The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(50)

“Hi,” she said with a chuckle, his embrace surprising her. “Are you ready to swing really high?” she asked him, waving to Liam who was partway down the dirt road, catching up.

“Yes!” Noah took her hand and looked up at her from under the stocking cap that had slid down his forehead. He pushed it into place with a mittened hand.

“Well,” she said as Liam joined them, “I called Mr. Abernathy and let him know we might be stopping by. He said we were welcome to swing, and we could even pop in to see him for some hot cocoa if we get cold.”

Noah’s eyes grew round. “I’d love to have some hot cocoa.”

She leaned down and whispered, “He said he keeps a secret stash of peppermint balls in his cabinet, and sometimes he’ll slip one or two into the hot cocoa.”

“Can we get some now?” Noah asked.

Hannah laughed. “Let’s swing first.” She led him toward the old tire swing.

“Hey,” Liam said, stepping up beside her.

“Hi,” she returned, as they walked over the hill that ran next to Emmitt’s cottage.

Emmitt had a modest A-line home on his farm with a small front porch and two rocking chairs out front. A yellow glow came from the windows, giving the home a kind of warmth she’d only ever seen in her childhood. They passed two oak trees that had a hammock strung between them. It was full of fallen leaves, the canvas sagging with their weight.

In the summertime, Emmitt had always allowed the kids in town to walk along the side of his house and use the tire swing that hung from a huge maple tree, offering a gorgeous view of the river along the back of the property. He had a grandson their age named Tommy, but even if Tommy wasn’t there, Emmitt always welcomed them on his farm. They’d go all the time, and in the evenings, they’d see Emmitt and his wife Sue waving from their porch. They didn’t care at all that there were always kids on their land. Instead, it was like a big family.

“I haven’t ever been here,” Liam said, looking around. “Tommy and I played baseball together when we were young.”

“I’d forgotten you both played baseball,” Hannah told him. “Emmitt lives here alone now—Sue passed away a few years ago and Tommy’s in the military, stationed in Arizona.”

“Wow,” Liam said. “How life has changed for us all, right?”

Hannah nodded, understanding the truth of his question.

The cold grass crunched under their feet as they made their way down the other side of the hill to the swing in the middle of the yard.

“Emmitt was delighted I’d called,” she told Liam as they continued on through the vast property. “I had to get his number from Gran right before I left her today. It’s been so long since I’ve spoken to him.” She swung Noah’s arm back and forth playfully as they talked.

“Is that the swing?” Noah asked, pointing to the old tire suspended by a thick rope from a towering maple tree. It twisted around in the wind.

“Yep!” Hannah said, remembering all the times Gran and Pop-pop had brought her here to swing when she was about Noah’s age. She’d stayed outside for hours on end, swinging, and catching lightning bugs at the riverbank while her grandparents had chatted with Emmitt and Sue.

When they reached the swing, Hannah held it still so Noah could thread his legs through. “I like to hold on to the rope,” she said, “but some of my friends used to hug the tire—whichever feels more comfortable to you.”

“I want to hug the tire,” Noah said with an enormous grin on his face. “Don’t push me too high at first.”

Hannah grabbed the tire and pulled it toward her, Noah’s sneakers dangling above the cold ground. “This good?” she asked Noah. “Or higher?”

“A little higher,” he replied.

She pulled the tire to her chest and then let it go, Noah sailing into the air as smooth as if he were gliding on a sheet of glass. The arc of the swing paralleled the riverbank, Noah’s head tipping back, his whole body jiggling with his laughter.

“Do it again!” he said, kicking his legs. “But this time, higher!”

Hannah got hold of the tire and pulled it almost to eye level, letting it go. Noah squealed with delight as he flew through the air over the lush grass of the yard.

“That tickled my tummy!” he called down to her. “Go higher!”

“I think if you want to go any higher, your dad’s gonna have to do it.”

The tire swing twirled as it sailed past them. “Will you please push me, Dad,” Noah asked, but she could hear in the little boy’s voice how differently he approached his father compared to herself. He was more reserved, unsure. And so was Liam.

Hannah stepped aside to allow Liam to move into position. He reached out and caught the tire, pulling it up above his head and then letting go. Noah and the tire catapulted downward and then back up toward the trees, the little boy alternating between screams of excitement and fits of laughter.

“Wow! Who knew your dad could push tire swings like that!” Hannah said, grinning at Liam.

Liam’s shoulders relaxed and he caught the swing again, sending Noah through the air once more and making his son hoot with the thrill of it.

“Don’t stop!” Noah cried. “Keep going, Daddy!”