A Masterpiece Unraveled (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 2)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  "He is. I don't know how well off because he doesn't discuss those things with me, but you can tell." What did he want? She'd never figured out Vince's reasoning for going with her grandparents idea to marry her. He was much older and could find a woman that he was more compatible with. There was no way he went with it just to simply please his family or hers, right?

  "Now I want to question him even more. And to me, that phone call didn't seem right. He 'accidentally' calls you during that conversation?" Hunter shook his head. "I don't quite buy it. But again, I don't know why he'd do it purposely either."

  "You remember when you said you were afraid of a relationship with me because you seemed to have an effect of people going away?" He'd said something like that on the island. She recalled it well.

  "Yeah..." Hunter replied slowly.

  "That's how I feel right about now." Talk about all sorts of confused. Everything and everyone around her was changing, including herself. It was like somehow, even not here, she was losing people.

  Chapter Ten

  The next morning, Hunter went to spend some time with Sienna and try to talk to Eva. Rissi had convinced Becca to go out and have a little girl time. Good for them both. They needed it. Becca needed a little more reassurance that she still had friends who loved her and didn't have ulterior motives. Rissi had a whole list of ideas like manicures, clothes shopping, and maybe a movie. The PI wouldn't be arriving until five, so they had most of the day to enjoy themselves. She actually seemed happy to be going, which made Hunter feel a thousand times better.

  Sienna played happily in the pool with him for an hour before she started rubbing her ear again. He picked her up and carried her out of the pool. Eva walked out on the porch at the same time. "She had enough of the pool?"

  "No, but I think her ear is bugging her again. This is what, the third time in a few weeks?" He gently tousled his daughter's hair as she slumped down in the seat with her towel.

  "Something like that. Guess it's about time for a referral to make sure there's nothing seriously wrong. That's way too many infections. I'll call her doctor and get her in," Eva promised, glancing down at Sienna. "If that's the case, maybe it is best she stays home this weekend."

  Hunter flinched at the word home. He knew at this point Eva wasn't trying to be mean, but the realization that his daughter would grow up in a split family, going from house to house on weekends, really hit him. He wasn't about to argue with Eva. She had a point, as much as it sucked. "Fair enough."

  "Wow. From the initial look on your face, I was expecting an argument." Eva wrapped her arms around herself.

  "I'm not that bad." He kept his voice low.

  "Umm, sometimes you are," Eva muttered. "Especially lately."

  "And you're much better?" Well hell there went that. They still couldn't go without arguing.

  "Hunter, I didn't say it to start anything." She raised her hands in frustration. Sienna whined, causing them both to stop and calm down.

  "I know," he admitted after a moment of silence. "Don't let this go to your head, but you're right. I am that bad lately." Thinking back to the way he'd snapped at Becca in Vermont to other things. Yeah, he was bad. Why was it so difficult to admit defeat?

  "I won't, but man do I wish I had that confession recorded." Eva smirked. "Come on, let's take Sienna inside."

  Fifteen minutes later, Sienna was changed and curled up in her bed, ready for a nap. Hunter kissed her forehead gently before backing away. Eva followed him out the door.

  "Your comment about her staying home is what got to me earlier," he said after pulling Sienna's door closed. Eva was about to protest, but Hunter held a hand up. "I know you didn't mean it to be rude. It just made me realize how much Sienna is going to have to bounce back and forth. You're lucky. You have your family around you. I have this feeling because of some recent admissions that there's some things about my family I don't know about, and the same thing with Becca. So I got a little testy."

  "That's the closest I'll get to a sorry from you," Eva mused, then cringed. "I don't know when to shut my mouth. I know you're going through hell, both you and Becca. I can't seem to keep away the jealousy when I see Sienna so warm with Becca. We both know Sienna doesn't go to people easily and seeing that hurts. I know we've had this discussion before and we don't need it again. I'm just throwing it out there."

  Hunter thought back to how quick Becca put Sienna down after noticing Eva's anger that day. "If you'd seen Becca right after, you'd know she doesn't want to take anyone's place."

  "It's just, you hurt me and you're the one who got to move on and be happy!" Eva squeezed her eyes shut.

  Wow, really?

  "First off, you hurt me too," Hunter pointed out. "Second, I might have moved on but it's far from being perfect and happy." Not that he would get into just how intense things were with him and Becca.

  "Oh please. You two will make it. Just get your head out of your ass and don't be stubborn." Eva rolled her eyes. "You never did with me, so maybe Becca's the lucky one who can set you straight."

  Hunter counted to ten quietly before responding, otherwise he might not be able to keep what he said civil. "I thought we were going to do our best to get along. You and I were bad from the start, you already knew that. Don't try to tell me now how to fix my relationship when you don't even know the half of what's going on. It's so much more than past hurts from relationships, Eva. There's some serious things coming up. I should probably walk away right now before I really say things I shouldn't. I want to know when Sienna's appointment is so I can be there, too. We'll switch weekends then so she can rest, but I'm not missing out on time with her." Hunter stalked off fuming. It was still going to take some time for the two of them to really let go of their anger at each other and make peace.

  *****

  For the first time in a few days, Becca actually had a good time out of the house. She was disappointed when it was time to head home to meet up with the private investigator. With bags full of clothes and some other great finds, she and Rissi made the trek back to the house. She would miss her friend when she went home.

  "I'll keep you updated on who moves into your apartment. No one will ever be as cool as you," Rissi promised.

  Becca shot her a quick smile, then focused back on the road. These were the times she couldn't respond even non-verbally.

  Once she parked in the driveway at Hunter's house, she killed the engine. Hunter's house? This was her house now, too. She lived here. This wasn't just a summer visit any more, this was her next step in life. Staring up at the beautiful two story home, a pang of sadness bubbled in her gut. She belonged here, so why did she feel like the whole world was about to swallow her up and take it all from her?

  "You okay?" Rissi's question pulled her back to attention.

  "Every time I've moved, it's never been easy. You'd think moving to be with someone I love would be."

  "I know your family, or those people who are supposed to be your family are ragging all over Hunter, but that man is devoted to you. He knows he's made a series of mistakes. If I didn't see how much he loves you with my own eyes, I wouldn't be saying this." Rissi touched Becca's shoulder. "I've never known two people who fight to keep each other's strength up like you two do. I think you both are struggling hard and don't want to fall apart, but not for yourselves. That's a lot of love, Becca. It's almost a storybook kind of love."

  "And my grandparents are the evil king and queen, right?" Becca smiled. Oh what would she do without Rissi?

  "Exactly! And unless it's one of those twisted fairy tale retellings, the good guys always win. Your grandparents are going down. They won't win." Rissi pointed her index fingers toward the floorboards.

  Another sound resembling a laugh rumbled in Becca's throat.

  "Come on. Let's go inside and show Hunter what we got and flaunt our girly goodness around before we have to get serious." Rissi pushed open the car door, grabbed her bags and darted toward the house.

  The
front door opened before they could get to it and Hunter stepped out. "I thought I heard a car." He held out a hand to Becca. "Can I take anything? What did you bring me?" he teased, stealing a kiss.

  "We brought our awesomeness. Isn't that enough?" Rissi quipped.

  Hunter chuckled and rolled his eyes. "The verdict is still out on that one. For you, anyway," he shot back playfully.

  "Oooh, harsh." Rissi pretended to kick him. "Becca, what I said about him earlier, I take it back!" She teased before heading inside.

  "I like this." Hunter moved out of the way to let Becca go in first. "You two laughing and joking. It's good to see this side of you again. I hope you had a good day."

  Once Becca set the bags down on the floor inside, she faced him. "We did. I'm going to miss her."

  He slid his arms around her waist and drew her close. "I know you will. We'll visit as often as you want and have her visit, too. There's no forever goodbyes, Bec."

  There were forever goodbyes. The possibility of losing her family a second time when they weren't even alive loomed over her. There was a double forever goodbye. She shook the thought out of her head. Rusty and Anne Lange would always be Mom and Dad. She knew nothing else, no matter what came out of it.

  But if they stole her? If they were selfish enough to take a child from another family, what did that say about them?

  Okay, they didn't know anything. As far as it goes, the whole dang thing was speculation and words they couldn't confirm. She had to stop letting her mind wander without the truth.

  "I have marks on my hands from the weight of the bags!" Rissi exclaimed as she came back downstairs. "Hey, do you need me to disappear for a while when your investigator shows up?"

  Becca shook her head no at the same time Hunter said. "You can stay. There's nothing you don't know."

  "Figured I'd ask." Rissi shrugged, then reached for one of Becca's hands, lifting it in front of Hunter's face. "Like the color?"

  Hunter studied her nails. "Interesting. Reminds me of the ocean." He kissed Becca's hand.

  They sat around for the next hour going through the things Becca and Rissi bought. The day had been much needed.

  Then the doorbell rang and Becca tensed up. This was it. The start of uncovering the truth. Her right hand balled up in a clenched fist again. Hunter noticed it, but didn't say anything as he shot to his feet to answer the door.

  A tall, slender man with dark blond hair followed Hunter back. He studied both Becca and Rissi with an intense gaze. But of course he was. That's what they did. They watched people, picking up on their movements and their quirks. Kind of creepy, actually. She squirmed. The last thing Becca wanted or needed was to be scrutinized.

  "Jed, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Becca and her best friend Rissi." Hunter rested a hand on Becca's shoulder as he stood beside her. "Want something to drink?"

  "I'm good, thanks. Good to meet you both."

  Too bad it wasn't under better circumstances.

  Becca gave a little wave. Did Hunter tell him about her ... situation?

  Jed took a seat at the table across from Becca. He pulled out a laptop case, a few papers, and then folded his hands over them.

  "Bec, let's play the message," Hunter requested softly, rubbing her shoulder before he finally plunked down on the seat beside her.

  She nodded, then pulled her phone from her purse. Putting the phone on speaker, she dialed the voice mail and waited for the saved message to play. Hearing those words again was chilling. Hunter scooted his chair closer and wrapped a protective arm around her.

  "So what is it you want to find out?" Jed asked, fixing his gaze on her again.

  "Everything," Hunter replied. "The plane crash, anything that can be found about why we were on the same plane, anything on both of our families."

  Jed pushed a notebook across the table. "Becca, why don't you write everything down you want to know, and anything you may remember about your family, the crash and anything relevant. I know your memories are scattered when it comes to your past, so whatever you can give me works." Then he handed another to Hunter. "Same goes for you. This is going to be a time consuming process, seeing that we have to go back twenty years and beyond. Your grandparents don't want to reveal anything at all?"

  Becca shook her head, anger bubbling through her again over their secrets. She signed before picking up the pen. "They wouldn't even talk much about my parents before. I never even knew there was anything off until Carrie took me on that plane a few weeks ago."

  Hunter didn't even need a cue from her before he interpreted.

  Jed nodded and typed something on the laptop keyboard. Becca picked up the pen and focused her thoughts, trying to write down anything that she could think of. She really didn't have much to go on!

  "If there's anything you can't come up with now, just keep a note for later. I'm sure as you think about it, a memory or idea may pop up."

  Hunter sighed. "This is going to sound ridiculous and I can't believe I'm asking, but what about my nightmares and flashbacks? Should I-" He sucked on his upper lip.

  "Why not? You never know." Jed sent him a sympathetic look. It didn't seem judgmental at all, despite how strange the idea was.

  As Becca wrote down random things, Jed spoke to Rissi, asking her questions about anything she knew from Vince to her grandparents.

  Hunter's phone rang. Becca peeked over at him. He silenced the phone and placed it on the table. She wondered who that was.

  Coming up with something useful was much harder than she anticipated and she already knew it wouldn't be easy. Her mind drew a blank. Her memories of her parents were so vague. She couldn't remember their jobs. She didn't remember much about the last place they lived before the crash. She wasn't sure if it was due to it being so long ago, or her memory being affected by the crash and the trauma afterwards. Either way, this wasn't helping.

  She tapped the pen against the notebook and tried hard to come up with an idea.

  They spent the next hour or so writing down, discussing and getting options. Jed let them know this was a long shot to lead them to much of anything, but he'd do what he could. He shook everyone's hand just before he left and told them to keep a notebook handy in case a memory or an idea popped up. He gave Becca and Rissi his card, letting them know to call if they came up with anything. When his walked out the door and drove away a minute later, Becca sighed.

  Would the answers ever come? So much time had passed. But if her grandparents or Vince knew something, Jed would find a way to get the information if they weren't willing to give it easily. Until then, she just had to learn to be patient and hope for the best in all situations, including the psycho Carrie.

  If only it were so easy. She just wanted to feel safe again!

  Hunter had his phone against his ear, listening intently to a message. He dropped it back in his pocket afterwards, then took her hand. "Hey, Bec? This is the wrong time to have to bring this up, but the message was from one of the auction bidders. They all know what's been going on with us, but she was curious about when you wanted to do her mural."

  A wave of panic seized her, but she pushed it aside. It had to be done. She made a promise and had no intentions of going back on her word. "Set it up. Name the time and place and I'll be there."

  His brows rose. "Are you sure? I can try to stall a little more if you need more time."

  Becca shook her head furiously. "No! I need to keep my word. If you can, just go with me for communication purposes. I'm not going to let the fund down because I'm incapable of talking or afraid of my own shadow."

  She would put her brave face on and get the job done. She'd done it so many times thanks to endless badgering by the people who were supposed to be family, she could do it again. Somehow, she'd gotten used to acting brave when so many times she wasn't.

  Chapter Eleven

  Two days later, Becca drove Rissi to the airport. Yes, the very same airport where she'd gone to look for Hunter and...

  No
. She had to stop thinking about it, otherwise she'd go into a panic and she told Hunter and Rissi she'd be fine taking this drive. She would just drop Rissi off, say her good-byes and leave. Simple!

  Except Hunter had shown his concerns. Okay, so he had a right to worry. She'd been losing it lately. She had to try to get herself back together. Hunter found out early this morning that Sienna's doctor's appointment was at the same time. He'd wanted to go with Eva to find out about the continuing ear infections. Becca insisted he go. That's where he needed to be.

  Everything was fine until Becca noticed a car tailing them way too close. She switched lanes. So did the other car. If she knew the area better, she would have taken a different turn to see what happened, but knowing her luck she'd get lost and then make Rissi miss her flight. Plus, she didn't want to let on to Rissi that she feared someone tailing them.

  Well, it could be coincidental. She had a recent history of paranoia. If they followed her to the airport and then back, she'd know for sure.

  "I had no idea Mom was so ill, otherwise I would have made other arrangements for Jade to go with her when Mom was better. That's my mama for you." Rissi sighed, apologizing again. She felt bad when the call came in late yesterday. Hunter made arrangements for her to get a quick flight home instead of waiting for the commercial planes. "You don't have to reply. I'm just musing out loud. It's going to be a long flight until I know what's going on. If it's not one thing, it's another."

  She understood that feeling all too well. Normally, she'd be able to talk her friend down from a panicked frenzy. Becca couldn't be of that use at the moment. Instead, she shot a quick, sympathetic glance at her. At least, she hoped it was. She peered in the rear view mirror again, hoping the car had turned somewhere. Nope. Still there. Not tailing her as badly now, the blue sedan was actually about two cars behind.