The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(20)

She blew out the flame. “What an unexpected and wonderful surprise,” she said.

Liam gave her a long look. “I couldn’t agree more.”





Seven





Hannah sat in the near darkness of her hotel room at the dinette table beside the box of birthday cake, anticipating her dinner, her tummy rumbling while Georgia and Jerry slept. Liam had texted her that he’d called in the order, so now there was nothing to do but wait.

Finally, there was a quiet knock, sending Jerry’s head above the covers. Georgia turned over in bed but resumed the deep breathing of sleep. Hannah stepped out into the hallway so as not to disturb her roommate, and handed the room service guy a couple of bills.

“Thank you so much,” Hannah whispered.

The man nodded and hopped back into the elevator across the hall.

Hannah pulled off the silver dome covering her plate to take a peek, her stomach in knots from hunger. A double burger and tater tots? That wasn’t what she’d ordered. Oh no. Could this be Liam’s order? If it was, that meant Liam might have her chicken, veggies, and potato wedges. She turned around to the door to open it, but it had locked behind her. Before she could start to panic, Liam stuck his head out his door down the hall.

“I’ve got your plate if you’ve got mine,” he called quietly.

“Oh, good,” she said. “But I’ve just locked myself out of the room. Could you hold my dinner while I run down to reception and get a key?” she asked, evaluating the patterned burgundy carpet under her bare feet, and wondering if she could squat down and eat right there. She was starving.

“You’re welcome to eat at the table in my room.”

“You sure?” she asked, not wanting to intrude.

“Of course… We could leave the door open if it would make you feel more comfortable.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “I trust you.”

She took the plate of food the few doors down the hallway to Liam’s room. He propped the door open with the doorstop as promised, even though she didn’t require that. She sat down at the table.

“Here you go,” Liam said, swapping out the plate for the one in front of her.

They’d been in the car together the entire journey to Virginia and they’d just spent the evening at the restaurant upstairs, but here in his room, it felt more intimate, which immediately made her less talkative. Someone in the hallway walked by the room and looked in.

“You can close the door,” she said. “I’m pretty confident that you won’t… steal my potato wedges or anything.”

He allowed a little grin. “You’re putting a lot of faith in me,” he said.

“Well, I eyed your tater tots when they were delivered to my room. I might have even stolen one…”

“You didn’t,” he said, chuckling, and it gave her an unexpected fizzle of happiness.

“I’d never tell,” she teased, enjoying their banter. She got up and closed the door, plunging them into silence and solitude. “I feel like I’ve been up for forty-eight hours,” she admitted, stabbing a piece of broccoli. “It’s been a very long day.”

“Yes, considering we’re eating dinner after midnight. I’m usually out for the count by ten these days.”

“Me too.”

“Happy birthday,” he told her, his face alight.

“Thank you.”

Her gratitude was deeper than surface level. Liam was like a quiet light in the darkness, the one right thing in everything else that had been going wrong.

“Your cake is back in your room,” he noted.

“Yeah, I’ll have to eat it after I wake up.”

“At least you got to make your wish. I hope it comes true for you,” Liam said.

“Thanks.”

They fell into another buzzy silence, only making a bit of small talk for the rest of the meal. She wanted to talk more, but she was so tired she couldn’t think straight.

“Thank you for letting me eat with you,” she said when they’d finished. “I’ll just go wake up Georgia now.”

“Of course,” he said, standing up to walk her to the door. “Have a good night. See you in the morning.” He stood in the open door to watch her go down the hallway.

Hannah went to her room and knocked, but no one answered. She knocked again and waited, her eyes aching for sleep and feeling terrible that Liam was standing there waiting for her to get into her room. He had to be as drained as she was. She didn’t even want to shower at this point. She just wanted to fall into bed and close her eyes. She knocked again, this time as loud as she could. Jerry barked once but no one came to the door. She didn’t want to make Jerry bark any more or they’d all get thrown out for having a pet in the room…

“No answer?” Liam called down to her.

She walked back over to him. “No,” she said, exhaustion causing her voice to quiver. “I might be able to go down to the front desk and get a key.”

“It’s already almost one o’clock in the morning. I’ve got two beds in my room. You can bunk with me if you want. It’s totally fine.”

This was certainly awkward.

“We’re going to be sleeping,” he said, evidently reading her doubt. “Neither of us will even know where we are in about two minutes.”