The Memory Keeper: A heartwarming, feel-good romance

by Jenny Hale

  When they were all strapped in, the attendant gave them the go-ahead as the bungees were pulled taut, causing Hannah’s knees to straighten. Mary waved at them from the edge of the platform. Noah pushed off first, his little body sailing into the air until the bungee caught him, bringing him back down. He kicked off again and flew through the air, giggling the entire time.

  “Jump, Dad!” he said.

  Noah called to his father as though it were the most natural thing in the world for him to do now. Liam pushed against the floor and soared to the heavens next to his son, both of them laughing together. Hannah couldn’t imagine a more perfect sight. She began to bounce herself, the three of them bobbing up and down, the pure joy of that moment something she’d hold on to for a very long time.

  Thirty-One

  The morning sun cast its bright shine on the tin roof of Nell Winter’s old barn, which she’d converted into a garden center for the locals. The deep-red structure with bright white trim sat in the center of a lush field, the large windows and doors all open, filled with pots of flowers in a rainbow of vibrant colors, bags of potting soil stacked by the main entrance.

  Gran had called early that morning to say that she was coming home around noon, and Hannah wanted to be sure she arrived to an abundance of flowers. She’d fluffed the pillows on the porch, bought her a few new candles for inside, and she and Georgia were shopping for a pair of brightly colored perennials to fill the planters at Gran’s house.

  Georgia picked up a white basket with a raspberry-colored mophead hydrangea, and held it up for Hannah’s approval.

  “That’s gorgeous,” she said.

  “Do you think your grandmother will be surprised by what we’ve done with The Memory Keeper?” Georgia asked.

  “She’ll probably cry tears of joy,” Hannah said. “I can’t wait to show her. But that’s not the only thing I have to tell Gran.” Hannah told Georgia about Liam selling her the store.

  “Oh my God! He loves you,” she teased.

  Hannah shook her head with a grin, but this time, she believed Georgia. And Hannah felt exactly the same about Liam. “Let’s get these,” she said, pointing to the hydrangea. It was time to make some memories.

  “Close your eyes.” Hannah helped Gran walk slowly down the path to The Memory Keeper, lining her up to show her what they’d done.

  Maura and Chuck were there, along with Georgia, Christie, Liam, and Ethan. They’d all come to see her reaction and celebrate with her.

  “Open them,” Hannah said.

  Gran gasped when she saw the exterior, her eyes misting over. She peered up at the freshly painted sign in bright-yellow letters, her head swiveling to the new porch swing, all done up with color-coordinated yellow and teal pillows, the picture-window display Georgia had crafted with a stunning array of bouquets in all the newest shades for spring. Hannah took Gran’s elbow and walked her carefully along the landscaped yard, lifting her arm to help her up the two steps and through the door of the shop.

  When they went inside, Gran couldn’t keep herself together; the tears rolled down her cheeks, just as Hannah had thought they would. Gingerly, she paced over to the pressed-flower boxes, running her fingers along the bottoms of the frames, peering in to get a closer look at the different petals. She made her way around to Ethan’s mural.

  “You did this, didn’t you?” she asked Ethan, her trembling hand on her chest. “I can spot your work out of all the art in the world. You’re so talented, Ethan.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Townshend,” he said, a smile of gratitude also directed at Hannah.

  Gran turned and faced the ladder, her hands flying to her mouth to cover the surprise. More tears brimmed in her eyes. “Who did this?” she whispered, touching it lightly, following the grains.

  “Liam McGuire,” Hannah replied, introducing Liam. “The man who drove me home to see you.”

  Gran reached out and took his hand. “Thank you,” she said.

  She held on to the ladder, pushing it slightly back and forth, her eyes closed. “I can see Warren right now, moving this around to get flowers down for me.” She opened her eyes and held out her arms to Hannah. “I couldn’t have asked for a better surprise. My heart is full. And what a miracle it is that I’ve been given more time to spend in this beautiful shop. I am so blessed.”

  “Well, I didn’t do it myself. Georgia helped,” Hannah told her grandmother. “And the surprise isn’t finished.” She took her grandmother’s hands and gave her a gentle spin, making her laugh. “You’ll dance here for many years to come, but not because Georgia and I have made the shop prettier. Liam is selling me the building. Gran, we own the shop.”

  Gran stood speechless for a moment, and then she embraced Hannah and began to sob on her shoulder. She grabbed Liam, pulling him into the hug. “I can’t believe it,” she said, breathless.

  “Look,” Georgia said suddenly. Through the glass of the door, Speckles was lapping up the milk from the bowl they’d left out for her.

  Gran let out a satisfied exhale.

  “Ready to go home, relax in your own house, and have a big celebratory dinner?” Maura asked Gran.

  “You all go. I’d like to stay here just a while longer.”

  “Liam and I will stay with her,” Hannah offered.

  When everyone had left, Hannah stood next to Gran.

  “Life definitely has its surprises, doesn’t it?” Gran said.

  “It sure does.” Hannah thought about how different she felt now from the way she had that morning she’d prepared to surprise Miles at the airport.

  “I’ve got a surprise too,” Liam said. “Ms. Townshend, I do hope you’re all right with Georgia manning The Memory Keeper in Hannah’s place for a week.”

  “Of course, dear, why?” Gran asked him.

  “Well, the airline I was supposed to be traveling with called and offered me a voucher for my next trip. I can apply the cost of the missed flight to any future itinerary. So I got two tickets to Barbados… since Hannah never got to go on her birthday.”

  “You did?” Hannah nearly squealed.

  Gran pressed her weathered fingers against her smiling lips.

  “Yes, but you’ll have to wait a bit. I scheduled the trip for May.” He grinned at her. “No snowstorms.”

  Hannah thought of the many storms that had brought her to this moment. And she remembered Gran’s advice: To get to the treasure, sometimes we have to go through the stormy seas. Hannah couldn’t help but think she’d found her treasure. And she couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her days discovering how rich her life could be.

  Epilogue

  “The tractor’s all ready,” Liam said, coming up behind Hannah in the kitchen of the farmhouse and wrapping his arms around her protruding belly, kissing her neck, and making her squirm with laughter.

  When Liam had decided to run the farm, Mary retired, settling in a compact apartment downtown where she could lunch with her friends and pick up her own bottles of Mickey’s wine for book club. She gave the farm to Liam, Noah, and Hannah. They’d had their wedding there, the tree-lined path to the farmhouse decked out in magnolia flower arrangements that Gran had helped her design at the shop, taking a horse-drawn carriage ride to the steps of the farmhouse and to say their vows with a tuxedo-clad Noah standing beside them.

  “Did you have enough hay?” she asked, leaning into him, and tipping her head back against his chest. She’d been tired lately, their growing baby taking all her energy. But today was Noah’s sixth birthday and they were giving hayrides through the farm to all the kids.

  “Yep,” Liam replied. “Ethan helped me load them. He hasn’t been able to get Wesley off the tractor,” he said with a grin, turning her around to face him.

  “What’s Noah up to?” she asked.

  “Swinging on the tire swing outside with Mom and Georgia.”

  “I should’ve guessed,” she said. Liam had hung the swing for Noah a few weeks ago, and the two of them spent every spare moment outs
ide on it. They stayed out until the only light left was the blinking of lightning bugs at the edges of the fields.

  “Hey, y’all,” Ethan said, coming into the kitchen with Wesley. “I brought my new pony over so we could give the kids rides,” he said.

  “Oh, I’m so glad,” Hannah said. “I know you were worried the horse wouldn’t be ready yet.”

  “I just picked him up this week,” Ethan said. “Used my first painting money to buy him. I named him Flash.”

  “Oh,” Hannah said, “Flash was my favorite horse of yours to ride.”

  “I know,” he said. “I remember. He was my favorite too. I wonder if Wesley and Noah will love to ride this one just as much.”

  “I hope so,” she said.

  “I made it,” Gran’s voice came from the hallway, before she hobbled in on a cane, carrying a gift for Noah. Maura and Chuck walked behind her to make sure she was steady. Gran sat down and ran her hand along the edge of the leather journal that sat on the kitchen table. “What’s this?” she asked.

  Hannah peered over at the new book she’d bought the other day. She’d liked it because it had a butterfly etched into the leather on the cover. “It’s a journal I bought,” she said. “I thought I’d write the first entry tonight.”

  Hannah wondered what the pages in that journal might hold for her own grandchildren one day. As she looked around at her family and the beautiful life she was living, she knew that her unborn baby boy would have so much love around him that she’d undoubtedly have volumes to write. But she wouldn’t start just yet. It was time for birthday cake, hayrides, and making memories.

  Books by Jenny Hale

  The House on Firefly Beach

  Summer at Firefly Beach

  The Summer Hideaway

  The Summer House

  Summer at Oyster Bay

  Summer by the Sea

  A Barefoot Summer

  Christmas at Fireside Cabins

  Christmas at Silver Falls

  It Started With Christmas

  We’ll Always Have Christmas

  All I Want for Christmas

  Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses

  A Christmas to Remember

  Coming Home for Christmas

  Available in Audio

  The House of Firefly Beach (available in the UK and the US)

  Summer at Firefly Beach (available in the UK and the US)

  The Summer Hideaway (available in the UK and the US)

  The Summer House (available in the UK and the US)

  Summer at Oyster Bay (available in the UK and the US)

  Summer by the Sea (available in the UK and the US)

  A Barefoot Summer (available in the UK and the US)

  Christmas at Silver Falls (available in the UK and the US)

  It Started With Christmas (available in the UK and the US)

  We’ll Always Have Christmas (available in the UK and the US)

  All I Want for Christmas (available in the UK and the US)

  Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses (available in the UK and the US)

  A Christmas to Remember (available in the UK and the US)

  Coming Home for Christmas (available in the UK and the US)

  A Letter from Jenny

  Hi there!

  Thank you so much for reading The Memory Keeper. I really hope it filled you with warmth, had you snuggling up for hours on end with your hot cocoa, and got you thinking of making memories with your own family, and friends both old and new.

  If you’d like to know when my next book is out, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter and new release alerts here:

  https://www.itsjennyhale.com/email-signup

  I won’t share your information with anyone else, and I’ll only email you a quick message once a month with my newsletter and then whenever new books come out. It’s the best way to keep tabs on what’s going on with my books, and you’ll get tons of surprises along the way like giveaways, signed books, recipes, and more.

  If you did enjoy The Memory Keeper, I’d be very grateful if you’d write a review online. Getting feedback from readers is amazing, and it also helps to persuade others to pick up one of my books for the first time. It’s one of the biggest gifts you could give me.

  If you enjoyed this story, and would like a few more happy endings, check out my other novels at www.itsjennyhale.com.

  Until next time,

  Jenny xo

  Acknowledgments

  I am forever indebted to Oliver Rhodes and his teams that I’ve worked with over the years, for shaping me into the author I am today and setting the bar for publishing. His example inspired every choice I’ve made along the way.

  I owe a huge thank you to Ami McConnell for listening to my initial concepts for this book and Harpeth Road Press, offering suggestions, and cheering me on from the start. I wouldn’t have made the leap to writing and publishing this book without knowing she was there.

  To my amazing editors—Emily Ruston, who has overseen various works of mine from the early days to the present; Kelli Martin, without whom I could not have gotten the book into its best shape; Claire Gatzen, quite literally the most fabulous of all copyeditors; and my lovely proofreader, Lauren Finger—I am truly thankful. I couldn’t have had a better team than these women to help me get this story into the best version of itself.

  To Tia Field, one of my oldest friends, I am grateful to have her at the end of my string of texts about medical questions as I moved through the plot. In the midst of the busiest medical crisis in recent history, she was always there to give me an answer. She’s a true friend and a great person.

  And to my husband Justin, who had to live with me in quarantine (with no escape) while I wrote two books at the same time, started a publishing imprint, and taught two kids in online school, I am blessed to have his support. He handled the crazy like a champ and was always in my corner, cheering me on to follow my dreams as far as they’ll take me.

  HARPETH ROAD

  Published by Harpeth Road Press (USA)

  P.O. Box 158184

  Nashville, TN 37215

  www.harpethroad.com

  LCCN – 2020921910

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-7358458-1-4

  THE MEMORY KEEPER: a heartwarming, feel-good romance

  Copyright © Jenny Hale, 2021

  All rights reserved. Except for the use of brief quotations in review of this novel, the reproduction of this work in whole or in part in any format by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereinafter invented, including photocopying, recording, scanning, and all other formats, or in any information storage or retrieval or distribution system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harpeth Road Press, P.O. Box 158184, Nashville, Tennessee 37215, USA.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or were used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First printing: January 2021