The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(59)

“Oh, you could be right.”

“Wouldn’t it be gorgeous if we replaced it with a wide, substantial, wooden ladder in a thick gloss of stain?”

“That would be gorgeous! I’ll take measurements for it right now.” Hannah and Georgia had a vision together that was shaping up beautifully. Their creative sides connected easily, and Hannah was so glad Georgia had been here to offer her suggestions. It was still a long shot, but what if it actually worked? “So how do we replace something like the ladder? It would have to be specially made.”

“We can ask around to see if anyone knows a woodworker in town who could make it. I’m sure there’s someone.”

“I think I’d like to have these wood floors buffed and sanded too, and then put on a thick coat of clear sealer to shine it up and make it match the ladder. Its imperfections and the light wood color would make a nice canvas. We could hang some chandeliers where those old lights are. Plunging, crystal ones. And then we can stain the old wood cashier’s counter.” She turned to the long blank wall to the left of the door. “What if this wall was filled with some sort of artwork? Then, in front of it, we could put a line of rocking chairs with coordinating pillows.”

“That sounds stunning.” Georgia danced over to the display window. “I can see this window dressed in elegant satin curtains, drawn back at the sides here with curtain pegs. And in the window area, there’s room to use varying heights of antique furniture—whitewashed like the others you mentioned—to showcase the current displays of floral arrangements for the season. I’ve walked past about three antiques stores in town. There’s no shortage of furniture.”

Hannah put her hands on her hips, thinking. “We’re talking a lot of money for a renovation like that…” she told her, the idea settling in. “What if we can do it on a shoestring budget? Do it ourselves and only hire for the things we absolutely cannot do.”

“Of course! We could get it done in a week if we really push through.”

“I think we could too,” Hannah said, as she took in the gloomy walls in their current state. The idea of surprising Gran with this made Hannah come alive. She cringed at the thought of asking for more time off from work, but perhaps she could explain the health of her grandmother. She’d have to figure that out later. “The inside is easy,” Hannah said. “But what do we do with the outside?”

Georgia leaned on the wide display shelf to peer out of the large storefront window. “That big section of brush has to go,” she said.

“Definitely,” Hannah agreed. “We need to totally gut the yard and replace it with sod and new mulch beds. The exterior clapboard siding could be a bright white as well. But I know that’s a lot…”

“We could clear most of the brush ourselves, and do our own landscaping.”

Hannah chewed on her lip, calculating the numbers. “If we do everything inside ourselves, I think I could afford to pay for most of the outside… Oh, I just thought of something!” she said, coming over to Georgia. “What if we made the outside super inviting with flowers, painted the current seating areas, and added some brightly colored umbrellas? We could have water bowls for customers’ dogs, bird feeders, and bowls of milk for cats—Gran would adore that. If people know they can sit down and relax here, ‘make memories,’ they’ll think of us first as the place to go when they need flowers.”

“I love that,” Georgia said, clapping her hands with excitement. “We could even partner with the local bakery and do things together for the major holidays.”

Hannah could feel the anticipation building. “You know, my gran used to always offer shoppers lemonade or iced tea. We could have a lemonade station and silver tea service.”

“Now you’re talkin’,” Georgia said with a giggle. “I’d love to design the exterior for you. I could draw up some sketches.”

“That would be amazing! I think I know the perfect person to paint what we want on the interior as well… I wonder if we could get it done in time. It would be amazing to surprise Gran when she gets home from the hospital.”

Hannah’s dreaming about the shop had carried over to the idea that Gran would walk out of the hospital one day. That she’d be back to her busy self, strolling into town every morning and chatting with the locals. Even though Hannah knew there was a possibility that Gran’s future had other less favorable outcomes, she wanted to hold on to her faith for just a while longer. And fixing up the shop would help her do that.



“Miss Hannah Townshend—our own town beauty queen returns!” Ethan’s father Ardy said, wiping his hands on a grease-streaked shop towel. His hair had grayed on the sides, and his potbelly was bigger than she remembered, but his smile was just as warm.

“Beauty queen?” she laughed. “It was only the once, and I was Watermelon Festival Queen. Hardly the town’s beauty queen when it was only me and three others in the running.”

“You wore that crown well.” He stepped up to her. “I’d hug you, but you don’t want to get dirt on those fancy clothes of yours.” He offered her a big smile. “You lookin’ for Ethan?”

“I am,” she replied.

“He’s on lunch break—” Just then, the door to the shop opened. “Well, look at that. Speak of the devil.”