A Forever Masterpiece (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 3) (2 page)

Needing to lighten the mood before his heart broke even more, Hunter took Becca's hands in his. He gave her a light, mischievous smile. "You know, I never did get to bring a girl in my room to kiss her." Not at twelve. He hadn't been interested in girls that way, really. Not yet.

Had Becca been in his room when his parents brought her home? Did they bring her here, even for a while? They had to have before bringing her to the Langes. Hunter tried to picture what baby Becca looked like. Had he been curious about a tiny baby all of a sudden in the house? Did they try to keep her hidden, even from their four year old son? So many questions, and not enough answers.

"So what you're saying is you wanted to take an innocent girl up to your room and seduce her," Becca said coyly, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "I don't know. I'm not that kind of girl. You'll have to really work your way to get a kiss from me."

Hunter chuckled, loving that she played along. He pulled her closer, sliding his arms around her waist. "Hard to get, eh? I think I can win you over. I've got the skills."

She tilted her head to the side. "Oh? This I need to see."

He leaned over and kissed her neck, trailing all the way to her jaw. "You know you want to kiss me. I'm one of your painting inspirations." He blew air on the nape of her neck. Her fingers dug into his back. "Come on, give a man his wish. Do I have to beg?"

Becca jerked her head back and grinned. "No, but it's not a bad idea. However, since you're my future husband, I think I can bend the innocent rules a little."

"Remind me to not claim how innocent I think you are in the near future," he growled. Oh, but he loved her and the way she played hard to get.

"Told you I'd find a way to show you I'm not," Becca whispered before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close for a sweet, tantalizing kiss. At first, they started slow and steady, almost like the very first time they kissed. He knew it was part of the act, but damn did it ever turn him on. Then, when Becca deepened the kiss, Hunter soared over the edge. She pulled away, her lips moist and puffy. "So, how was your first kiss with a girl in your bedroom?"

"Needs practice." He winked, totally waiting for her to smack him. He'd deserve it, too.

She twirled away from him. "Just need experience," Becca teased.

Hunter tugged on her hand, bringing her back against his body. "I get a lifetime of experience with you." He held up her hand with the ring on it. "This here is proof." He'd been slightly spontaneous asking her to marry him a month ago, but ever since the close call in Rhode Island, it put things into perspective for the both of them. He'd made a promise to himself when he first gave in to his feelings for Becca that he'd wait until things were right, even though he knew in his heart she was the one for him. They sure had a rocky summer, and while the worst of it was over, the road ahead of them still had bumps.

But she'd said yes without any hesitance. Somehow, even knowing how many wrong choices he'd made, asking Becca at that moment had been the right one.

He'd been learning to cope with his PTSD the last few months. Still a long way from 'normal', but things were headed in the right direction. The nightmares were few and far in between. He'd learned the triggers about the flashbacks and, for the most part, could keep them at bay. Occasionally, he had a few moments of disassociating, but nothing ever to the extreme case that landed him in a hospital.

Becca had been monitored, but she never did develop PTSD. Strange how two people went through so much of the same thing and come out of it differently. Good. He sure as hell never wanted her to go through the things he'd been and sometimes still went through. He'd take all the pain and horror for them both so that Becca could be free of this kind of thing.

Becca smiled. "I can't wait."

He couldn't either. They were to be married in the spring. Near the ocean, of course. Actually, not too far off from where he'd proposed.

"Let's go see the rest of the house." Distracting himself with kissing Becca in his old room helped ease the pain from being here without his parents. He also had a hankering to head down to his old park and check it out. Maybe he would. After all, he probably wouldn't come back. This was good closure, to be able to bring back some memories of where he grew up before life changed.

Hunter walked hand in hand with Becca through the rest of the house mainly in silence. He'd stop, close his eyes, and picture things the way they were. He had flashes of his mom cooking in the kitchen and Dad working on something in the living room as he tapped a pen repeatedly on things. Some images were so vivid he could almost reach out and touch them.

He found Joe in the middle of the living room, gripping his cane. "You ever wish things were different?"

Hunter thought about it for a second. "Yes and no. I wish everyone lived, but then if things didn't happen, I wouldn't have Becca. I just hate that we had to lose so much in order to gain something so special." His voice cracked. "Thank you for the chance to come here, Joe. I really needed it."

"I did, too."

A sense of peace washed over him. He'd spent a good early part of his life in this house with parents who loved him. In fact, they loved so much they made a sacrifice to help save someone in need. Hunter still didn't know a hundred percent how to accept what his parents did with the Langes, but until they had all the answers, he probably never would. All he could do now was continue to give Becca his love and keep searching.

Hunter let out a sigh as he left the house. Becca slid her arms around him as they waited for Joe to lock the door.

"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."