Chapter Three
Becca gasped in disbelief. Hunter had a daughter? So, the little girl in the photo had been the reason he stopped coming. She felt bad for being so hurt about it now. No wonder he hadn't shown! Hello, a child was important! Regret churned in her stomach from the thoughts she'd had. "Hunter..."
"It's pretty messy right now between her mother and I." His voice was bitter, with a hard edge to it.
Nothing. She had no words. Instead, she waited quietly for Hunter to continue his story. Beads of sweat formed on his brow. No wonder this wasn't easy for him. She'd bet he must have been in a huge custody battle over Sienna. When she handed him back the photo, his eyes filled with sadness and hurt. He must be missing her. Her sweet face resembled Hunter so much.
"You recall that I dated Eva off and on?" At her nod, he continued. "I'd come to a realization four years ago. She and I weren't meant to be. I said that last time was it, and then I came home from our trip to a surprise announcement. Eva was pregnant." He ran a hand through his dark hair with another deep sigh. "She was always a little high maintenance, but I cared about her and loved her. Love isn't always enough though. Eva and I never should have married, even for Sienna's sake. We are like fire and gasoline. Always have been. I guess I needed to do right for my daughter. I wanted her to have a family. I know what the loss of parents in my life did, so I'd hoped to give Sienna the best I could. It just goes to show, marriage really isn't always the best option."
Okay, double blow in just a few moments. Married? She was sure that her face looked funny as her jaw dropped. Married and a child? Wait ... he said he was married. She licked her suddenly dry lips. What could she say?
Becca reached for his hand, wishing she could find a way to make things easier for him. No wonder he was so different! He'd been through so much!
"Long story short, Eva and I couldn't stay married. I tried to be the best person I could for her. I treated her like a princess, but it wasn't enough. I don't think it was me that she really wanted. Now she's holding Sienna against me, threating to take off with her if she doesn't get at least half of my worth. I'm easily willing to hand it over, but my assistant suggests I hold out and not let Eva win. It's not about the money. I just want my daughter back. Eva isn't the most stable person right now. I don't trust her and that makes me sick! She's angry and lashing out." He pinched the bridge of his nose before fixing his gaze on Becca. "Sorry you asked?" He sounded defeated.
She gasped. "Absolutely not! I can't even begin to know what to say! I'm so sorry, Hunter. So that's why you've been out of touch all these years?" She winced, knowing she shouldn't have said that.
He nodded. "I wanted to come back the summer after, but Sienna was only a few months old. I couldn't just leave. Then the year after that one ... we had a devastating crisis. Eva also didn't understand my need to come back. She thought it was silly and stupid. Still, I should have called you."
Well didn't that sound familiar.
"I guess we both get a lot of that," Becca replied softly, taking one of Hunter's hands in hers. "As for reaching out, I wish you had, but it seems like you've had a lot on your plate." So it hadn't been their almost kiss that scared him away like she'd wondered. After hearing Hunter's story, she only wished it had been something as simple and stupid as that instead of the heartache he went through.
"I just- being here makes me feel a little close to my mom and dad, you know? I hate that I'm beginning to forget things about them. It scares me. I don't want to forget!" Hunter exhaled a shaky breath and gave her hand a squeeze. "On that plane is the last memory I have of them alive. This is where I feel that connection."
"I understand that all too well." Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
"Oh Becca, I didn't even think-" Hunter rushed to hug her.
She shook her head. "This is going to sound strange, but I think you'll get it. I'm relieved to know that I'm not the only one that's forgetting. I kept trying to force my brain to remember. It doesn't help that my grandparents don't have a lot of things from my parents around. I have only what I managed to bring with me when I went to live with them. I thought it had to do with my brain injuries. I thought I was-"
"Shh. Don't say anything negative about yourself," Hunter whispered, his eyes darkening. "See, I knew I should have talked to you long ago. I was worried, but I never should have been. You're the only one that gets it."
"We've been through the same thing. We both understand what the other is going through."
"So true. It's crazy to think that if that plane crash had never happened, we wouldn't be here like this. It's like a ripple effect. One thing happens, which causes a wave of ripples around that event. One thing can change the course of your life forever. I can't imagine not having you in my life. To think, we were strangers. We would have just passed each other and that would have been it. I hate that crash and what it stole from me, but I wouldn't have gotten to know you either. I am so sorry for being out of touch, Becca. I really am."
Becca held his hand and met his stare. A storm of emotion showed in his eyes. "As I told you yesterday, you're here now. Now that I know why you disappeared, I understand. That's a lot to deal with."
"You're too good to me," he said hoarsely. "I don't know if I deserve it."
"Why would you say such a thing?" He was really tormented by things right now. Hunter had never acted so unsure of himself before. He'd always been strong and brave. He was someone that she looked up to. She always wished that she could have taken more of Hunter's attitude after the accident. He met life head on instead of hiding in fear like she had. Hunter had become her secret role model. She'd never said a word about that to anyone, not even Hunter. She'd looked up to him for years.
"I don't know. I guess I don't have anyone else in my life that I can trust and that I can count on, so I wonder if it's me."
Those words were not the Hunter she was used to. Not at all. She ached for him, for all the pain he'd encountered.
"And there I went, throwing out more negative. Okay, time to change the subject for now." Hunter flashed a grin. With just a single smile, his mood changed. "Tell me, if you were to create an image of what you think love looks like, what would it be?"
What an odd question. Leave it to Hunter to ask something like that. Another example of how he understood her, even without realizing it. "I've never thought about it," she lied. Why did she just lie? Of course she'd thought about it! All the time! She closed her eyes, trying to create an image immediately.
"Think about it for me, would you?" he asked softly. "I'm curious what you will come up with. And then create it so I can take it home and hang it up on my wall."
She snapped her eyelids open to look at him again. "Why?" she asked with a nervous chuckle.
Hunter shrugged. "I want to see what someone else's version of love is. Being so artistic, you could probably come up with something amazing. I want to have a reminder, something to look at when I go back home."
Something in his voice pulled on her heartstrings. Hunter was a wreck. If a simple painting was what he longed for, then she would do her best to create one for him.
"Okay. I'll think about it and come up with something for you," she said softly.
His grin widened, reaching his eyes. "Really? Thank you, Becca. I can't wait to see what you come up with. Hey, what do you say we go for a little walk and see what this lonely little island has to offer?" He shot to his feet and brushed off the sand from his khaki shorts. "I don't think we could ever visit every island, no matter how many times we come here."
"That sounds like a fun idea, and probably not." He held his hands out to help her rise to her feet. "I'm really sorry you went through all of that. It's unfair that your ex is using your daughter against you. Some people just have a mean streak for no rhyme or reason. But your daughter, she's so precious. I looked at that photo and saw so much of you. I do hope you'll tell me more about Sienna."
Hunter lifted the cooler and moved it. He
reached for the blanket to fold. "She's the sweetest girl. So bubbly and cute. I miss her. I can already guess that getting full custody is going to be a long battle. She's such a daddy's girl. Her eyes light up every time I'm near and she squeals before running into my arms."
She heard the admiration in his voice when he spoke of his baby girl. "You're such a proud daddy. I love hearing you talk about Sienna."
"I am proud. Who knew I could make a kid that cute?" Hunter cracked a smile and tossed the neatly folded blanket over his shoulder. "I look at her and wonder how she could really be mine. She looks like me, no doubt, but I could never have guessed I would have a mini-me baby girl. Her personality reminds me of you. She lights up the room whenever she walks into it."
Becca's heartbeat sped up. Reminded him of her?
"Oh, don't look so surprised!" Hunter laughed, edging closer to her. "You have this aura about you. Bright and happy. You have the heart and soul of a strong warrior. You're one of the bravest women I know."
Becca hesitated for a second before following him. Hunter's mood changed constantly. He really had a lot of personal struggle to deal with and she wondered what more could she could do for her friend. He went from a man who tried to hide his doubts to a man that had the power to steal her heart with the things he said. His words about his admiration for her and her strength touched a place in her heart. Just when she'd been thinking about how much she'd been inspired by him, he went and surprised her.
Hunter stopped and turned around. "Hey, I have an idea. I know this is going to be totally random, but I was thinking. You seem to be okay with the water, but you hate flying. What if we went parasailing? You'll kind of be flying, and it'll be over water. We wouldn't even be that high up. What do you say?"
Becca laughed. "Hunter, only you can go from one thought to another without any connection that I can find. Your mind is spontaneous!"
"I know. It's a weakness sometimes," he said seriously before flashing another one of his grins her way. "What do you say?"
She finally caught up to him. Rays of sunlight filtered through the trees. "I don't know." She bit her lip. The idea of being in the air, even over water, scared the hell out of her. Again, she thought back to Hunter's words. If she pushed herself hard enough, she could conquer anything. In many ways, she'd done so already. He believed in her, so why not believe in herself?
"I won't push, but keep the idea in mind. If you agree, I'll set something up. One day, I'd love to take you up for a ride in my plane, so I thought of ways we could prepare you for that. I understand your fears, but I also know that you are brave."
"I'll give it some thought," she said softly.
*****
For the next hour they walked around through the trees, looking for anything interesting on the little spot of land. There wasn't much to this island at all. He'd spotted a few cabins and some bigger houses, but that was about it. Birds chirped in the trees. Other than that, there were no sounds.
"There isn't much here. What do you say we take a break, eat a little bit and head back to the main island?" Hunter asked.
"That sounds like an idea I can go for. I'm a little hungry."
Hunter set the cooler down and faced Becca, just in time to see her slip and start to fall. She let out a yelp. He rushed forward to catch her before she hit the ground, but he wasn't fast enough.
"Are you okay?" He reached her and held out his hands. Becca winced as she climbed to her feet again.
"I'm so uncoordinated!" She laughed. He'd guess she was trying to hide her frustration over falling. "Dang it, that hurts. I slipped, then stumbled on a rock. My ankle is throbbing right now," she groaned. Her lips formed a frown.
"Here, let's find somewhere to sit and we'll check that ankle," Hunter said, very concerned. He tried not to be overbearing, but he worried that maybe she'd sprained it. He slid an arm around her waist to help keep some weight off the foot. She limped along, letting out tiny gasps and groans. He was glad they'd started making their way back toward the boat already. They wouldn't have far to go if she'd actually done something to it. "There's a boulder here that you can sit on." Hunter nodded in the direction of a few large rocks just a couple yards ahead of them. When they reached them and Becca sat, Hunter put the cooler on the ground and tossed the blanket over it. He carefully took off Becca's shoe and peered at her ankle. No bruising that he could see. He gently touched different areas around her foot, asking, "Does that hurt?" Most times she said no, until he found the one spot that made her gasp. Sure enough, she had a little bit of swelling there. "It doesn't look too bad, but maybe it's time to head back."
Becca's cheeks were red as she nodded. "I think so. Sorry my clumsiness cut our trip short."
He slid her shoe back on her foot. "Don't apologize, Becca. You can lean on me and we'll go as slow as you need to. There isn't much left to see on this island anyway."
Even going slower for Becca's sake, it didn't take long to get back to the water. Hunter noticed immediately that something was wrong, but he couldn't get his mind to cooperate with what he saw.
Their boat was gone. It was no longer tied to the dock. What the hell? He'd tied it! And he used the anchor! How could the boat not be there?
"Hunter," Becca said slowly. "Our boat decided to leave without us."
"I know I secured that boat!" He let out an exasperated sigh. "I did, right?"
"I remember you doing it," Becca affirmed, alarm filling her voice.
His heart raced. He tried mentally retracing his steps from the moment he'd pulled up to the dock. Sure, the ropes could have come loose, but he also had the anchor. That only meant one thing. Someone had to have done this on purpose. A prank maybe? He'd never seen anyone outside when they were walking around, but it didn't mean someone hadn't slipped by them without either of them seeing the person. Acid churned in his stomach. Something wasn't right. When they arrived at the dock, Hunter dropped the items in his hand and rushed to the edge. Dark clouds had gathered, and lightning sliced the air in the distance. A brisk wind blew from the storm's direction. He searched the waters for a sign of their boat. He spotted it, floating among the choppy waves about two hundred yards ahead. So, at least someone hadn't stolen the boat. He could just swim over and bring it back. Then the only worry was getting back to the main island before the storm hit. Taking a deep breath, Hunter flung his shirt off and tossed it on top of the blanket. Then he pulled out his cell phone and wallet and handed them to Becca. "I'm going to go get the boat. I'll be back real fast."
She took the items from his outstretched hand, her full lips turned down in a worried frown. "You be careful, okay?"
"I will. Keep an eye out. Something isn't right. I'd better hurry now, before the boat goes even further." That water would be cold, but he didn't care. The faster he got the boat and had Becca safely on it, the safer he'd feel. He didn't even like the idea of leaving her on the dock alone, but he wasn't about to have her swim all the way out there with him. On a silent count to three, Hunter jumped into the water. Even though he anticipated the cold, it still hit him with a shock through his entire body. He shouted before his head went below the surface for a moment. When he gained his composure and his body became slightly accustomed to the cold, he stretched his arms out and swam toward the boat. He wanted to turn around and look at Becca, but decided against it. His mind raced. Adrenaline pumped through his body, pushing harder and harder to swim through the chilly, dark waters. Just as he feared, those storm clouds were heading this way. Sheets of rain fell in the distance and the lightning became more frequent. If it came any closer, they just might have to hold up on the island somewhere until it passed. Damn it!
Water slapped his face, but he kept his pace to make it to the boat. He could have paid more attention at the dock to see if this was intentional or if he'd simply forgotten, but at this point all he wanted to do was get in the water and to the boat. This wasn't the day he'd expected with Becca.
His legs were starting to tire. They
weren't pushing with as much force. Almost there. He could see the boat easily now. There weren't any more boaters on the water now. They'd probably paid more attention to the weather than he had. The storm's fury seemed to be intensifying at an alarmingly fast rate. Thunder rumbled almost constantly.
Finally, he reached the boat. Hunter grabbed the sides and hoisted himself up. As he stood up on the boat, droplets of water splattering on the floor, he rushed to start the engine. He had to get to Becca now. As another strong gust of wind blew, Hunter shivered.
"I made it. I made it," he chanted quietly. Time to get this baby started and get back to the dock. He cast a wary glance at the darkening skies. No, he didn't think they were going to make it at all. He wasn't too happy about having to find a place to stay on the island, but he wasn't about to drag Becca on the waters in this storm.
It reminded him too much of that night and the surprising storm they'd encountered. Everything had been fine. It had been smooth riding up until that storm.
His legs trembled heavily as he pulled the cord to start the engine. It took three tries before the boat roared to life. He gripped the wheel and focused on getting back. He spotted Becca on the dock, but was still too far away to make out her expression. Her long locks of hair flowed behind her, whipping in the wind gusts. "I'm on my way," he muttered out loud. He chuckled. He really did talk to himself a lot. No wonder Becca got a kick out of it.
Thunder cracked in the sky, signaling a warning. Yes, he knew the storm was on it's way. No denying that. The damn wind blowing water in his face proved that. The smell of rain filled the air. Streaks of rain fell from the sky only miles away. Not too long before it would hit them. He just needed to get this boat secured at the dock, then take Becca and find a safe place to shelter themselves from the storm.
"What's with storms and trouble lately?" he shouted into the wind. His pulse quickened and his heart raced. Okay, he needed to chill. He felt that same strange sensation, the same one he'd had when he nearly crashed his plane a few months ago.
A Masterpiece Of Our Love (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 1) Page 4
