A Forever Masterpiece (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  "How are you doing with all this?" she asked quietly.

  He brushed a kiss to her forehead. "I miss them," he admitted. "At least this time going to an old part of my past, I found good memories instead of painful ones."

  "You deserve this." Becca ran her hand along his cheek, love reflecting in her eyes.

  You deserve your peace, too, he wanted to say, but decided against it. He just smiled and stole another kiss. "Mind if we walk down to the park?" he asked both Joe and Becca.

  "It's fine by me." She squeezed his hand. Joe turned around and pocketed the keys, giving Hunter a nod.

  Hunter had to give a lot of credit to Becca. Despite the fact that they had no idea where Sylvia was, she hadn't been as nervous about going places. She didn't scan the crowds looking for her, and she didn't jump at every person who remotely looked or sounded like her. Still, he wished that part of their life had closure, too. If he had to be honest, there were a few times he wondered when and what Sylvia's next move would be. Almost four months was a long time not to find a dead body if she didn't make it through that jump, so chances were Sylvia went into hiding. If she could come out after twenty years to fulfill a sick need to hurt the two of them because of whatever part their families played that led to the crash, he had a feeling she'd be back again. There were things he still wished he could understand, like why he dreamed about her on the island and what she knew. What brought her out in the open this past summer? What were her full plans? Isaac had claimed he didn't know many details.

  The park had some major upgrades, but still carried the same atmosphere Hunter remembered. The playgrounds changed the most. He made a beeline for the basketball court, visions of playing countless games with Dad and Joe in his head.

  There were a handful of people on the court, a few of them adults. One man ran off the court and reached for a bottle of water. His gaze landed on Hunter, and he just stared.

  Did the guy know him?

  The bottle fell from his hands and crashed to the ground. Clear liquid spilled out. He slowly made his way to them, his mouth ajar and eyes never leaving Hunter's face. "Is it really you?"

  "You know me?" Hunter asked. Yeah that sounded stupid, but the guy caught him off guard. Big time. Standing at the edge of the court with Becca, he tried to remember this face. Brown eyes, tanned, muscular. He worked out. He wore his almost pitch black hair short, other than the top.

  "Hunter. Hunter Beckman. You used to live next door to me, until-" The man's eyes darkened. "I wondered where you went. You guys left so fast, and then the next thing I knew your house was cleared out and sold. I found out about the crash and your parents. I'm Alan."

  The name struck a chord in his mind. Hunter snapped his fingers. "We played basketball here all the time the last few years I lived here. We were both going to try out for the team." His childhood best friend. How the hell did he forget about him?

  Alan's eyes lit up. "Yeah! Man, I can't believe you're here!"

  "Do you still live next door to my old house?"

  Alan shook his head. "Nah. My wife, two sons and I live a few blocks down from here. My boys love the game, so we come out here to play as often as possible." Alan's gaze slid to Becca with curiosity, but his eyes really widened when he looked the other way. "Joe Whitemore? Man, it must be the day for past faces to show up."

  So Alan knew Joe. Well that made sense, since Joe had been close to the family and Alan lived next door. Hunter was amazed by the amount of things he recalled from his past just being out here. This was a small town, and Joe had been an important figure here all those years ago.

  "What brings you out here after all this time?" Alan gave his attention back to Hunter.

  "Closure." He gave the simplest answer he could. "Alan, this is my fiancée, Becca." He let go of her hand and slid an arm around her shoulders instead.

  "Great to meet you, Becca!" Alan sent her a warm smile and shook her hand. "Hey, we're about to play a game. What do you say, for old times sake?" He nodded his head at the court.

  Hunter hesitated, but man, did the idea sound good.

  Becca's encouragement helped him decide. "Come on. I'd love to see you in action on the court," she prodded.

  "Sure, why not? It's on!" He shoved aside his nagging thoughts, pulled out his wallet and keys from his pocket, then handed them to Becca. "You gonna root for me in the sidelines?"

  "Always." She kissed him. He noticed a look in her eyes, something sad, but didn't ask about it. He'd bring it up later when they were alone. "Love you."

  "It's been years since I've seen you play." Joe gestured. "Get out there and show me you still got it."

  Hunter chuckled, loving the enthusiasm. "As long as I don't overdo it on my foot, I'll be good to go." He jogged over to Alan and the other players, feeling pumped up.

  *****

  Sitting on the metal bleachers next to Joe, Becca watched Hunter play. Even with his foot still healing from being hit a few months ago, he moved across the court with ease and a fierceness she adored. This was the first time she'd ever seen him play, and even though he hadn't in many years, Hunter still seemed to have a love for the game. He played on opposing sides of his childhood friend Alan so that it would be fair. One adult paired with one of the kids.

  Joe leaned over to talk to her. "The boy's still got moves." He sounded so proud.

  She'd seen home videos of Hunter as a child, a few of them when he played on the court with his dad. No doubt, Hunter played now with the same intensity that he did in those videos. It took coming back to his hometown to bring that side out of him, the one he'd kept back over guilt.

  A stray tear slid down her cheek. The feelings stirred up inside hurt. Hunter could have had all this back then if that one summer hadn't changed things.

  He'd probably call her silly and get upset if he knew the guilt she felt right now. What did she have to feel guilty about? It wasn't her fault the Beckmans put their lives on the line to save her not only once, but twice. With deadly consequences.

  It only took twenty years for Hunter to get a part of his childhood back, the one he'd lost because of-.

  Stop it! You always tell Hunter not to carry guilt, so why are you doing it now? It's not your fault!

  "He's amazing. He really lights up." Becca's voice choked up with emotion. Her vision blurred, and the world around her turned into a spinning kaleidescope. She reached into her purse and pulled out her sunglasses. Becca slipped them on to hide the tears.

  Too bad Joe already noticed. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I wish I could give you the same closure he's getting. I know you long for answers, and we're no closer."

  "It's something I have to live with." Becca shook it off. Or rather, she pretended to. "He had so much promise, and everything was ruined." She left off the unspoken words. Why did this get to her all of a sudden?

  "Becca." The remorse in his tone signified he agonized over this whole thing as well.

  She tried to put her feelings in check. Despite Hunter's initial hesitation, he seemed to be having a blast on the court. At that very moment, he took a big leap, his feet coming off the ground at least a foot as he made a shot. Becca jumped up and clapped. She cupped her hands over her mouth and cheered. Hunter turned around to wave at her with a big grin on his face. Then, before going after the ball, he blew her a kiss.

  "I hope you aren't blaming yourself for what he missed." Joe pulled her out of her self-destructive thoughts.

  Yeah, she was actually. But why? She'd been a child. Why did she have to go there? Becca bent to sit again.

  "If anything, I should have done more. I should have- Hell, I don't know what I should or could have done, but please don't think you're to blame."

  "I know I shouldn't. I tell Hunter these same things when he feels guilty over things he can't control. Yet here I am doing it," Becca whispered. "I just- he's happy right now. Look at him. He has part of his life back."

  "You're part of his life, and I've only been around for three
months, but that boy loves you with all he's got."

  She knew it to be true. "I'm just being silly, I guess."

  Joe put a hand on her shoulder again. "I think you're missing your link to the past, and because Hunter found his and can have some closure, it's affecting you. Doesn't make it silly at all. We won't stop looking for your family as long as you want us to keep doing it."

  "What if it's hopeless? Hunter's spending so much money on this, and he won't let me cover any of it. We keep hitting dead ends. Vince and my- the Langes won't tell me anything. Sylvia's a dead-end, because she's nowhere to be found. We're sitting in the town this happened in. Any single person around here could be my family, and I'd never know it!"

  Her words were much louder and harsher than she'd intended. She covered her mouth with her hand. Becca couldn't believe she'd said all this to Joe. Even though he was Hunter's family friend, she still sat on the fence with how she felt about Joe. He'd been the one to orchestrate the whole damn thing about her taking the place of a dead child! Every time she looked at him, she was reminded of what she didn't know.

  Hunter looked her way with curiosity. Did he hear part of what she said?

  Ten minutes later, the game ended. Hunter's team won. The few spectators sitting in the stands with Becca and Joe ran down to the court, throwing high fives and fist bumps.

  Becca made her way over, followed by Joe. Hunter stood by Alan, and she overheard their conversation.

  "That was awesome. You still know how to kill it!"

  "I had a blast!" Hunter's voice was full of enthusiasm. Then he flicked his gaze to Becca, a smile lighting up his face even more. He held his arms wide open, ran toward her, and scooped her up in his arms.

  "You were fantastic!" Becca squealed. He really had been.

  "Thanks for gently pushing me to do it. You of all people know why I hesitated, but I'm so glad I played." Hunter kissed her before setting her back down. He wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his hand, still grinning.

  "Good game, man," Alan said again. "Hey, all three of you come on home with me for lunch. We'd love to have you."

  Hunter wrapped his arm around Becca's waist. "What do you two say?"

  "I'd love to." She wasn't about to object to Hunter spending time with a childhood friend.

  Joe gave his response of yes as well.

  "Awesome. We walked up here, and it's not a long way to the house."

  "We walked here from the old house, too," Hunter said.

  "Dad, I want Hunter on my team next time!" The younger of the two boys bounced the ball.

  "Hey!" Alan shot back. "Are you saying he's a better player than your old man?"

  Everyone laughed by then.

  "Well, he helped me win." Becca tried to remember his name.

  "Man, you're winning over my kids already!" Alan threw his hands up in the air in jest. "You always were the king. Guess some things haven't changed. Becca, how do you keep your future husband in line?"

  She laughed, knowing how much fun she could have with this. As they walked away, Hunter reached for her hand and curled his fingers over hers. "I can't reveal my secrets," she teased.

  "I like her." Alan nudged Hunter. "How did you two meet?"

  Becca decided she wasn't going to answer this one. She'd never thought about how they'd explain this to anyone who asked. Hunter did so much better with words.

  Hunter squeezed her hand, but hesitated before answering. "Childhood sweethearts. Becca and I met not too long after I left here."

  This was the first time someone outside of their close circle of people asked about their meeting, and at Hunter's hesitation, Becca wondered if it would always be this way. Most couples had a happy explanation of how they met. A chance encounter, or an embarrassing moment that led to a lifetime of love.

  Their meeting had been surrounded by tragedy, which seemed to follow them in life, always keeping them rooted in the past. Maybe it was time to let go and move on. It wouldn't change their past and the way they met, but Becca wondered if always looking for answers would do either of them any good. Hunter got a piece of his life back in good memories, but she'd never get that chance. At least, at this point, that was what she believed. For the first time, Becca wanted to quit. Quit looking for answers that they weren't any closer to finding.

  Chapter Two

  "Then we finished the game in the pouring rain!" Alan sat at the head of the table and told another childhood memory he had of Hunter. Things he'd tucked away in the deepest part of his mind now resurfaced.

  "That sounds like something I would do." Hunter chuckled, glancing at Becca. She'd been quiet, but would pipe up here and there with her own thoughts about him in the present.

  "Now I know why you've always done crazy things in a thunderstorm," she teased. She had a smile on her face, but Hunter knew deep down, something bugged her.

  "I remember a time Hunter's father and I made a big fort in the yard with a bunch of boxes. He was about five. Hunter spent all day in it. A big storm came out of nowhere, and we didn't have time to get all the boxes out of the rain. Hunter was so upset, he ran back out in the rain trying to cover his new clubhouse with blankets. Got soaking wet, but this boy was determined to cover the fort even though the boxes were already ruined." Joe chuckled.

  Aww hell. All these stories. Hunter didn't remember every single one, but hearing them took him back to the days of innocence and frivolous fun. No wonder he longed for that kind of attitude and did a lot of things spontaneously.

  "Box forts are cool!" Alan's youngest son said, setting down his cup of juice.

  "Any kind of fort is cool," Hunter admitted. He'd built one out of pillows and blankets with Sienna the other night, and she loved it so much, she wanted both Hunter and Becca to sleep under it with her. That's exactly what they did. "My daughter enjoys them, too."

  "Alan and the boys are always building forts," Alan's wife Lori commented.

  "Mom, can we be excused?" the boys asked. They'd cleaned off their plates.

  "Absolutely. Just put your dishes in the dishwasher."

  The kids scrambled off, shoving each other, then laughing about it after.

  "So what do you do, Hunter?" Alan asked.

  "I'm a pilot." Or at least, was a pilot.

  "Really? Even after-?"

  "That's what pushed me to do it. I wanted to get over the fear." So the conversation was going to go that way now. The crash. They'd been having such a good time with memories. He should have figured it would come up eventually.

  "Did you fly out here then?"

  "No. I'm not flying right now until..." Hell, he didn't want to bring up the PTSD, either. But he'd already started to.

  Two pairs of curious eyes watched his every move. Becca shifted in her seat and caressed his hand. "I have PTSD," Hunter said quietly. There, he'd said it. Those two pairs of curious eyes changed to sympathy and apologetic.

  "Because of the crash?" Alan finally broke the silence.

  "That's part of it." Hunter looked away and ran a hand through his hair. How much did he really want to say about the crazy events of the past few months? Alan had been his best friend in childhood years, but conversations like these weren't casual. Did this always have to come up with people? Would he and Becca comment for years down the line about the tragic events that led to their friendship, then the way their romantic relationship started as well?

  *****

  Hunter didn't expect today to turn out the way it did, reuniting with his childhood best friend. It was another name and face he'd forgotten about. His family was wonderful. Joe, Becca, and Hunter left late that evening and decided to stay at a hotel one more night before heading home tomorrow. Becca had been quiet all day. Now that they were alone, since Joe went next door to his own room, Hunter hoped she'd talk.

  He found her in the bathroom. She swept her hair up in a loose ponytail. "Hey," he said casually.

  Becca turned to him with a smile. Oh, that smile. So beautiful. He was lucky.
"Hi."

  "Can I ask you something?"

  "Always."

  "Come here." He held out his hand. If he had to guess, being here today was hard on her. This was where things happened, and they weren't close to knowing who she was. Hunter should have paid better attention today. He'd reveled in the fact that he had a part of his past back. He got to see his house and found an old friend he wasn't expecting to.

  And Becca still struggled.

  She put her hand in his. Her eyes were full of curiosity. Hunter led her to sit down on the large bed and pulled her close.

  "Bec, I noticed you crying when you were watching the game from the bleachers. You tried to hide it, but I know better. You've been quiet all day. What are you thinking?"

  She immediately turned away. Hunter slid a finger under her chin and guided her to look at him. Sadness reflected in her eyes. "You're going to get upset with me."

  Why would she think that? "We've been really good lately about telling each other everything we feel, no matter what. So let's not fall back in our old ways. What's going on, angel?"

  She toyed with the edge of the blanket. "I-." Becca shook her head.

  Okay, whatever it was really bothered her. "Tell me," he pleaded.

  "You lost your childhood because of me!" She exploded, then her hands flew over her mouth again the way she did when she said things she didn't like.

  Hunter reeled back, trying to understand where this thought of hers came from. "What do you mean? I didn't lose anything because of you." If anything, he gained so much more than he ever imagined because of her. "I don't understand this."

  Becca sniffled, and a tear slid down her cheek. Hunter wiped it away and waited for her to continue.

  "You were so happy today, playing basketball with your best friend on your old stomping grounds. You had so much going for you."

  He didn't like where this was going. He knew exactly what she'd say next. Pain squeezed his heart like a wet sponge.

  "Then-" Becca jumped up and paced the room.