Read Online A Forever Masterpiece (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 3) by Nikki Lynn Barrett - Free Book Online Page A
Book: A Forever Masterpiece (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 3) by Nikki Lynn Barrett
Read Free Book Online
Authors: Nikki Lynn Barrett
Ads: Link
won't stop you." He slipped a hand in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Take my card. Rissi, I'm trusting you to not let Becca worry about price. My bride gets whatever dress and accessories she desires. If she hesitates, push her. Not literally push her, but you know what I mean." He handed a credit card to Becca.
"Hunter-" She started to protest.
"Quiet!" Both Hunter and Rissi said at the same time. They all laughed.
"This is your big day, Bec. You should have what you want," Hunter said softly, moving to her side. He kissed her cheek, then slid his arm around her waist.
"I have what I want. I'm marrying my best friend," she insisted, leaning into his arms.
"Well, your best friend wants you to go out with Rissi, get the dress of your dreams, and have a good time," Hunter persuaded.
He had her there. "Okay, okay." She laughed.
"Hey, I want to go too!" Everyone turned at the sound of Shara's voice. "I just got here. I wonder if my boss will mind if I go shop with his wife to be?" She entered the room and poked Hunter's arm. "Off the clock, too."
"Ooh, I don't know. I heard you have a real brat of a boss," Rissi teased, her eyes twinkling.
Hunter scowled. "Is that what you think? Just for that, lunch is on you today, Rissi."
"I'd love for you to come along," Becca said to Shara.
"You should ask Beverly," Hunter suggested. "She said something the other day about your wedding dress, so I think she'd love to be included."
Becca faced him. "That isn't too weird?" What would Eva think? Hunter's ex-wife had been much nicer to Becca since Hunter's trip to Rhode Island, but she still didn't want to overstep.
"I think we've had a lot weirder go on around here," Hunter replied.
True. He had a point.
"I'll ask her." Hunter pulled his phone out and dialed.
Becca cleaned up her morning's work as everyone around her buzzed with excitement about wedding dress shopping. When she returned from the bathroom carrying her washed paintbrushes, Hunter, Rissi, and Shara were huddled together around something. To her dismay, she discovered they were looking at her painting from the other night, the one Becca was unsure what to do with because of its darkness in subject matter. It was what came out on canvas that day. She didn't normally paint images of things which resembled the front cover of a mystery or thriller book, but this one had that type of feel. It wasn't every day she painted a scene with a cemetery in it, which represented so many different feelings inside.
"Bec?" Hunter hesitated. "This painting-"
"I put it away for a reason," she snapped. "It's not done. You know how I feel about that." A total lie. She'd finished the painting, and they probably knew it, but the words slipped from her lips anyway.
He took her hands in his. "I didn't mean to. I went to close the patio door when it fell from behind the curtain. Odd place to leave it." His gaze was accusatory.
"It's just a painting. Something different, that's all. I moved it there because I wasn't ready to show anyone, but I needed a clean break from it." She folded her arms, knowing all three of them didn't believe her. Frankly, she wasn't convincing herself, either. "Just drop it, please."
They did, but there was a tense silence for the next half hour as Becca changed and prepared to go shop for a dress. As Rissi and Shara headed toward the car, Becca stopped to say goodbye to Hunter. After they kissed, he held her hand in his. "Bec, I can't let this go. What I saw on that canvas tells me you still have a lot of unresolved feelings about what happened," he said softly.
"Why not? Why don't you believe I'm fine? It's a painting, Hunter. It's a little different, but so what? I'm branching out a little," she said defensively. A hurt frown flashed across his face. "I know you have a right to worry, but I promise you, I won't fall back to how I was a few months ago. Once was enough."
He wanted to argue. Becca knew it by the way his lips moved with little sound
"Hunter-" She started to protest.
"Quiet!" Both Hunter and Rissi said at the same time. They all laughed.
"This is your big day, Bec. You should have what you want," Hunter said softly, moving to her side. He kissed her cheek, then slid his arm around her waist.
"I have what I want. I'm marrying my best friend," she insisted, leaning into his arms.
"Well, your best friend wants you to go out with Rissi, get the dress of your dreams, and have a good time," Hunter persuaded.
He had her there. "Okay, okay." She laughed.
"Hey, I want to go too!" Everyone turned at the sound of Shara's voice. "I just got here. I wonder if my boss will mind if I go shop with his wife to be?" She entered the room and poked Hunter's arm. "Off the clock, too."
"Ooh, I don't know. I heard you have a real brat of a boss," Rissi teased, her eyes twinkling.
Hunter scowled. "Is that what you think? Just for that, lunch is on you today, Rissi."
"I'd love for you to come along," Becca said to Shara.
"You should ask Beverly," Hunter suggested. "She said something the other day about your wedding dress, so I think she'd love to be included."
Becca faced him. "That isn't too weird?" What would Eva think? Hunter's ex-wife had been much nicer to Becca since Hunter's trip to Rhode Island, but she still didn't want to overstep.
"I think we've had a lot weirder go on around here," Hunter replied.
True. He had a point.
"I'll ask her." Hunter pulled his phone out and dialed.
Becca cleaned up her morning's work as everyone around her buzzed with excitement about wedding dress shopping. When she returned from the bathroom carrying her washed paintbrushes, Hunter, Rissi, and Shara were huddled together around something. To her dismay, she discovered they were looking at her painting from the other night, the one Becca was unsure what to do with because of its darkness in subject matter. It was what came out on canvas that day. She didn't normally paint images of things which resembled the front cover of a mystery or thriller book, but this one had that type of feel. It wasn't every day she painted a scene with a cemetery in it, which represented so many different feelings inside.
"Bec?" Hunter hesitated. "This painting-"
"I put it away for a reason," she snapped. "It's not done. You know how I feel about that." A total lie. She'd finished the painting, and they probably knew it, but the words slipped from her lips anyway.
He took her hands in his. "I didn't mean to. I went to close the patio door when it fell from behind the curtain. Odd place to leave it." His gaze was accusatory.
"It's just a painting. Something different, that's all. I moved it there because I wasn't ready to show anyone, but I needed a clean break from it." She folded her arms, knowing all three of them didn't believe her. Frankly, she wasn't convincing herself, either. "Just drop it, please."
They did, but there was a tense silence for the next half hour as Becca changed and prepared to go shop for a dress. As Rissi and Shara headed toward the car, Becca stopped to say goodbye to Hunter. After they kissed, he held her hand in his. "Bec, I can't let this go. What I saw on that canvas tells me you still have a lot of unresolved feelings about what happened," he said softly.
"Why not? Why don't you believe I'm fine? It's a painting, Hunter. It's a little different, but so what? I'm branching out a little," she said defensively. A hurt frown flashed across his face. "I know you have a right to worry, but I promise you, I won't fall back to how I was a few months ago. Once was enough."
He wanted to argue. Becca knew it by the way his lips moved with little sound
Similar Books
