The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(74)

“I had a similar choice,” Hannah intervened, wrapping her hands around her mug. “I could’ve stayed here in Tennessee and built a life around my family, but instead, I chose to do my own thing. I went off to college in New York and didn’t come back until now. I built my life there.”

Mary sipped her coffee, pensively listening. “And do you feel like you did the right thing?” she asked.

“At the time, I did. But now I’m not so sure that it was the best thing for me.”

“Why not?” Liam asked.

“I’ve lost time with my loved ones, I didn’t keep in touch with my friends… I worked too much.”

“That’s exactly what I keep telling him,” Mary said. “You’ll never bond with Noah if you’re not at home. Here, you could be near me so I could help with him, and running the farm would give you time to spend with him. Remember when you and your father used to drive the tractor together? All those days you two worked side by side?”

“It’s clear that I’m outnumbered here,” Liam said, his lips set in a straight line.

“I didn’t mean to imply that you aren’t doing the right thing,” Hannah said, although she did wonder, having witnessed his relationship with his son firsthand.

That sadness she’d seen glimpses of came rushing back over him, and he was closing up right in front of her. Hannah had come into his family’s home and ganged up on him without even meaning to. His choices weren’t up to her, and she needed to get him by himself so she could properly apologize.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Hannah asked Liam, nodding toward the doorway.

Mary jumped in, clearly allowing Hannah and Liam time alone. “Georgia, I’d love it if you’d show me all the photos you’ve taken. Maybe I can get out the cookies I made and you, Noah, and I can all take a look at them.”

“Sure,” Georgia said, pulling out her camera.

Liam stood up from the table and Hannah followed his lead. He motioned for her to go down the hallway first. “Grab your coat,” he said. “Let’s take a walk.”

The two of them stepped outside and then followed the narrow dirt path that led between the fields. The clouds had given way to a gloriously blue sky, the sun providing just enough warmth to keep the chill at bay.

“I didn’t mean to throw you under the bus like that,” Hannah said as they walked. “I was trying to explain that I did the same thing, but then my own insecurities about leaving surfaced and I spoke before I’d thought it through. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he said, but she wondered if it actually was. “My mother is going to have her opinion, no matter what anyone else says. My job keeps me away from the farm, but I can’t help it.”

“Look, I’m a firm believer in doing what you love—I’ve been giving that idea a lot of thought, myself. So what do you love so much about your job?” she asked.

She considered what she loved about her career. Initially, it had been the creative outlet, but with her new position, she’d been doing less and less of the creative part, delegating more, and overseeing the process as a whole. It had been her push to get the execs to allow her to accompany the photographer on the shoot, and everything she did creatively these days was because she’d pressed her colleagues to allow her to do it. She’d taken the promotion without even once considering what she would love about it. It had all been about forward movement, her life beginning to take shape the same way Miles’s had.

His silence caught her attention.

“I love the security that the income provides,” he said finally. “And Alison was going to start the business with her brother, Jonathan. They had the whole thing ready to go when she got sick, so I took over to keep it running.”

“That’s commendable, and would’ve been necessary if she’d been able to come back to the job at some point. But it’s not up to you to save her business and continue on indefinitely, if that’s not what you want to do with your life, right?”

“Sometimes it isn’t about doing what you want to do. But that aside, it’s more about the financial security, anyway.”

“That’s it?” she asked.

“Financial security is a pretty big deal when I have Noah to think about,” he replied.

“Well, I know, but if security is all you’re looking for, couldn’t you get that working at the farm?”

By the set of his jaw, she seemed to be frustrating him, and she wondered if, despite what he’d said, this had more to do with making Alison proud than job security. “I’m not suggesting you work at the farm. I’m just trying to figure out why your job is so important to you that you spend time away from your son and refuse to take on your birthright.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” he said with an exhale.

“Try me.”

Liam began walking. Hannah ran to get in front of him, stopping him.

“I’m asking because I don’t understand, not because I can’t understand,” she said, stammering when he strode past her, clearly exasperated. She stumbled to try to get ahead of him again. “Because I think you’re pretty awesome, and you’ve been fantastic with Noah. It makes no sense to me why Noah can’t see that side of you every day.”