A Masterpiece Unraveled (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 2) (16 page)

"Hunter, anyone with a traumatic event can develop PTSD. You hear about it with soldiers often, but it doesn't rule out everyone else. I think the recent events in your life are what caused it. You're at a more severe level of symptoms because they've gone on untreated for months and you haven't had the easiest summer. We'll discuss in depth a treatment plan that I strongly advice you stick with and follow. I know you had a recent appointment you never made it to. That brings me to my second comment. You." He pointed to Becca.

Her eyes widened.

"I can't officially do anything with you until you're a patient, and I advise you make an appointment right away as well. You've recently gone through your own new traumatic event and by the things Hunter has told me, I think keeping an eye on you is a good idea because you could develop PTSD as well. This is a very unique situation and you both need to be well aware."

Okay, she hadn't expected that. There was a possibility of it with her? Her hand flew to her mouth. She tried to wrap her mind around the idea that she could suffer from the very same thing that tormented Hunter for months. It made sense. She'd been experiencing similar feelings that Hunter had been, just not to his level.

"Bec?" Hunter reached for her, sounding unsure.

"I didn't expect this."
Her hands shook as she signed.

"It never crossed my mind either." The green in his eyes was accentuated by nervousness and fear. Then he turned back to the doctor. "What do we do? What's next? Is this ... Am I always going to have this? Is PTSD curable?"

"For you, I suggest therapy. Talking to someone and working through your anxieties. Have strong family support. I can prescribe you something for the sleep, but only temporary as you want to avoid addiction. There's no direct cure for PTSD, but with the right help it can be managed. You'll see. It does get better."

"I have Becca, and my ex in-laws. Oh, and my assistant. I don't really have anyone else." Hunter squeezed her hand once again. "Something for sleep would be good, but I really don't think it'll help."

"I know this is rough for the both of you. There may not be a cure, but it's treatable. You won't always feel like this. You just have to make sure you do everything being suggested so it doesn't get any worse." The doctor glanced between them both.

Becca nodded and Hunter swore he would. She could tell he was still in disbelief.

"I'll be right back with some information, referrals and a new patient form for you, Becca." Leaving them alone in the room, Becca and Hunter stared at each other.

"Do you ever wonder what normal feels like?" he asked, his voice hoarse and full of frustration.

"Is there ever such a thing as normal?"

"I'd like to think so. It has to be better than this." Hunter shook his head. "PTSD. Fu-" He stopped himself from saying the word.

The doctor entered the room again minutes later, handing over some pamphlets, paperwork and prescriptions. "I know it's hard to take in, but you're not alone in this." He reached out and shook both their hands. "Please make sure you make a follow up appointment." He settled his gaze on Becca. "And you. Come back and see me."

She nodded in response as Hunter thanked him one more time, still sounding shell shocked. As they passed the desk again, Becca stopped and set her up an appointment.

She had to admit, she was just as stunned. The truth hurt, even when they had suspicions. This was only the first of the truths coming their way and she knew it.

Chapter Thirteen

The doctor had said Hunter wasn't alone in this battle, so why the hell did he feel so isolated? Why did he feel like it would never get better and the man was only giving him false hope? He'd been living with these feelings for so long, only amplifying them in the last few years, that he had no idea what it felt like not feeling so much despair, so much guilt and so much heartache.

He wanted normal, whatever normal was, because damn it, this could not be normal!

What he disliked so much was that Becca was going through this, too. What was in his head scared him enough. To think this kind of manic feeling was going through hers? It shook his world, for sure. At least if she did develop anything, it would never be as bad. Hopefully not, anyway. At least they knew what to look for. Just wow.

Medication for sleep. Talking about the dreams. Therapy, or whatever the hell they were calling it. Could he really go through with it? He didn't want pills to help him sleep, but he desperately wanted sleep. He didn't want to talk over and over about things he wished he could forget. How the hell was it supposed to help? And this never goes away? Really?

Looking over at the woman he loved, he knew he had to fight. Becca deserved to have a man who was far more together than he was. He needed to be there for her, to help and support her.

Most of all, he needed to be there for his daughter.

Yes, he could do this. He had to do do this.

But first...

He stopped, startling Becca. He folded the papers and stuck them under his left arm. Taking a deep breath, he faced her. "I need two promises from you, if you would."

She cocked her head to the side, eyes widening.

"I'm scared as hell, Bec. I don't want to admit it, but I might as well. This makes me feel so many things. I know I haven't shown you very well how much you mean to me in the last few years, and especially the last few weeks. I'm trying, but it's tough on us both." He stopped, trying to get his thoughts in order because he knew he was rambling. "I don't want to lose you. You're my best friend. You're the woman who knows me like no other, even when you don't always know me. You're my rock, my strength, my world. If I have to get on my knees right now and beg you to fight with me and not give up, I will. I don't know how to do this alone."

"You're not alone! I'm here and I'm not going to go down easily. I promise."
She hugged him tight. When she let go, there were tears in her beautiful, sad eyes.
"What's the second thing you want me to promise?"

"For at least twenty four hours, let's go find out what it feels like to be normal. Let's go take a drive with no destination in mind and be two different people. A couple without such a broken history. Let's take this day and find out what it feels like to be two people in love, discovering that feeling for the first time. No talk about the accident or any of the events surrounding it." He noticed her hesitation right away. "I promise you, I'll do everything to get better, including the therapy, the medication, everything! But first, let's forget we're us. Please?"

She nodded slowly.
"Okay. I promise. If this is what helps you, then we'll do it."

He touched her cheek lovingly. "Thank you." Hunter wasn't sure if it would help, but it was worth a shot. He couldn't make sense of his thoughts right now if he tried.

While they dropped off his prescriptions, Hunter debated about where to go. Just to get away for a day, no strings, no drama, nothing that resembled their current state of mind. Where could they go? He wanted to treat Becca to something special, make her feel safe, loved and treasured as that's how he felt about her, but finding the best way to show it lately became difficult.

He could take her to some art museums, then find a few outdoor things they could do. Show her some of Virginia that they barely had a chance to do since she'd been here. Now she was home and he wanted to show her all the exciting wonders around her.

They waited in line with a few snacks and drinks for the road. Hunter glanced over at Becca. Her left hand was raised to her neck. She fiddled with a necklace she wore, her lips pressed in a thin line. She seemed to be lost in thought. He wanted to brush strands of hair back and kiss her neck. Becca's soft creamy skin taunted him and he just wanted to hold her all night and give her the world.

I wish there was a way to back track and erase my mistakes. I hate how much I hurt you.

But he'd start now by working to straighten himself out.

Back in the car, they put on their seat belts and Becca tapped his arm after he started the engine.
"Where are we going?"

"I thought I'd show you more of the state you now call home." He smiled at the word home. "We'll drive around, do some sightseeing, and stay somewhere quiet for the night. Let's just get lost on the road. I'm Hunter Beckman and I'll be your travel guide this evening." He saluted her.

His plan worked. A grin lit up her face.
"What is your service charge?"
She played along.

"Kisses. Hugs. Lots of love." He winked. "Maybe even a few of the soon to be famous Rebecca Lange paintings of at least one of the tour's stops."

Her smile almost faded, but she kept it in place.
"I think it sounds fair. Bring on the tour."

*****

By the time evening rolled around, Hunter had taken her to a few art museums, which she'd absolutely loved! Ideas flowed in her mind about how to build up her own artistic ability. For the first time in a while, Becca had sparks of inspiration. She'd lost the spark for a while, even though creating art had always been her way of releasing emotions. Hunter's request for normal was much simpler to do than she'd imagined. She hoped it was helping him the way it started to for her.

Most importantly, they reconnected. Slowly but surely, the tension they carried between them for weeks chipped away. Would it return when they went back to a 'non-normal' status?

"Three miles from Whispering Willows." Hunter read the sign out loud at the very same time she'd spotted it. "Sounds like an intriguing little town. How would you feel about grabbing dinner and finding a place to stop for the night? We'll stop at a few shops, pick up the bare necessities and call it good."

"Works for me,"
she signed quickly so Hunter could focus back on the road.

"I think it's going to be a nice mountain tourist place. I don't think I've ever been here," Hunter mused. He drove slower through the curvy roads. Driving through the mountains was peaceful and scenic.

Hunter pulled off at the next sign that mentioned food and rest. They'd made it for the evening. She couldn't wait to get some food in her belly.

"So, how about checking in at the lodge here first, then grab dinner?" Hunter asked, turning on another little gravel road. "I'd hate to have to drive out too late if we can't find a place to stay for the night. I can't imagine them being full, but I guess you never know."

Becca nodded.

"And there we go. It's a whole little town! There's shops and food, and the lodge is stunning! Hey, I think I see a little body of water with a dock. Oh man, this place is cool!" Hunter's excitement reminded her of a child, full of wonder and intrigue at an undiscovered treasure. She loved it. Her heart warmed at the sense of peace he seemed to feel. He parked close to the lodge and jumped out of the car with renewed energy. Becca hurried to catch up with him. He shot her a grin and curled his fingers through hers.

The front desk person was middle aged with sandy brown shoulder length hair. Her blue eyes were warm and friendly as she checked them in and gave them a room key. "Enjoy your stay."

"We will," Hunter chuckled, pocketing the key.

They ventured to the room just to check it out. Quaint, homey and colored with a feel of a cabin. A light caramel brown color on the walls, photos of mountains and valleys, and a beautiful view of the water with the dock. The sun would be going down in about an hour. Long shadows followed tourists below as they walked around.

"What do you think about checking out the shops first? That way we can get simple stuff we need for the night. They might be closed by the time we finish eating." Hunter held her hands in his.

Becca didn't want to end the contact of holding hands so she gave another nod, even though she was sick and tired of always doing so. This normal thing was working out semi-well, but she wished she could have normal conversations.

They ventured out of the room and walked around, going into each shop to see what they had. The stuff was a little overpriced as most gift shops tended to be, but it was still neat to sift through the souvenirs. Many of them looked to be hand crafted and well thought out. Becca found a soft white dress that she fell in love with and picked it up off the rack. She had nothing to wear tomorrow unless she wanted the same clothes again, which she didn't, so the dress was perfect.

"Getting it?" Hunter eyed the fabric in her hands. "It's pretty. I can't wait to see it on you." He planted a kiss on her lips before heading over to a rack full of men's shirts.

They ended up buying fifty dollars worth of stuff, some of it silly, but a great reminder of the fun they had. It would be another addition to the collection of souvenirs they'd bought throughout the day. Hunter sent her a sly grin as they left the shop as he produced something from the bag she hadn't seen. "Another one for your collection." He held his hand out.

He'd picked up another key-chain. On the back, it was bright and colorful with the name Rebecca scrawled on it. On the other side was a picture with a view of the water at sunset. She couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Like it?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

Instead of nodding or signing, Becca wrapped her arms around him, enjoying the rhythm of his heartbeat. Hunter's arms closed around her and she didn't want to let this moment go.

The feeling of being safe had come back slightly. Right then and there, for the first time in weeks, she felt safe again with her hero.

His twenty four hour normal plan really was working.

*****

Hunter couldn't help himself. He found little things to get to surprise Becca with. Simple gestures, but she loved them. The beautiful smile he'd missed started to show up again. His angel finally started opening up once more. When she hugged him and held on tightly, he knew he'd gotten through. She wasn't afraid of him any more. Maybe the worst was over after all.

The sunlight faded and Hunter noticed the first glimpse of a starlit sky. The Whispering Willows Cafe offered up a picturesque patio view and the weather was clear and cool, so they opted to sit outside for dinner. Much to his surprise and delight, there was a grand piano in the corner under the covered area. A man sat in front of it playing songs while a woman stood nearby with a microphone in hand singing. Her voice had the sound of an old soul. Between her singing and the beautiful music, Hunter got lost in the sound.