The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(72)

“Okay! Let your dad show you how to catch it like an alligator. Show him, Liam.”

She couldn’t hear from way over there, but she knew exactly what Liam was saying because her father had taught her the same way. Her dad had explained that she had to get in front of the ball, put her glove on the ground, and keep it open like the mouth of an alligator, chomping on the ball the minute it hit her glove.

Noah was squatting down, his mitt ready. “Here it comes!” Hannah rolled it in a slow, straight line right to him and Noah scooped it up, jumping around and cheering, making Liam laugh.

“Y’all want to help me set up the bases?” Hannah asked.

“Yes!” Noah ran over to her with his glove still on his hand.

The three of them assembled the makeshift baseball field, and then Liam held a bat out for Noah. “Ready to hit a few baseballs?” he asked as Noah got into position. Liam stood behind Noah, bringing his arms around his son, placing his hands on Noah’s to show him where to grip the bat. He explained where to put his feet and then he pointed at Hannah.

Hannah sent a slow pitch to Noah and he missed.

Liam swooped right in to coach his son, and Noah looked up at Liam, nodding, then cocked his bat up, ready to hit. Liam offered one more quick pointer before Hannah tossed another pitch.

Noah swung and smacked the ball. It rolled on the ground to second base.

“Wow!” Hannah said, running after it. “I think you might have some hitting skills! Most kids use a tee at your age.”

Noah puffed his chest and, for the first time Hannah had witnessed, he turned to his father to share in the excitement rather than Hannah. Her heart sang with joy at the sight.





Twenty-Six





Hannah woke up in the morning still thinking about playing baseball yesterday. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d spent a whole evening outside. She, Liam, and Noah had had so much fun, hitting balls until the sun had completely disappeared.

Wondering what time it was, she reached over to Gran’s bedside table, grabbed her phone, and peered at the screen, sitting straight up in bed when she noticed the date. Today, she was supposed to be flying home from Barbados. She’d completely forgotten to schedule her return flight to New York. While that was fine, the fact that she had to work in a few days wasn’t. She’d purposely taken more days’ vacation than she’d needed for her trip to Barbados, to ensure she had enough rest and time to be prepared when she was back to the grind on her first day in the office, but she was going to need more. She’d figure it out in a bit. She wasn’t going to start her day in a frenzy over work.

Hannah set her phone back on the table and picked up the journal. She couldn’t wait to see Gran today. She decided to read a quick entry before getting up and ready.

December 23, 1943



I am utterly in love with Warren Townshend. Things have certainly changed for me this year. Warren is graduating from the University of Kentucky this spring, and he’s found a job at a historical concert auditorium in Nashville. It’s supposed to be pretty great, having sold out so many shows that it needed to move to a larger venue. The change in venue location opened up a position for Warren—they need someone to research the history of the place, create tours and curate memorabilia. He just got word today that he’d been given the job, and he came straight over to tell me. When I became sad about him leaving, he told me not to worry. He took me to the soda fountain, and we sat on the same two stools where we’d met. Warren ordered us both a soda and then he took my hand. Before I even knew what was happening, he’d reached into his pocket, opened a jewelry box with a gold band, and proposed! He’d already asked my father permission and everything! He’s found a house in Nashville to rent, and he’s even asked around to get the addresses of all the local florists, just for me! So much has changed that I don’t even feel like the same person I was before I met Warren. I’m the luckiest woman alive.





Hannah understood what her grandmother had meant about feeling like a totally different person. Ever since she’d arrived, she hadn’t had that driving interest in her work deadlines or in keeping up with what was going on in New York. She’d spent all her time enjoying other people. And her heart was full doing that.



Hannah and Georgia walked around the farm, trying to get the perfect scene that Hannah had sketched out earlier. Georgia pulled the camera away and cupped her hand over the lens to view the shot, when a smile spread across her face.

“What is it?” Hannah said.

Georgia focused the camera and took another shot of the porch, peering down at the screen again. “That’s gorgeous,” she said, turning the screen toward Hannah.

The shot was the whitewashed siding of the farmhouse with one window off center, but there was an unexpected addition that made it the warmest image of them all. Noah’s face was in the window, looking out. It screamed personality and gave it the most amazing hometown feel.

“Oh, I love it!” Hannah said.

She waved at Noah, excitement showing on his face.

“This one has to be the focus image of the whole montage. It’s just perfect… Let’s go in and show it to Liam.”

Hannah and Georgia had spent about an hour walking the grounds of the farm, and they’d gotten some really great shots out in the field, so they went in to see if Mary, Liam, and Noah were ready.