The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(12)
“I’ll get there as quickly as I can,” Hannah assured her. “It’s taking me a little longer to get home because of the snow. Flights are grounded, which is why I’m driving. But as soon as I get there, I’ll go straight to the shop.”
“Thank you,” Gran said with obvious relief.
“Gran, how are you?” Hannah asked.
“I’ve been better,” Gran said. But then, to Hannah’s dismay, she turned the conversation back to the shop. “Steven, my accountant, needs to get my profit and loss from last year so he has it for taxes. He likes to have it by the end of February. It’s saved in the system under P&L. Do you remember how to get into the system?”
“No, but Dad can get into it for me,” she said as Liam opened his car door.
He leaned in and passed her a cup of cocoa before shutting his door again and walking around to fill up the gas tank. Hannah offered a smile of thanks through the window. She kept her eyes on him for a minute, her hands wrapped around the cup to keep warm, as Gran started talking again.
“And I’ll bet no one’s been taking in the geraniums at night,” Gran continued, “so they’re probably dead and a total eyesore. See if you can find anything at Nell’s nursery to replace them. Also, Speckles probably hasn’t had milk or food in days. I’m terribly worried about her.”
Speckles was the jet-black feral cat that Gran had befriended. In the mornings, Gran always put out a bowl of fresh water for the dogs who came by with their owners, and milk for Speckles. Sometimes, Speckles would follow Gran home from the shop too.
Georgia shuffled over to the car and got in with Jerry, giving Hannah a wave before she settled the dog back into his carrier and put her headphones on.
“What about that guy you hired?” Hannah asked. “Doesn’t he still work for you? Can he come in for a few extra hours?” She popped the lid off her cup to inspect its contents, the rich aroma dancing into the air. Floating on the top was a solid mass of marshmallows, making her smile.
“He left for college,” Gran said. “I’m the only one on the books right now, which is why I only open the shop a couple of days a week… I’m expecting inventory tomorrow. It usually comes by ten o’clock. When will you get into town? If no one’s there, the distributor will leave the boxes on the stoop, and the flowers will freeze in the cold.”
“With this storm, I’m not sure when I can get home, Gran,” Hannah replied, knowing that she was only placating her grandmother. “We’ll get everything done for you. I’ll text Mom to be there for the delivery. You just rest.”
“I don’t want to rest,” Gran snapped. “And my leasing agent is giving me fits again,” she said, sounding frustrated. “They’re threatening to close the shop and take on a new tenant if I don’t agree to the latest hike in rent, but it’s astronomical.” Her voice broke. “There’s no way I’m letting it go. I need to have a phone meeting with the company’s owner about it, and I’m stuck in this hospital. I keep calling, but no one’s answering,” Gran carried on. “I’ve left quite a few messages.”
Gran didn’t talk much about her problems. She preferred to deal with them head on rather than having a lengthy conversation about them, she’d told Hannah once. But she had let Hannah know a bit about her disagreements with the leasing agent. The company was called Mercer Properties and they’d bought the building a few years ago from the original agents, and had kept hiking the rent up on Gran, making it nearly impossible for her to turn a profit.
“Gran, we’ve got it. If you don’t rest, you won’t get better,” Hannah told her gently. That comment seemed to quiet Gran for the time being.
Liam finished filling up the car and started the engine, sending a plume of heat through the vents; welcome warmth in the icy cold.
“Hey, Gran, I’ll call you back in a bit, okay? We’re about to hit the road again.”
“Okay,” Gran said. “But one more thing. Your mama and daddy are already staying at my house. When you get there, if they’re out, the spare key’s still under the mat where I usually keep it.”
“Thanks, Gran,” she said with a smile. Gran lived her whole life taking care of people. It had to be difficult for her to be in the position she was in, but it was time she focused on herself. Hannah just hoped she could convince her. She couldn’t wait to see her. It was certainly going to be quite a visit when Hannah got home.
Four
They were a few hours into the trip now and making good time. Both the heavy traffic and the snow had tapered off, although the storm had left a thick gray cloud cover in its wake that seemed to want to explode with another downpour of frozen precipitation at any moment. The roads weren’t much better either.
Hannah had been quiet, sipping her hot chocolate, lost in thought while Georgia made small talk from the backseat occasionally.
“So, did I hear you say you were from Charleston, Liam?” Georgia asked, piping up again.
“I grew up just outside Franklin—in the same area as Hannah,” he replied, his gaze fluttering over to her, “but I’ve lived in Charleston for the last five years.”
Hannah and her friend Morgan had both had a crush on Liam when they’d been younger. But he’d asked Morgan out instead of Hannah, and her friend had fallen head over heels for him. Hannah had consoled her friend when he’d broken her heart.