A Masterpiece Of Our Love (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 1) (26 page)

"He just told me about the fund last night," Becca admitted, remembering every single detail so fresh in her mind.

"Becca, it's more than just a fund. Hunter invested so much into this research and treatment facility. His generosity built it from the ground up with passionate doctors and researchers. The place is amazing. What they've done..."

Becca blinked, taking in what Shara had just told her.

"I'm really surprised he didn't tell you all of this," Shara said quietly, leaning forward. "I guess he doesn't want to draw attention to himself. He's not one to brag."

"I know." Becca had to catch her breath at what Shara just told her.

"I worry about him. He's been out of sorts the past few months. He opened his heart to Eva and after everything that happened, she turned against him and blamed him. She hurt him bad, even though he tries to hide it. I don't want him to hurt anymore."

"I would never hurt him," Becca protested, digesting Shara's words. What would Eva have to blame Hunter for? She must not know the whole story.

"Becca, his heart is in the palm of your hands. From day one, you were the one that brought him happiness. Every time he got off the phone with you, he was happy. He couldn't wait to hear from you. He spent a lot of time on the phone calling people on your behalf, trying to get them to listen to what he had to say. Never have I seen such dedication. It's beautiful. To be honest, I came to you today to talk to you about Hunter. I worry about his mental state lately, an I'm hoping you can help him."

Tears stung her eyes, hearing the words from another person about Hunter and his determination about her.

"Most people could only dream about a love like that. I hope you two make it. Maybe now he'll come out out of his shell and open up more."

Hunter in a shell? Well, she hadn't seen him in four years prior to this, and no doubt he'd changed.

"He hides his pain," Shara said, as if she could read her mind. "He acts like things don't bother him, but he suffers a silent pain. Eva's actions haven't helped. He let her in and she broke his heart. I just want to see him happy for a change. She blames him for things."

"I want him to be happy, too." Blamed him for things? What kind of things? Becca realized that for a man she'd known so long, there was still so much she didn't know about Hunter.

"Just bear with him. He's been pretty good with you here, but he's had some dark days. Honestly, I almost think it's PTSD." Shara bit her lip. "I think the night he almost lost control of his plane did something to him. Things haven't been the same since."

"PTSD?" That would explain the nightmares and flashbacks. The way he freaked out and pulled away at times. It made sense.

"Yeah, you know-"

"I know what it is. You just caught me off-guard, but I can see where you're coming from." She told Shara about the parasailing and the nightmares.

Shara sighed. "You might want to see if you can coax him to talk to someone, before it gets worse. With all the stress he's under, I can see this blowing up in a bad way. He might listen to you, whereas sometimes I come off harsh and pushy, which I admit I can do. My sister gets really annoyed at me sometimes because of it. That's why I swallowed my pride and came to get to know you. I don't want Hunter to be anymore upset than he already is."

At the mention of a sister, Becca closed her eyes. She and Ellie had been close, even though they'd had their share of fights. What siblings didn't? She'd been Hunter's age. What would things have been like if Ellie was still alive?

"Becca? You okay?"

She snapped her eyelids open. Shara stared at her, eyes narrowed and her lips set in a thin line.

"Sorry. I was thinking about my sister." Sadness crept in her voice.

Shara's hand flew to her mouth. "I am so sorry-"

Becca waved her off. "No, no. It's okay."

They both stopped at the sound of a car door opening, then the front door opened.

"Anybody up?" Hunter's voice drifted through the room.

"We're in here!" Shara called.

A few seconds later, Sienna barreled into the room, heading straight for Becca. She wrapped her in her arms.

"Hey, sweet girl. Did you have fun with your daddy this morning?" she asked Sienna, whose face lit up in a big grin.

Hunter appeared in the doorway, holding a bag and a vase full of roses. His eyes lit up at the sight of her. "Hey, angel." He strode over to her and bent down for a kiss. "Sleep well?"

"I did! I was a bit startled when I wasn't where I fell asleep."

He chuckled, handing her the vase. "Sienna picked them out, so they're from both of us. I also have something else for you, but I'll show you that a little later." His sly grin had her all sorts of curious. "Hey, Shara. I didn't know you were coming over when you called me this morning." His gaze moved from Becca to his assistant.

"I came by to apologize to Becca. We've been sitting here talking." Shara sent him a genuine smile.

"I'm really happy to see this. I'd hoped you two would get along." Hunter rested his hand on Becca's shoulder. His fingers gently caressed the spot. "So here's the thing. I have to go to a few meetings today for the upcoming fund raiser event. It'll be a few hours, but I'm not sure how to go about this."

"That's easy." Becca bounced a squirming Sienna on her knee, even though she already felt the swelling for some reason. "I'll watch Sienna here. You don't have to worry."

"I thought I could push the meetings off, but I can't. Now that I'm back, they're all too happy about getting them done earlier. I don't want to ask too much of you, Bec."

"You worry way too much, you know." Becca tilted her head back to look at him. "I have no problem hanging out here with Sienna while you do what you need to."

"I'll stay too, if Becca wants company, that is," Shara offered.

Hunter looked between the two of them. "Thank you. Thank you both. I'm still trying to get a hold of Eva. I'm worried more 'things' will show up." He looked down at Sienna. "There's so much-"

Sienna climbed off Becca's lap, moving toward her diaper bag where she grabbed her sippy cup and lifted it to her mouth.

Becca took that opportunity to stand up and hug him. "Will you relax?" she whispered. "You can't be with me every waking minute when you have obligations. I'm not going to be the reason you get so distracted, you don't get done what you need. I didn't come down here expecting you to drop everything. So things haven't gone quite as planned. That's all right by me. If anyone or anything shows up, we'll let you know. I'm rattled, but we can't let them win."

Hunter sighed deeply as he pulled her closer. "I'm not used to such a laid back attitude. Okay, but you and I will have our special time. You can count on that. Oh, and you don't get this gift until later." He grinned, then the look faded. "I just want to stay with you and keep you close. I don't like the craziness."

"That's totally teasing, but you know what, I'll go with it." She looked up in his eyes, which held so much love. "We'll be fine for a little while, Hunter."

"Don't have too much fun without me," Hunter teased, giving Becca one more kiss. He nodded at Shara. "If you hear anything concerning Eva..."

"You'll be the first to know after me. I haven't heard a thing in a few days." Shara put down her coffee. "Seriously, go. Becca's right, you need to relax. You've been wound up for months."

A dark shadow crossed Hunter's face and his smile disappeared. "I know. I'm trying to relax, I really am. I'll be back as soon as possible." His smile returned when he picked up Sienna, peppering her face with kisses. "Daddy has to work for a few hours. Will you be good for Becca and Shara?"

"Bye Daddy!" Sienna said, hiding her face from the kisses.

"I guess that's my cue to go." He set Sienna down. "Her medication is-"

Becca pressed two fingers to his lips. "I love you. I know where everything is, I helped you last night. Go concentrate on your meetings. We'll be right here waiting for you when you get home."

Ten minutes later, Hunter reluctantly left. Becca closed the door and sighed. "You're right. He's way too wound up."

A few hours turned into longer, but by two o'clock, Hunter was finally on his way home. He couldn't wait to see Becca and give her what he bought this morning. It was an impulsive move, but she'd love it. She'd probably tell him once again that he was too much.

As he pulled into the driveway, he noticed that Shara's car was still parked by the curb. What a turnaround. He hadn't expected her to change her mind so quickly when she'd obviously been jealous about Becca coming here.

"I see why you love her so much." Shara's voice startled him as soon as he walked inside the house. She sat cross-legged on the chair in the corner.

Hunter jumped. "You scared the hell out of me! I didn't expect you to be right here," he laughed after his pulse went back to normal. "Where's Becca and Sienna?"

"Sienna's napping. Becca went to check on her. I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled about you bringing her here. I know I'm not always the nicest person, and I know you've never felt for me the way I feel about you, but I see why. She's not one of those fake women I often see flaunt themselves at you." Shara stood, brushing off her pants. "She's real. Genuine. I like her. A lot. Hunter, you need to talk to her more though. I realize there's things she doesn't know, like how you and Eva met and what happened. Don't hold back from her. I'd hate to see you two fall apart before you even begin."

Hunter sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "I'm trying. You know me." It wasn't that he wanted to keep things from Becca. He'd always made it about her. He didn't want her to have to know some of the things in his life, but if they were going to be together, that had to change. He had to learn to open up.

"Yes, I do. I know you hide yourself. I know you're not one to open up and if I wasn't here to keep track of your life, I'd never know the details that I do either. She's good for you, Hunter. That's weird for me to say, but clearly she's the one."

He thought of Becca, always a part of him. "She is the one."
She always has been.

"Then let her in. You've been protecting her, but let her do the same for you. I was wrong about you two. I didn't think it was a good idea for two people with such a tragic bond to be together, but I think you guys will bring out the best in each other."

Hunter gaped at Shara. Never in all the years he'd known her had she talked to him like this.

She laughed at his expression. "I know, I'm throwing you off. I want to find a love like you have one day. I thought with enough time, I could make that be you. I know now that I've been putting my heart out in the wrong place."

"Shara-"

"And that's enough sentimental from me. Don't tell anyone. I don't want my hardass reputation ruined." She smiled, then stuck out a hand. "Friends?"

Hunter looked down at her extended hand, then hugged her. "Friends. Thank you, Shara. This means a lot. And if I don't say it enough, thank you for keeping my crap together. We drive each other crazy sometimes, but you've been good to me."

She shrugged. "You and I are alike in some ways. I don't make friends that easy. I don't open up often. I've spent too much wasted time holding myself back. I think it's time I change things a little."

"Hunter! You're home!" Becca stood at the foot of the stairs, her face lit up.

Everything else forgotten, Hunter held his hand out to her. When she was close enough, he pulled her into his arms. "I couldn't wait to come home to you, though I've been bragging about you all day."

"I think this is my time to go." Shara grabbed her purse. "Sorry I wasn't able to push off the meetings."

Hunter shrugged, keeping an arm around Becca's shoulders. "They're done and over with now, so no worries. Thanks for hanging around today while I was gone." He would have hated for Becca to be by herself, and it seemed Shara was actually trying.

"Hey, I know I'm bitchy at times, but just to let you know, I'm glad to see you happy. It hasn't been easy watching you struggle the last few years." Shara nodded at Becca. "And it was great to get to know you. Thanks for the nice day. I'll bow out and see you later." As she breezed past them and left the house, Hunter and Becca both looked at each other in surprise.

"Did you two actually have some decent conversation?" Hunter asked, still unsure as to what changed Shara's mind. She'd always been one to change moods quickly, but this one still threw him off.

"We did. She might be hard to read, but she cares about you." Becca caressed his cheek. "It was nice to have some girl talk."

"Hmm. Don't believe a word she says about me," Hunter grumbled playfully, rubbing his hand up her arm.

Becca's eyes widened. "What, you think we had conversations about you?" Her coy tone told him they had.

He dipped his head lower and kissed her. "How could you not?"

"You, my love, are full of yourself today," Becca teased.

Hunter laughed. He loved teasing her. "I'm glad you had a good day. How's Sienna? Is her ear still bothering her?"

"She's fine! I think her ear hurts, but not as bad. She wasn't rubbing so much today. We spent some time painting. I have something from her to show you."

Becca and Sienna painting. Now that was a sight he'd have loved to see. "Shara stayed the entire time?"

"She sure did. The three of us had a blast. Sienna is worn out and taking a nice, peaceful nap. How were your meetings?"

"They went well. I want to take you there, Bec. I want everyone to meet you." She'd be surprised to know it was more than just a fund he'd involved himself in. He'd not only funded the research, but a lot of the building. He'd wanted to make something useful out of that money. Just as he thought, she blushed. "The fundraiser event is in a week. Please say you'll be my date? I'll wine and dine you, take you in a limo and give you the royal treatment." He was only half teasing. He'd love to do all of that for her, but he knew that wouldn't sway her answer one way or the other.

"I'd love to go. I don't have anything fancy to wear, so I hope it's more of a casual event."