A Masterpiece Of Our Love (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 1) Read Free

or her grandparents hoped. Every way she looked at it, Vince didn't make marriage material for her. Sure, he came from money and had a solid career, but Becca knew that he could never be the man for her. Not when she longed for true love. As an avid artist, she had very vivid images in her mind of real love. She tried to tell Vince about them once and show him on canvas. He'd barely even acknowledged it. She wanted someone that showed interest in her hobbies and dreams, not someone who called her art trivial and then blew it off.
    "Thank you, Hunter."
    He slid an arm around her shoulders. "I've missed you so much. I don't even know where to begin. I'm just glad something told me to come back. You came back every year, didn't you?" Sadness resonated in his voice. Would he tell her the reason for his absence the past few years? Did their almost-kiss four years ago scare him off? Not that she dared to ask. No way did she want to sound childish or needy. It definitely crossed her mind a thousand times. He'd called to let her know he made it home as he always did after they parted, but after that, she never seemed to be able to get a hold of him.
    "I have. My grandparents fight it stronger every time, but I've come back."
    "Are they still strict and stuffy?"
    Becca burst into laughter at Hunter's boldness. He never did care to hold back. He told it like he felt it. "Yes. They haven't changed much. They're trying to marry me off to a well-to-do man."
    He rested his hands on her shoulders, freezing her right where she stood. He inched his face closer. "Do you love him?" Why did his voice sound so edgy?
    "I care about him, but love? No. I don't feel that kind of love for Vince."
    "Tell me about him." He released his hold on her and grasped for her hand, beginning their trek back to Range's.
    "He's nice. Older than me," Becca said, then paused.
    Hunter laughed. "You're finding it difficult to have great things to say about him. Is he that bad?"
    Becca hadn't meant to sound so crass when it came to discussing Vince. Despite her feelings, or rather, lack thereof, he'd been fairly good to her. "No, he's not bad. He's just not the man for me. He acts just like my grandparents do, very protective and overly cautious. He disagrees about my coming here, too."
    "Is that why you planned this to be your last year?" They rounded the corner. The sign to Range's Inn and Diner lit up the night. The D was only half lit as it buzzed, the threat of the letter going completely dark evident.
    "Partly," Becca admitted. Her stomach growled. When had she eaten last? Something on the road on her drive here. Not enough to fill her.
    Hunter pulled the door open to the diner and held it for her to enter. As he followed, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Is the other part because I haven't shown up the past few years?"
    The sign up front read 'Seat yourself'. Becca found a booth near the window that faced the ocean and scooted in. What an eerie, beautiful image outside. She kept her gaze on the scene, memorizing every detail in order to paint the landscape later.
    "Becca?"
    Oh, that's right. Hunter had asked her a question. Heat flared in her cheeks as she met his inquisitive stare.
    "It's a mix of things, to be honest. Yes, you're part of it, but not the only factor. It's been twenty years. How can I keep holding on to the past? It doesn't do me any good, and maybe I should get on with it." The words came out so harsh that she flinched. Goodness, when she was tired, words had a way of not coming out right.
    Hunter's face fell and his hands shot across the table to cover hers. "Do you really feel that way?" he asked softly, his eyes never leaving her face.
    "I don't know what I feel anymore. I'm stuck in the midst of people that tell me what I should think and feel, and quite frankly, it's tiresome on my mind. I need to get away from that chaos for a while, which makes this trip even more needed. Everyone looks at me and I know even when they don't say it, they're