know exactly when they'd knock on the door, right?"

"You and your logic."

"They just got here. Do you want us to embarrass ourselves in the first half hour?"

"They'd probably understand."

"Castle," she said firmly. "It's my father."

"Oh." There was a little pause. "Yeah. There is that."

"Doesn't mean you can't cop a feel or two before they get here," she said flirtatiously.

He pulled her to the sofa and into his lap and took advantage of the offer, both of them laughing at themselves.

It was just over half an hour before there was a knock on the door, and not one piece of their luggage had been moved from where the bellhop left it. They straightened their clothes as Kate went to the door, but her father couldn't resist giving Rick the girl's dad raised eyebrows when he came in and noticed the unmoved luggage. Meagan just gave Kate a knowing little smirk.

"Not much progress in here," Jim teased as he looked at the bags.

"Enjoying the quiet," his son-in-law answered from the sofa. "Alexis and JD should be here in about an hour. Mother and John won't be here until after dinner. She had a performance at her school that had been planned well ahead of this trip, and John decided to wait and keep her company on the flight."

"Which one is my room?" Jamie asked.

"Um…let's go look," Kate answered.

While they looked and decided on a room, Jim said, "You two didn't get any farther than that couch, did you?"

"Stop trying to intimidate me," Rick told him good naturedly. "We weren't up to that much. It's a business trip with a three year old, and uninterrupted making out time has been at a premium."

Narrowing her eyes at her father, Kate told Jamie to get his suitcase. Then she picked up the bag with his clothes, and they took them to his room.

"I'll rein him in," Meagan promised, and Jim just smiled defiantly at his only child.

"Come on," Jim told Rick. "You obviously need help with these." And he picked up a couple of bags and started walking toward the other bedroom.

"There was a pointed mutter of "No mercy today, huh?" as Rick followed him with a couple more. After all the bags were in the room, Jim smiled, patted his son-in-law's arm, and let him off the hook.

All of them sat down and talked for a while, making time for Jamie in the process. Deciding, based on a text from Alexis, that she and JD should be checking in soon, they all went to find chairs in the comfortably appointed lobby to wait for them.

Jamie was told that Alexis and JD would be there soon and to look for them, and when the younger couple walked to the front desk, they had to hold the little boy back to keep him from running across the lobby through a group of people walking between them, but "There's Lexis!" rang through the lobby and caught her attention.

When the path cleared, they let Jamie go, and Alexis reacted the same way Granddaddy had.

"Hey, Little Brother. Have you been having fun?"

He nodded enthusiastically and said, "Granddaddy and Meagan are here," pointing in their direction.

"I've got him. We're going to check in. Be right there," she called to her dad.

"So where's my hug?" JD asked, and Jamie leaned out of his sister's arms to provide it. Then JD turned to the front desk staff and said in German, "Sorry. We need to check in," and gave their names. "We should have a room near Richard Castle's."

"You're part of his family?" the clerk stated more than asked.

"Daughter, son-in-law, my little brother," Alexis confirmed as she pointed at each of them.

"I believe Mr. Castle was waiting for you before they had dinner. Shall I have someone take your bags to your room now, or would you like us to hold them until after your meal?"

"Why don't we take everything up now?" Alexis asked JD. "I'll talk to Dad while you get the keys. Give me back my brother." JD kissed Jamie's head and let Alexis take him.

"I heard most of that," Castle said, standing to hug his daughter. He pointed out the restaurant and told her they'd get a table while the couple took things to their room. He reached for Jamie, who didn't want to leave his sister, and Alexis said, "You'll have to walk, but you can go with us if it's okay with Daddy."

Castle smiled and said, "Go," shooing them both away, "But I feel unloved."

Kate gave Alexis a quick hug before she got away, saying, "I'm so glad to see you."

"I missed you guys, too. We'll be right back." She took Jamie's hand and walked back to her husband, telling Jamie, "We have our suitcases, so you have to push the elevator button."

The bellhop actually had the luggage, but he let Jamie push the button anyway.

Dinner was full of their normal banter and teasing and reports of what had happened on the tour. Castle told a couple of signing stories that Kate hadn't heard yet, and Jamie told his own stories with occasional explanations slipped in by his parents.

Martha and John came in around eight-thirty, and in a round of scented hugs and kisses, she was heard to declare that after all the travelling she had done, she still had trouble with the idea of leaving one place and arriving at the next one this much earlier than she left. Jamie happily sat in Grams' lap, and while they talked to the others, Grandpa John took little breaks to play with Jamie.

On the way back to their rooms, Castle stopped at the front desk and asked if Bentley Keane would be staying there, too. Since the reception for Castle was being held at the hotel in two days, he suspected they would be seeing him soon.

"He should arrive tomorrow afternoon, Sir." The clerk informed him. Would you like to leave a message?"

"No. I'll see him when he gets here. Thanks for your help."

xxxxx

The family had made a few plans the night before. Castle had a signing at a well-known bookstore in Marienplatz, so they had what amounted to brunch together not far from the bookstore, sat at outside tables, and at noon, watched the Rathaus Glockenspiel with its moving figures. Castle pointed out the knights to Jamie. They had played knights with his Legos, so he knew the bare basics about lances and jousting. When the Bavarian knight knocked the other knight back, Jamie said, "He got him!"

"Yeah, he did. Keep watching. The guys under them will move in a minute."

After watching with them, Castle had to go to the bookstore, leaving the others on their own. They decided to take Jamie to the toy museum in the Old Town Hall. It was spread over several floors and they had to remind him that this wasn't a museum where he could touch things, it was a museum where he could look and talk about what he saw. He especially liked the teddy bears and the trains.

Then they took a tour bus around the city to see where they might want to go while Castle had the next day off. Getting back about the time Castle was finishing at the bookstore, Kate went in to let him know they were there, and they took taxis back to the hotel. Someone at the bookstore had recommended a restaurant a couple of blocks from the hotel, so they all walked there later, enjoyed their meal as much as the bookstore employee had said they should, and walked back. On their way, one or another wandered into a shop or stopped to window shop while the rest looked for other interesting possibilities. "What is that game?" Castle asked as he stepped inside one of the stores. There were cylindrical wooden pieces with a diagonal slice taken off the top and numbers or symbols painted there and another plain wooden cylinder. The store clerk explained the game, Molkky, and it looked easy enough to play with Jamie. It looked like it might be fun, but not enough fun to be worth lugging it through the rest of the book tour. The group eventually worked their way back to their hotel in good spirits. Bentley Keane, Gina and Paula were sitting in the lobby where they could see the hotel entrance, and Keane got up to greet Castle when they came in.

"The folks at the front desk told us you had gone out for dinner. We were beginning to think you got lost on the way back. Hi, Jamie," he said.

"Hi, Mr. Bentley," Jamie answered.

"We were going to get drinks. Instead of the bar, I could take all of you and the little guy to the restaurant. They'd have something for him."

"Sure. Why not? We'll introduce everybody when we're seated,"

The group of nine had now grown to a dozen, and the restaurant staff organized tables to accommodate them. The group of them were so friendly and appreciative that none of the restaurant staff seemed to mind. They asked for a few minutes before ordering and used the time to make introductions. When they did order, Jamie and Granddaddy had juice, and the others had stronger stuff. They had all come to realize that Jim was able to hold his own around their drinking now and then…and that being with Jamie gave him an easy reason for an alternative.

Alexis noticed that Bentley Keane was being particularly attentive to Gina and quietly mentioned it to her grandmother, who was also watching.

As they talked, the atmosphere was pleasant and easy. Even Gina seemed more laid back…or maybe less uptight, than usual. By the time everybody was ready to head for their rooms, Bentley had made solid inroads. He fit right in with the mischievous men in the Castle clan.

It had been decided that the women would go shopping and the men, including Jamie would go forth without a firm plan and find things to do.

"I don't know if I want to trust you guys with my baby and no plan," Kate joked.

"Not a baby," Jamie protested. "Peanut is the baby."

"See. He's already been corrupted."

"Peanut?" Paula asked.

"When we found out we were going to have Jamie, he was about the size of a peanut, so that's what we called him. He wanted to give the name to his little sister until she has one of her own," Kate explained.

"So this is Peanut," Castle said proudly, placing a hand over Kate's middle.

"She's my baby sister," Jamie added.

"And you're happy about having a sister?" Gina asked.

"Uh-huh. I'm gonna be a big brother like JD." JD smiled and reached across Castle to fist bump Jamie.

"Well, I think it's time we tuck you and Peanut in for the night," Kate told him.

Before they left, Bentley said, "I don't have anything planned for tomorrow, and none of the women will be here. You think I could horn in on your unplanned day in Munich?"

"Sounds good to me," JD answered. "What time are we having breakfast, Dad?"

"How does nine sound?" Castle asked.

When everybody nodded, Jim looked at his daughter and challenged, "See? We have a plan. Your son will be fine." Kate rolled her eyes at his answer, and he admonished, "Don't give me that Johanna Beckett eye roll, young lady."

Castle's eye's widened and he gasped dramatically. "You learned that from your mother?"

"I need to beat my head on something," Kate mumbled.

"That would hurt, Mommy," Jamie said, looking concerned.

"Mommy was kidding, Baby Boy…sorry…Big Boy."

Jamie grinned and the rest of the assembly at the table was barely smothering laughter.

xxxxx

Before breakfast, while Alexis and Martha were talking to Paula and Gina in the hall outside their rooms and Kate was wrangling a still sleepy Jamie into his clothes, Castle told his mother and daughter, "Make sure Kate buys what she likes. She's had her own credit card since we got married, but the stubborn woman has done a pitiful job of using it for herself. If she seems to really like something and doesn't buy it, buy it for her. I'll take care of it for you later."

"We will enlist our extra two shoppers, and I promise, your wife will come home with things that make her happy…one way or another," Martha promised.

"She doesn't use your credit card?" Gina asked.

"She says she's working and has no big living expenses, so she can buy her own clothes. She lets me buy her something for special occasions now and then, and she'll splurge once in a long while, but no. Not often. Tell her I'm gonna go meet the guys downstairs."

"Not with him for the money, remember?" Paula reminded her.

"I get it, Paula," Gina answered a bit snappishly. "I'll wait for everybody downstairs." And she walked off.

Kate left her room with Jamie a couple of minutes later, and they all went downstairs for breakfast. When they reached the restaurant, Bentley and Gina were talking and the rest of the men were conferring about what to do with their day. They all decided it was supposed to be a beautiful day and they might as well spend it outdoors.

"We can ask the concierge for some recommendations," John suggested. "We need to do something my boy here will like," he said, picking Jamie up and making a face at him. Jamie giggled as the others offered suggestions.

After breakfast, the women took taxis to go boutique shopping in the area Martha and Gina remembered having found a lot of distinctive items.

"What are you looking for?" Alexis asked Kate when they were on the street taking stock of what was there.

"Well, your father wouldn't let me bring a dress for the party. He said it was a European party, so I should have a European dress. I guess that's the top of the list. It's a big deal, Gina? This reception, party, whatever? I want to make him proud of me."

"Not much work to do there," Martha interjected.

"Bentley has invited our affiliated publishers from everywhere Richard has been or is going, and some who hope they'll be included in the next tour. When an author has provided his publishers with as close to thirty consecutive best-sellers as Richard has, and the prodigal is returning to help them publicize more, they roll out the red carpet. There are also some politicians coming, probably hoping to win a few votes and donors, a couple of ambassadors who seem to simply love a good party, and a few celebrities of several kinds, some of whom are actual fans and asked for invitations. Definitely a big deal."

"Okay, so dress shopping first."

"What else do you need…or want?" Martha asked.

Kate looked thoughtful for a moment and answered, "I want some loose shirts that don't look like sportswear. Something nice…not too loose, just comfortable for now. And I wouldn't mind finding a sundress."

"Good Lord. I haven't heard you put together a list like that in too long. We're going to find all of it before we stop," Martha answered.

"What is everybody else looking for?" Kate asked.

"Whatever the fashion gods throw in our paths," Paula answered. "It's shopping day."

"I have good memories of that little store near the corner," Gina said. "Let's start there."

While Martha and Alexis and Meagan looked at things for themselves, they were also looking for Kate and would show her something now and then. It seemed that the fashion gods came through for Martha, Gina, and Paula in almost every place they stopped. Kate, Meagan, and Alexis were a little more selective and started sticking together on their hunt. In the fourth boutique, which had choices that appealed to both Kate and her stepdaughter, Kate found a long dress with a band of fabric just under the bust and a skirt that fell rather straight to the floor but was gathered at the band just enough to comfortably accommodate her still small but growing small baby bump. The color was a shade of coral, slightly iridescent and subtly textured, that complimented her complexion beautifully. It had three quarter length sleeves, and the neckline was perfect to allow visible skin without a visible scar. When she tried it on and Alexis insisted on seeing it, Martha said, "If you don't buy it, I'm buying it for you," and everyone else agreed.

Kate asked to leave it there and come back later to pick it up. Alexis was looking for a European dress for the party, too, so Kate helped as she moved on to the rest of her own list. By the time they returned to the hotel, Kate's list had been completed(and unknown to her, augmented by a few purchases her daughter and mother-in-law had made when she wasn't looking), Meagan had found a few things she would enjoy wearing when Jim's law firm or clients had an event or gathering, and Alexis had found her dress as well as a few other things. The other three had found so many gifts from the fashion gods that they could hardly carry all the bags.

"Is Richard Castle back yet?" Martha asked at the front desk.

"No Ma'am. I believe the concierge said his party was looking for outdoor activities. He recommended the English Gardens."

"Thank you, Emilia," Martha answered, checking the young woman's name tag. Turning to the rest of the group, she asked, "Is anybody else hungry? It's already time for dinner, and we didn't even stop for coffee."

"Yes," Meagan answered, "But not until we put away these bags."

"Amen to that," they heard from Paula. Then she chuckled. "Do you think all of us and the bags will fit in the elevator, or do we need to take two?"

Kate immediately hung her dresses and shirts in the closet and then sat down for a couple of minutes before going back to meet the rest of the shopping party.

"That was fun," Gina said when they met in the restaurant.

"Your dress for the party is perfect, Kate," Alexis mentioned.

"It was fun. And I do like the dress...really like it," Kate answered with a smile.

"You haven't had a day without a kid around in a while now, have you?" Paula asked.

"Not for a while. But I don't mind. Castle has been so supportive of my career that I have to do the same for him while I have the time and still have the energy."

"Well, Gina and I certainly appreciate it. There's no way in hell we could have pried him out of the country for a month, not knowing he was leaving you pregnant at home without him."

"It's been fun. We've had to gear most of our trips to things kids would enjoy, but we're seeing things through three year old eyes, and it's an interesting perspective. Sometimes we come back to the hotel completely exhausted, but we've all had a good time. I can't remember ever having this much free time since I was an adult."

"Do you ever consider not going back to work?" Paula asked.

"I think about it now and then, but I know I'm good at what I do, I worked hard to get to where I am, and I have a lot of valuable experience; and I think I can make a difference, even if it's just a little corner of the department at a time. It feels like a duty."

"Will Richard stay home with, um…Peanut, too?" Gina asked.

"He's already said he would."

"Good. He's churning out the books more like he used to,"

"Don't forget. He'll be taking care of two by then. That may slow down the churning."

"As long as we still get at least one a year."

The men came into the lobby, and the woman at the desk let them know the women in their party were in the restaurant.

"Did you buy out downtown Munich yet?" Castle asked as the group entered the restaurant.

"Not all of it, but we came back with our fair share," Meagan answered.

"Did you find a dress that makes you happy?" he asked Kate.

"I did. Thank you."

He sat down beside her, motioning for a server and asking for more table space again.

"Did the men in the family have fun?" Kate asked.

"I want to be in your family," Bentley said as he made room to sit with Gina. "These guys know how to have fun."

"We do," John agreed. "And you'd think the new kid over there had known us forever."

"What did you do?" Kate asked.

"We decided we wanted to be outside," JD started.

"We went back to the store where I stopped last night and bought that lawn game I saw. Then we went to the English Gardens and found a big stretch of grass to play it. Jamie did pretty well with it," Castle said, as he put his son in the high chair the server brought over.

"Another boy and his daddy played it with us," Jamie told her, "and Daddy gave it to them 'cause it won't fit in his suitcase."

"What else did you do?"

"Daddy and JD and Mr. Bentley rowed boats."

"Were you in one of them?"

"No," Jim reported. "We kept him on shore with the old men. The young ones were racing."

"Why am I not surprised?" Martha commented.

"Who won?" Alexis asked.

"Daddy won, and we clapped for him," Jamie said.

"Only by a hair," JD insisted. "Bentley and I were really close."

"So I guess those big ol' guns came in handy," Kate answered, flirtatiously squeezing one of his biceps.

"Looks like they did." Castle agreed, leaning to kiss her head appreciatively. "It was harder work than it used to be, though. Gotta get back to the gym."

"Then we went to the beer garden for a very late lunch on the way back," John said.

"Jamie and I went to the playground and came back for soft drinks and lunch," Jim told his daughter. "There were plenty of kids there."

They sat and talked and joked around with each other for a while, then decided nobody was going to want dinner; so they ordered dessert and took their time with it.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I think I'm done for the day," Martha announced. "I think I'll go back to my room and put away all my new purchases."

"I assume that could take some time?" Castle said.

"Maybe," she answered evasively.

"I might do the same, Jim said, and he and Meagan went with Martha, John close behind them.

When Martha opened her door, John followed her in; and she looked at him in surprise over her shoulder. He closed the door and said drily, "You are aware that the rest of the family knows we've been sleeping together, right?"

"Well, if I hadn't been, the adjoining rooms..." she waved her hand at the doors between their rooms. "That would have told me."

"Do you think that means we have their blessings?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind."

"I think it's just as likely it means that Richard doesn't want to have to see anything that looks that way."

"I can live with that," John said and kissed her cheek when she turned her head to look at him. "This is convenient."

"Not tonight, though," she said gently. "I really am exhausted."

"Will you at least show me what you bought today? I own high end clothing stores, Martha, and you know we carry some boutique items. I need to do some looking around while I'm here, anyway, and I'd love to have you help me."

"You know, that sounds like the best business trip I can imagine."

"Then maybe you'd be willing to come back with me some other time…just the two of us."

"Maybe I would." She took her shopping loot out and showed him each of the many pieces, and he admired them with the eye of a man who knows the business of women's clothes.

"Some of your choices are a little more adventurous than most of my customers…"

"Well, why be ordinary," she protested playfully. "There's no fun in that."

"Ordinary is something I would never accuse you of, my dear. But, as I was saying, you've chosen quite well."

"I could take you back and try to retrace our steps if you'd like."

"I'll settle for being with you for some of your Paris adventures. We can come back here together another time. You're tired. I should go."

"We could watch a movie…if we can find one in English, or with subtitles," she offered.

He smiled and picked up the remote. "I won't even ask you to talk if you don't want to. I just like your company."

Martha laughed and piled pillows at the headboard of the bed before she kicked off her shoes and leaned back against the pillows. Later, she said, "I think I've heard everybody go by except Gina. I'll bet she's still with that Bentley guy."

"He seems like a good man. We all enjoyed having him around."

"Then I hope for his sake that he escapes her clutches."

"There must be a story there."

"Another time, John."

Less than halfway through the movie, Martha was asleep, so John slipped off the bed and went to his own room.

Once a very tired little boy was asleep, Kate and Rick found some pleasant one on one ways to exhaust each other and then slept quite well themselves.