The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(23)

Hannah laughed incredulously, but she wasn’t convinced that Liam hadn’t felt the bit of chemistry that she had, and if she were honest with herself, she wouldn’t be terribly put off if Georgia’s assumptions were right. “He was asleep in seconds. And what are you talking about? He hasn’t been looking at me like anything.”

“When you’re talking, he studies you as if you were some interesting new subject in college.”

“He does not,” Hannah returned, shaking her head. But as she went into the bathroom and started the shower, she couldn’t deny the flurry of happiness she’d felt at what Georgia had said. She came back out to grab her shampoo and conditioner, and walked past a grinning Georgia on her way into the bathroom.



After Hannah’s shower she’d checked her email, only to find a full inbox. When she’d responded to everyone at work, she and Georgia split up. Georgia ran out to walk Jerry and get a coffee, while Hannah went to see if she could find warmer attire in the gift shop downstairs.

“Hey,” Liam said, waving fondly as he entered the shop. He was clean-shaven and wearing his clothes from yesterday.

“Hi,” Hannah returned, holding a sweatshirt that said, “Virginia is Home.”

“You need clothes too?” he asked.

“Yeah. Unless I want to wear my swimsuit and sarong. I was packed for a beach vacation.”

He chuckled and reached around her, grabbing another sweatshirt. “At least you have something,” he teased. “I should charge the airline for this.” He held up the sweatshirt so Hannah could see what was on the front: “Sweet Lovin’ Right Here.” Hannah laughed out loud, sending the store clerk’s gaze their way. “What? Not my color?”

“Orange isn’t really anyone’s color,” she said, still laughing. She liked this humorous side of him. It reminded her more of the boy she’d known so many years ago. Perhaps their time together last night had loosened him up a touch.

Liam considered his choice once more. “But we could match.” He grabbed another orange sweatshirt in a smaller size, this one reading: “Butter my biscuits.”

“Never,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut in amusement. She grabbed a green-and-yellow scarf, wrapping it around her neck.

“Stunning,” he said. Then he plopped the matching beanie on her head. “Perfect. And it would go with this. He held out a white sweatshirt with the state motto—“Virginia is for Lovers”—in black block font, the state below it in green, with a zipper running through it. His gaze lingered on her long enough that she felt the need to slide the silly hat off her head and be serious. But then his phone rang, tearing through the moment. “It’s my mother,” he said, apologizing with a quick glance before hanging the sweatshirt back up and stepping out of the shop.



After paying for and putting on the warmer zip-up hoodie she’d purchased, Hannah sat beside her suitcases on a bench in the hotel lobby, waiting for Liam and Georgia. Liam was still on the call down the hall, and he hadn’t noticed she’d come out. Georgia wasn’t back yet, so Hannah sent a text to her mom to check in on Gran.

I haven’t gone to see her yet today, her mother texted back, a long string of words filling Hannah’s screen. I’ve been at Gran’s shop. I spent all evening going through the books to send off the P&L, and she’s hemorrhaging money. It’s worse than your dad and I thought. I tried again to get in touch with the leasing agent, but haven’t gotten an answer.

No one seemed to be getting answers from this leasing agent. She texted back, Gran is such a levelheaded woman. She has to see it’s time to retire.

Her mother returned: I fear with her health, she’s going to have to retire. Not to mention that, if she doesn’t, your dad and I won’t have a penny to our names.

Hannah replied, I should be home this evening and we’ll talk about all of it then.

Her mother came back: Okay, honey. Be safe and see you this evening.

Hannah dropped her phone into her bag, and when she looked up, Liam had moved to another bench just down from her, his phone in his hand on speaker as he typed frantically on his laptop. He was so absorbed in what he was doing that he hadn’t seemed to notice she was sitting there. Hannah picked her phone back up and scrolled through social media, waiting for him to finish the call, trying not to eavesdrop, but it was difficult with the way the sound carried down the empty, airy lobby.

“Have you considered going to see someone?” a woman’s voice came from Liam’s phone.

“That’s not necessary, Mom,” Liam replied, his eyes on the screen of his laptop as he typed feverishly. “I’m fine.”

“You think you are, but I’m telling you right now, Noah definitely isn’t, and neither are you. You can’t just abandon your son.”

Abandon his son? Hannah shifted her eyes discreetly toward Liam, his fingers now stilled on the keys. He was still staring at his screen, but it was clear that his mind wasn’t on whatever was in front of him.

When he didn’t respond, his mother’s voice came through again. “He barely knows you, Liam.”

Liam set his laptop on the bench and took his mother off speaker, putting the phone to his ear, standing up, and speaking quietly enough that Hannah couldn’t hear what he was saying. She dove back into her social media, her mind not really into it as she considered how much had changed between the time she’d known Liam and now.