A Forever Masterpiece (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 3) Read Free

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