The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(76)

Hannah laughed. “It sounds like you’re going to have a nice night.”

“Yes!” she said, and then she changed gears. “Hey, before you go, I wanted to ask you about the flower collection in the room I’m staying in.”

“My shadow box?”

“Yeah. It’s beautiful. I was thinking, wouldn’t it be great if we did the whole shop in a vintage floral theme? We could have a whole wall of these shadow boxes opposite the basket wall. With a mural at the back and the old record player out where people could see it, it would be amazing. I could take photos of the arrangements and do up some artsy prints for the tables and display window. I can put a filter on them to make them look vintage…”

“That sounds amazing! It would go so well with the historic town mural I was trying to get Ethan to paint,” Hannah said. “Gran used to give names to different arrangements. Wouldn’t it be cool if we did the catalog up so each arrangement has a keepsake name?”

“I love your ideas,” Georgia replied. “I’ve already called and gotten a turnaround time on the prints we need for the Spring Festival.”

“Oh, that’s so great!” There was a knock at the front door and Hannah rushed over to get it. “I can’t wait to chat more about this. I’ll catch you later.” She opened the door and greeted Liam, stepping out into the night.



“Where are we?” Hannah asked, as she and Liam walked uphill on a steep path through a residential area of Nashville.

“You’ll see,” he said, shifting the backpack that dangled from his shoulder.

When he’d mentioned having drinks in the city, she’d put on her new boots, knowing that the flat heel would be best for walking the city blocks. She was glad for the comfort of them now. They’d parked the car on a side road and taken to the asphalt trail that paralleled the road. They rounded the corner to face another hill, this time flanked by a grassy bank.

“Last one,” he said as they began the ascent. “I promise it’s worth it.”

They climbed the final leg of their journey.

“Close your eyes,” Liam said, leading her by the hand. “Hold on to me.”

Hannah took careful steps forward across the grass, her eyes squeezed shut, wondering what all this was about. She didn’t mind though, with Liam so close behind her, his hands gently on her shoulders, his face near her ear.

“Ready? Open your eyes.”

Hannah gasped at the view. “Where are we?” she asked again, breathless at the city skyline in front of her, orange and red streaking the sky like a violent protest to the sun’s descent.

“We’re seven hundred forty-four feet above sea level,” he said from behind her. “It’s one of the highest spots in Nashville.” He stepped back, pulling out a large plaid blanket from his backpack. It shimmied in a wave as he shook it loose and set it on the ground. Then he took out a camping mug, handing it to her. “Have a seat.” When she did so, he draped another blanket over her legs before retrieving a thermos and filling her mug, as well as one for himself.

She leaned over it and inhaled the sweet chocolaty scent. “Hot cocoa?”

He held up a finger to let her know he had something else. Then he rummaged around in the sack and set out a fold-up wooden tray, emptying bags of cheese and crackers, cookies, and rounds of bread, and arranging them into a platter.

“I have marshmallows too,” he said.

“You’ve thought of everything.”

“More than you know,” he said, holding up a quarter. “Want to guess which hand?” He rubbed his palms together quickly and pulled them apart into two fists. “I’ve been practicing this,” he said with a laugh.

Hannah had no idea which of his hands held the quarter, but she took a guess and tapped his right hand. He opened it. Empty.

“The other one’s probably empty too, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Nope.”

He opened his left hand, but instead of the quarter, a round clear pendant had replaced it. Hannah plucked it from his hand and held it up. Inside the transparent circle was a tiny pressed flower.

“I saw it in town the other day, and it reminded me of your collection, so I bought it for you. It sort of looks like a butterfly, doesn’t it?”

She peered down at it, thinking about what Gran had said about caterpillars and butterflies. The time she’d spent with Liam and Noah at the tire swing, playing baseball, reading Noah’s bedtime story, and then dancing in the kitchen—she’d made more memories in the last few days than she had in years.

“It’s so pretty. Thank you. I wish I could wear it right now.”

“I thought of that too,” he said, grabbing a box from his backpack and handing it to her.

Hannah opened it to find a delicate silver chain necklace.

Liam helped her get it out of the box. He unfastened it and she slid the pendant on. Then he got on his knees and scooted behind her as she lifted her hair so he could fasten it around her neck.

“Where did the quarter go?” she asked, lovingly adjusting the chain.

“I have no idea,” he said with a laugh. “I tossed it somewhere in the grass.”

Hannah laughed, fiddling with the pendant, getting acquainted with the feel of it around her neck.