A Forever Masterpiece (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 3) (13 page)

Becca rushed to Hunter's side, but with her aching and swollen knees, she more or less hobbled over to him. She didn't even have any medication on her for the swelling, either. Becca pried his fingers off the pole, then closed her fingers over his, knowing full well he might squeeze them until they hurt. "Hunter, come back to me. It's okay. Wherever you are, just come back to the present."

Beads of sweat poured down his neck, glistening in the bright light. He opened his eyes and blew out a deep breath. "Hell, I haven't done that in a while," he muttered before crushing Becca in a big hug. "Seeing you and Henry curled up together asleep took me back to saying goodbye when the evil gnomes came to take you away."

She returned his hug, laughter bursting from her lips. "Evil gnomes? Okay, I can see that one."

He shrugged, keeping her close. "I'm still dealing with my anger towards them from everything we've learned. Sorry."

"Hunter." She licked her lips. "I'm so afraid for Henry. He lost his father, and his mom and baby sister are both critical. If anything happens..."

He pulled back, taking her hands in his. "You want to do something for him, like take him in?"

He knew her so well. "Tonight made me think of so many things. I know I've been strange, but seeing this reminded me of all the feelings I felt. I want to continue to look for my family. I want to put all this drama behind us somehow and know the answers. I want to-" She inhaled sharply. "I want to apologize to Nathan's family for k-killing him." A painful hiccup bubbled from her chest, rising quickly.

Hunter reeled back. "Becca-"

"The cause of this accident today was someone driving recklessly. They drove way too fast on the roads full of snow and ice. I see the effects." She waved her hand in the direction of Henry. "I know the situations are different, but it makes me wonder. Is Nathan's family going through a mix of feelings? Are they angry? Do they want-?"

She never got to finish her thought. Henry woke up and cried for Becca. She and Hunter rushed to the boy's side.

"How's my mom?" he asked in a tiny voice. "And the baby? I wanna see her."

"I haven't heard anything yet, but I can go ask," Becca said softly, and Henry hugged her again. Maybe she could find Celia, who'd last checked in with them over an hour ago. So far, there'd been no word on connecting with family. Becca slowly moved away from Henry, anticipating that at any time, he'd cry for her again. She made it halfway across the room and took a sneak peek. Henry had warmed up to Hunter, and they were lost in conversation. Before either could look up, Becca took off in search of Celia or someone who could ease Henry's mind about his mother and unborn sibling.

"I was just coming to find you." Celia sprinted toward Becca, her hair in a frazzled mess. "How's Henry?"

"He woke up a few minutes ago upset, asking about his mom. Hunter's with him now."

Celia glanced around the hallway before leaning close. "She had the baby. Tiniest thing I ever did see. Mom's resting now. She's weak and distraught. Good news is I found an estranged brother on the father's side and have contacted him. He lives two hours away, so it's going to take a while to get here. Last check, he said he's an hour outside of town, but the snow is making the trek take longer. Since Henry seems to be so attached to you, would you all like a room to sleep in, instead of the chairs? We have a designated area for overnight guests." Celia sounded winded and took a deep breath. "Before she fell asleep, Henry's mom gave the staff permission to update you, since you've been with her son. Such a terrifying situation, isn't it? She knows her husband is gone, but I think with all the pain and fear, she hasn't let it process."

Becca knew the feeling well. Too well. "Is it possible to let Henry see his mom? Maybe he'll go back to sleep knowing she's okay." Or okay enough, considering they didn't really know her condition other than she was still alive.

Celia rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, let's go ahead and do that, then get you guys a room. I can't thank you enough for staying with him. He's most comfortable around you and your fiancé, which is unusual."

"It's the connection we share, I think." Becca and Celia headed back for Hunter and Henry. "Hunter and I were strangers when we met, just kids, but because of our loss and connection from the crash, we bonded from the start." She gave Celia the short version of their bond.

"No wonder this hits home for you."

They rounded the corner. When Becca witnessed Hunter and Henry hugging, her heart melted. Henry had family, an uncle, who was on his way to get him. Hopefully the pair would be receptive of each other.

"Henry, why don't you come with me so you can see your mom?" Celia suggested gently. He moved away from Hunter as he jumped to his feet.

"Yes, I wanna see her!"

"Then we'll get you a more comfortable place to sleep. Your new friends are coming to stay with you for the night. Come on, let's go see her." She exchanged a look with Becca, signaling they'd be right back.

Henry willingly went with Celia without a fuss. Good. Hopefully seeing his mom would help. Becca collapsed in the seat beside Hunter, and he immediately held her. She longed for him to hold her and take all of this away. Her body and soul ached. "He has family. An uncle from his father's side. Once again, it reminds me of us. The brothers were estranged." Shivers rippled up and down her spine with the similarities. Sometimes life had a vicious cycle.

Chapter Ten

It must be an unwritten hospital rule. Cots weren't meant to be comfortable. Ever. Hunter woke up before the sun came up with a sore back and stiff neck. He peeked over at Henry in his cot scooted close to Becca. After seeing his mom a few hours ago, they were brought in this room and had all fallen asleep pretty quick. Seeing his mom and fearing the worst put Henry in a nightmare mood. Hunter woke many times to hear the poor kiddo crying in his sleep, but he never woke up from them.

The door opened a crack, and the nice woman from last night - Celia? - popped her head in. She gestured for Hunter to come out when she saw he was awake. Quietly slipping out of bed, Hunter's bare feet hit the cold floor, and he tip toed out. "Morning," he said, in a sleep-filled tone.

"How was he last night?" She gestured at the room.

"Poor kid cried in his sleep often," he informed her.

Celia frowned. "I really hope things turn out better. His uncle is here. Not sure what to make of the guy. He was upset over his brother's death, but it seems they've been out of touch. He's ready to meet Henry, and says he has three kids of his own."

"Should I wake him?" Hunter gripped the doorknob.

"Not yet. I just wanted to check on him so I can update his mom. I should probably talk to her first before I introduce Henry to family he's never seen."

Hunter nodded. "Good plan."

"I'll be back in a little while then. I'm going to check on Mom and baby." A sad expression stretched across her face as she cupped her hands together. "So tiny, that baby. She's got a lot of obstacles ahead of her."

His phone vibrated as she walked away. Hunter wrinkled his nose. Who would be calling or texting at this early hour? When he checked for a number, it came up as anonymous. What the hell? He nearly dropped his phone after reading the text.

How does it feel to ruin a life again? Poor Nathan and family, suffering again because of Becca and you. You both will get yours.

What the hell was this? Who sent it? There was no way to check now. Hunter's hands trembled as he carefully tucked the phone away, needing to tear his eyes away from that message.

Someone wanted to mess with them again. He'd seen a shadow lurking, and now this cryptic message? It was happening all over again. He muttered a curse and turned around to go inside the room, bumping into a very startled Becca. Damn, not enough time to calm down.

"What's going on?" she asked, reaching out for his trembling hand. "Is it-"

"No, his mom is okay," Hunter assured her softly, wishing he didn't have to tell her about this text. "His uncle is here, but they're talking to Henry's mom now. Bec..."

"Then what is it?" She asked again with more urgency.

Heaving a sigh, Hunter pulled out his phone, brought up the text, and handed it over, his heart pounding like a drum.

Becca peered at the phone, then gasped. "Not again. Please, not again." She handed the phone back to him. "I don't like technology these days. Too easy to send stuff like that, and we don't know who."

"I know," Hunter said quietly, looking over Becca's shoulder to check on Henry. Still sound asleep. "It's not like this made big news, so someone is keeping tabs on us." Who? Joe? Vince? The Langes? Jesse? Someone else? He'd thought for the longest time that Sylvia had died after the jump, but now he really debated. Everyone around them had something to hide. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Becca covered her face with her hands, then dropped them quick. "I want this to stop. The lies, the secrets, and the suspicion."

He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. "Me too, angel. Me too." The gears in his mind cranked, wondering what to do next. How did he pin down the person behind all this? When would they be able to stop looking over their shoulder?

Becca bought breakfast for the three of them an hour later. It was almost time for Henry to meet his uncle, and he didn't even know he had another family member here yet. Celia had asked for them not to say anything. Becca didn't think that was the best idea, but she had no say in the matter otherwise, so she did what the woman asked. Thinking back, she would have been better off prepared when introduced to the Langes, the people she thought were her grandparents when they arrived at the hospital. One day, they just showed up. Maybe everyone thought she wouldn't understand, and that's why they'd never said anything to her. Only Hunter spent so much time making sure she knew what was happening around her. Becca only had pieces of memories from those days, but that she'd recalled well, especially with Hunter's similar memories.

She hoped in Henry's case the outcome would be better. He lost his father, but mom was still hanging on. Becca leaned back in the uncomfortable chair, fiddling with the wrapper containing a plastic spoon. She couldn't concentrate. Her mind raced from thoughts of the anonymous text Hunter received to Henry and his situation. Becca had barely slept. She just couldn't get comfortable last night at all. Henry cried out a lot, and Becca woke up to rub his back in an attempt to soothe him.

Hunter gently eased the plastic out of her hands and opened it for her. She half smiled, nodded a thank you, then dipped the spoon in her yogurt. Not much of a breakfast, but it would suffice.

Three bites in, Becca spotted Celia with a tall man. She figured he had at least three inches on Hunter's 6'2 frame, and a heavy build. He had a full mustache and beard. Dark brown eyes bore into hers as they approached. She nudged Hunter with her knee under the table to alert him.

"Morning." Celia approached, the newcomer in tow. Her lips were set in a tight line. She placed a hand on Henry's back. "Hey Henry, I want you to meet someone. This is your Uncle Stan. He's going to stay with you now while your mom and baby sister recovers."

More than ten heartbeats passed in silence. Henry's reaction wasn't easy to judge. He dropped his orange, stared at Hunter and Becca, then turned to his uncle. "If you're my uncle, how come I never met you before?" he asked, his tone full of accusation and disbelief.

The man's eyes crinkled, and a tear formed in the corner. "Your dad and I had a fight and haven't talked in a long time." Regret laced his deep, smoky voice.

"I fought with him, too," Henry whispered. "Now he's not coming back."

Becca dropped the spoon, unable to eat anything after Henry's statement. She felt sick. Maybe this was their cue to go. Becca pushed back her chair, causing everyone to look at her.

"Are you going home now?" Henry's eyes went wide.

"Probably should." Hunter answered for her.

"Will I see you again?" He grabbed Becca's hand.

Becca pulled a notebook and pen from her purse, wrote down her phone number, and handed it to Henry. "Call me any time, okay? And I'll come back and visit you and your mom, too," she promised.

Henry flew in her arms. "Thank you for being my friend."

She hugged him back, not wanting to leave, but it was time. "You take care. Give your uncle a chance. I bet he's really cool."
Please let it be true,
she silently pleaded with the universe.

It was so hard not to turn back. The look on Henry's face when she walked away pulled on her already worn out heart. Hunter grasped for her hand, and she knew by the way he squeezed it, this hurt him too. So many memories, so many feelings.

"He's going to be okay," Hunter said softly, but he sounded unsure. Becca wanted so badly to believe it. She kept up a positive vibe, but she barely had the energy to muster it up. Everything around them seemed so uncertain.

Someone approached them from behind. "Thank you both. The kindness from strangers sometimes gives the world hope." Celia shook both their hands.

Becca glanced back. She couldn't help it. Her fear eased when she caught a glimpse of Henry and his uncle, huddled close together talking. He appeared somewhat comfortable. No doubt she'd be back to check on this family, but at least right now her new friend was in good hands.

"I hope you or Henry's uncle don't mind we gave him our phone number." Hunter put a hand on Becca's shoulder.

"I think it's a good idea. You two know what he's going through, and it shows. Go home and get some rest. Thank you again. You made last night so much easier on him."

"You're welcome to call us as well." Hunter retracted his wallet and handed Celia a card. He nodded his head in Henry's direction. "So far, so good." He rubbed Becca's middle back affectionately. Chills slid up her back every time his hand stopped slightly.

Becca forced herself to walk away and not look back, her heart heavy with feeling. She walked down the hall, holding Hunter's hand, both of them in complete silence.