The Memory Keeper: A heartwarming, feel-good romance

by Jenny Hale

  “Just this?” Christie asked, clearly more questions on her mind than that one.

  “And this.” Hannah flattened the dance lesson flier onto the conveyor belt.

  “You buyin’ a piece of paper?” she asked.

  “Nope. I’m buying the lessons on that piece of paper.”

  “You learnin’ a new skill?”

  “You are.”

  “And when am I supposed to find time to do that?”

  “Look.” Hannah pointed to the time listed on the flier. “It’s only once a week to start. I’ll watch Wesley for you if you need me to do that.”

  A woman who’d stepped up behind Hannah, holding a loaf of bread and two bags of shredded cheese, cleared her throat.

  “Say yes,” Hannah said, handing Christie her credit card to pay for the water.

  Christie swiped it, ripping off the receipt and handing it to Hannah with her card. “You’re holdin’ up my line,” she said.

  “Then say yes,” she repeated.

  The lady behind Hannah coughed and shuffled on her feet.

  “The first class is the day after tomorrow. I’ll pick you up,” Hannah said, as she headed out the sliding doors. “I’ll get us both registered.”

  Christie rolled her eyes, but she hadn’t said no, which was a good sign.

  “Whatcha doing, Hannah?” Noah asked, walking across their farm toward her as Hannah unlatched the tailgate of her father’s truck and jumped up in the back.

  After Hannah and Georgia had met with the reporter and finished up for the day at The Memory Keeper, Hannah had called Liam to arrange a time for her and Georgia to do the photo shoot, and to make sure the whole family was okay with being in the shots. While they chatted, she’d suggested they surprise Noah with a game of baseball. The parks office had hooked her up with everything—batting helmets, gloves, bats, and field equipment. She just had to return it by sundown. When Liam reached her, she lifted the bucket of baseballs over the side and handed it to him.

  “Baseball,” she said, tossing the bases onto the grass with a smack.

  Liam set the bucket down onto the field, which had been cut short to give the ground a chance to rest before they planted crops for the next season. He reached in and grabbed a glove, sliding the well-worn leather over his hand and pinching it closed as if he were catching a ball.

  Hannah handed him both a child’s bat and an adult bat, grabbed a couple of batting helmets and hopped down. Then she put a few balls into the pockets of the new joggers she’d bought at the boutique in town. She grabbed the pitcher’s mound and ran to the center of the field to set it up.

  “You can pitch?” Liam called over to her. He looked as excited as his son.

  “There’s a reason my best friend growing up was a boy,” she replied. She took a ball out of her pocket, reared back, and sent it sailing toward him in a straight shot.

  Liam reached up and caught it in his glove, causing Noah to gasp.

  “Can I catch one?” Noah asked.

  “Sure!” Hannah called over to him. “Grab a glove.”

  Liam handed Noah the little league glove and showed him how to squeeze it to catch the ball.

  “Do you want one in the air or a ground ball?” Hannah asked from the pitcher’s mound.

  “I’ll try a ground ball,” Noah replied.

  “Okay! Let your dad show you how to catch it like an alligator. Show him, Liam.”

  She couldn’t hear from way over there, but she knew exactly what Liam was saying because her father had taught her the same way. Her dad had explained that she had to get in front of the ball, put her glove on the ground, and keep it open like the mouth of an alligator, chomping on the ball the minute it hit her glove.

  Noah was squatting down, his mitt ready. “Here it comes!” Hannah rolled it in a slow, straight line right to him and Noah scooped it up, jumping around and cheering, making Liam laugh.

  “Y’all want to help me set up the bases?” Hannah asked.

  “Yes!” Noah ran over to her with his glove still on his hand.

  The three of them assembled the makeshift baseball field, and then Liam held a bat out for Noah. “Ready to hit a few baseballs?” he asked as Noah got into position. Liam stood behind Noah, bringing his arms around his son, placing his hands on Noah’s to show him where to grip the bat. He explained where to put his feet and then he pointed at Hannah.

  Hannah sent a slow pitch to Noah and he missed.

  Liam swooped right in to coach his son, and Noah looked up at Liam, nodding, then cocked his bat up, ready to hit. Liam offered one more quick pointer before Hannah tossed another pitch.

  Noah swung and smacked the ball. It rolled on the ground to second base.

  “Wow!” Hannah said, running after it. “I think you might have some hitting skills! Most kids use a tee at your age.”

  Noah puffed his chest and, for the first time Hannah had witnessed, he turned to his father to share in the excitement rather than Hannah. Her heart sang with joy at the sight.

  Twenty-Six

  Hannah woke up in the morning still thinking about playing baseball yesterday. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d spent a whole evening outside. She, Liam, and Noah had had so much fun, hitting balls until the sun had completely disappeared.

  Wondering what time it was, she reached over to Gran’s bedside table, grabbed her phone, and peered at the screen, sitting straight up in bed when she noticed the date. Today, she was supposed to be flying home from Barbados. She’d completely forgotten to schedule her return flight to New York. While that was fine, the fact that she had to work in a few days wasn’t. She’d purposely taken more days’ vacation than she’d needed for her trip to Barbados, to ensure she had enough rest and time to be prepared when she was back to the grind on her first day in the office, but she was going to need more. She’d figure it out in a bit. She wasn’t going to start her day in a frenzy over work.

  Hannah set her phone back on the table and picked up the journal. She couldn’t wait to see Gran today. She decided to read a quick entry before getting up and ready.

  December 23, 1943

  I am utterly in love with Warren Townshend. Things have certainly changed for me this year. Warren is graduating from the University of Kentucky this spring, and he’s found a job at a historical concert auditorium in Nashville. It’s supposed to be pretty great, having sold out so many shows that it needed to move to a larger venue. The change in venue location opened up a position for Warren—they need someone to research the history of the place, create tours and curate memorabilia. He just got word today that he’d been given the job, and he came straight over to tell me. When I became sad about him leaving, he told me not to worry. He took me to the soda fountain, and we sat on the same two stools where we’d met. Warren ordered us both a soda and then he took my hand. Before I even knew what was happening, he’d reached into his pocket, opened a jewelry box with a gold band, and proposed! He’d already asked my father permission and everything! He’s found a house in Nashville to rent, and he’s even asked around to get the addresses of all the local florists, just for me! So much has changed that I don’t even feel like the same person I was before I met Warren. I’m the luckiest woman alive.

  Hannah understood what her grandmother had meant about feeling like a totally different person. Ever since she’d arrived, she hadn’t had that driving interest in her work deadlines or in keeping up with what was going on in New York. She’d spent all her time enjoying other people. And her heart was full doing that.

  Hannah and Georgia walked around the farm, trying to get the perfect scene that Hannah had sketched out earlier. Georgia pulled the camera away and cupped her hand over the lens to view the shot, when a smile spread across her face.

  “What is it?” Hannah said.

  Georgia focused the camera and took another shot of the porch, peering down at the screen again. “That’s gorgeous,” she said, turning the screen toward Hannah.

  The
shot was the whitewashed siding of the farmhouse with one window off center, but there was an unexpected addition that made it the warmest image of them all. Noah’s face was in the window, looking out. It screamed personality and gave it the most amazing hometown feel.

  “Oh, I love it!” Hannah said.

  She waved at Noah, excitement showing on his face.

  “This one has to be the focus image of the whole montage. It’s just perfect… Let’s go in and show it to Liam.”

  Hannah and Georgia had spent about an hour walking the grounds of the farm, and they’d gotten some really great shots out in the field, so they went in to see if Mary, Liam, and Noah were ready.

  Mary answered the door. She was made-up, her face lightly dusted with powder and blush, her lips glossed. She had on a pair of jeans and a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled three-quarters up her arm.

  “You look perfect for a casual farm spread. I love it,” Hannah said. “Thank you so much for letting us do this.”

  “It’s a pretty easy decision if I get to be in Farmhouse Living. I had no idea that you worked there, Hannah. I’m so thrilled—I have a subscription to that magazine.” Then Mary hunched over with a shiver. “I’m heading inside. Y’all just come in. I’ll put a pot of coffee on to warm you up.” She walked off toward the kitchen.

  “She’s such a nice woman,” Georgia said quietly from the front door of the farmhouse, as she peered through the lens of her camera.

  Georgia snapped a shot, turning it toward Hannah. The photo was spectacular: a shadow of Mary striding down the hallway, flanked by the incoming sunbeams that fell in oranges and yellows onto a beautiful side table with a curling wooden sculpture.

  “Stunning,” Hannah said, running her hand over the table. Hannah wanted to take her time with this and make Mary proud of the feature. She pointed, directing a side shot of the porch. “What if we get one with the light coming in on the old steps like that?” she asked. “We could pair it with the one you just took.”

  “Oh, excellent idea.” Georgia pointed her camera and snapped, tilting it up and down and capturing a few different angles. She squatted down and twisted the focusing ring, snapping another of the rustic barrel that sat next to the front door.

  “Let’s take a wider shot of the porch before we head in with Mary,” Hannah suggested.

  When they got to the kitchen, Mary swished toward them in a country-blue apron with yellow flowers, and handed them each a cup of coffee.

  Noah came running in and gave Hannah a bear hug.

  “Did you get all the photos you wanted outside?” Mary asked.

  “Yes,” Hannah replied. “Show her the one of Noah,” she said to Georgia, before squatting down to Noah’s level. “We got a picture of you in the window.”

  Noah giggled. “Can I see?”

  Georgia showed the shot to Mary while Hannah lifted Noah up to see it.

  “That’s incredible,” Mary said, putting her hand on her chest. “You are certainly talented,” she told Georgia.

  “What’s this about a photo of Noah?” Liam asked, joining them in the kitchen. He was clean-shaven with his hair combed and styled just slightly. He had a well-fitting T-shirt on with a pair of rugged jeans. He leaned over Hannah to see the picture, giving her a jolt of happiness when she caught his scent of cedar and fresh cotton. “Wow,” he said.

  Mary bent down to address Noah. “You’re going to be in a magazine,” she said to her grandson.

  Noah’s eyes grew round. He pumped his little fists.

  “Let’s celebrate everyone being home,” Mary said. “Coffee’s ready, and I’ve got heavy cream, milk, and my secret spice.”

  “Secret spice?” Georgia asked as they followed her to the table.

  Hannah took a seat and Noah climbed up next to her.

  “I sell it at the farmer’s market,” Mary replied, handing her the jar with a label that said Mary’s Secret Spice for Coffee and Cakes.

  Georgia held it up and shook the container. “What’s in it?”

  “It’s a secret,” Mary replied with a grin, tapping the label. “But there’s cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa powder in it, if that helps you to decide.”

  “That sounds amazing,” Hannah said.

  Mary poured them all a steaming cup and joined them at the table, the scent of spice dancing into the air around them.

  “So do you run this whole farm all by yourself?” Hannah asked.

  “I do. Ever since my husband Harvey passed away. My sister Sarah handles some things remotely for me—she lives in Georgia. But most of it falls upon my shoulders.”

  Hannah couldn’t imagine managing an entire farm by herself.

  “It’s okay, though,” Mary added. “I love it. I built this life with my husband and we raised Liam here… Every late night I spend doing the things Harvey used to do, I feel fulfilled and happy.” She threw a teasing look over to Liam. “I keep trying to convince my son to take over when I retire, but he has this wild idea that buying buildings is his future.”

  “Mom,” he said, clearly not wanting to air their differences.

  “I just don’t understand it,” she said anyway with a sad smile. “If you worked less, focused on the farm, it would give you more time with Noah.”

  Liam didn’t reply.

  “I’m gonna go color,” Noah said, climbing down from his chair. He ran off to another room, which was probably a good thing, given the turn in conversation.

  “He needs his father,” Mary continued. “I know you have your friends here and it’s not really the best time to talk about it, but it needs to be said before you leave. One day, you’ll be all he’s got.” Her eyes glistened with the truth of that statement.

  “You’re right, we don’t need to talk about this now,” he said.

  “When should we, then?” Mary asked. “The only time you’ve stopped working lately is when Hannah comes over. And you’re amazing with Noah when she’s around. Noah tells me about the times you all are together. But you want to run away to some city where you have no roots whatsoever, and for what? To buy up useless buildings.”

  “I had a similar choice,” Hannah intervened, wrapping her hands around her mug. “I could’ve stayed here in Tennessee and built a life around my family, but instead, I chose to do my own thing. I went off to college in New York and didn’t come back until now. I built my life there.”

  Mary sipped her coffee, pensively listening. “And do you feel like you did the right thing?” she asked.

  “At the time, I did. But now I’m not so sure that it was the best thing for me.”

  “Why not?” Liam asked.

  “I’ve lost time with my loved ones, I didn’t keep in touch with my friends… I worked too much.”

  “That’s exactly what I keep telling him,” Mary said. “You’ll never bond with Noah if you’re not at home. Here, you could be near me so I could help with him, and running the farm would give you time to spend with him. Remember when you and your father used to drive the tractor together? All those days you two worked side by side?”

  “It’s clear that I’m outnumbered here,” Liam said, his lips set in a straight line.

  “I didn’t mean to imply that you aren’t doing the right thing,” Hannah said, although she did wonder, having witnessed his relationship with his son firsthand.

  That sadness she’d seen glimpses of came rushing back over him, and he was closing up right in front of her. Hannah had come into his family’s home and ganged up on him without even meaning to. His choices weren’t up to her, and she needed to get him by himself so she could properly apologize.

  “Can I talk to you for a second?” Hannah asked Liam, nodding toward the doorway.

  Mary jumped in, clearly allowing Hannah and Liam time alone. “Georgia, I’d love it if you’d show me all the photos you’ve taken. Maybe I can get out the cookies I made and you, Noah, and I can all take a look at them.”

  “Sure,” Georgia said, pulling o
ut her camera.

  Liam stood up from the table and Hannah followed his lead. He motioned for her to go down the hallway first. “Grab your coat,” he said. “Let’s take a walk.”

  The two of them stepped outside and then followed the narrow dirt path that led between the fields. The clouds had given way to a gloriously blue sky, the sun providing just enough warmth to keep the chill at bay.

  “I didn’t mean to throw you under the bus like that,” Hannah said as they walked. “I was trying to explain that I did the same thing, but then my own insecurities about leaving surfaced and I spoke before I’d thought it through. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” he said, but she wondered if it actually was. “My mother is going to have her opinion, no matter what anyone else says. My job keeps me away from the farm, but I can’t help it.”

  “Look, I’m a firm believer in doing what you love—I’ve been giving that idea a lot of thought, myself. So what do you love so much about your job?” she asked.

  She considered what she loved about her career. Initially, it had been the creative outlet, but with her new position, she’d been doing less and less of the creative part, delegating more, and overseeing the process as a whole. It had been her push to get the execs to allow her to accompany the photographer on the shoot, and everything she did creatively these days was because she’d pressed her colleagues to allow her to do it. She’d taken the promotion without even once considering what she would love about it. It had all been about forward movement, her life beginning to take shape the same way Miles’s had.

  His silence caught her attention.

  “I love the security that the income provides,” he said finally. “And Alison was going to start the business with her brother, Jonathan. They had the whole thing ready to go when she got sick, so I took over to keep it running.”

  “That’s commendable, and would’ve been necessary if she’d been able to come back to the job at some point. But it’s not up to you to save her business and continue on indefinitely, if that’s not what you want to do with your life, right?”