The Memory Keeper: A Heartwarming, Feel-Good Romance(78)

“Any evidence of Speckles?” Hannah asked Georgia as she peered out the back door.

“It looked like some of the milk was gone, but I can’t tell for sure,” Georgia replied.

Hannah went over to the computer and turned it on, the screen coming to life. She opened the email and perused the incoming messages, stopping at the electronic bill for the rent. She opened it, her good cheer sliding away. “Look at this,” she said to Georgia, pulling up the latest remittance on the shop computer. “The lease just went up again.”

Liam peered down at her, quiet, interested.

“There’s no way we’ll have enough to cover the cost of the lease payment and turn a profit this month.” Hannah felt deflated, like everything they’d worked for so far might be for nothing.

Liam climbed down the ladder, and set his tools and the pencil he’d been using on the counter.

“Why don’t you try to call the leasing agent?” Georgia suggested.

Hannah peered at her screen under the Mercer Properties email signature, noting their phone number. “You know what? I think I will.”

Liam went over to her but she held up a finger, stopping him. She dialed the number, waiting for someone to pick up.

Just as it started ringing, Liam’s phone went off in his pocket, sending her eyes straight to him.

“I had the phone calls transferred to my phone while our receptionist is out,” he said. “Mercer Properties is the company I own with Jonathan Mercer, Alison’s brother.”

Hannah stumbled back a step and hung up, his phone immediately ceasing to ring.

“What?” she asked, needing an explanation. He’d known this whole time that this was Gran’s shop, and he hadn’t said anything? Not during any of the countless times they’d been together. She’d told him they might even have to close, given the rent, yet he’d still sent the latest remittance. He’d even stayed in Gran’s house! Why hadn’t he offered to do anything?

She prayed there was some kind of explanation other than the fact that it was his company who’d been running Gran’s shop into the ground. He was silent just long enough for Hannah to wonder if she’d made a colossal mistake trusting him.

“You?” she asked, hearing the hurt in her question.

“Yes,” he confirmed again quietly.

She pulled back, trying to keep her utter disappointment at bay, squared her shoulders, and cut her eyes at him. “I have a complaint about the hike in rent,” she said, her voice flat, feeling betrayed.

“I’m so sorry…” He stepped closer to her.

“You own the company—you said yourself—so you can fix this,” she said.

After last night, she couldn’t believe she was even having this conversation. Wouldn’t he want to do whatever it took to make this right, given their growing feelings for one another? Or had he planned the whole time to go back to Charleston without a second thought?

“It’s not that simple…”

“So you don’t even care if we have to close?” she asked. Her heart felt like it was breaking, this moment adding to the anxiety she already felt from everything else she’d been through.

“That’s not fair. The rent isn’t any higher than the rest of Main Street,” he replied. “I’ve already spoken to Jonathan about it, and it’s just not feasible to bring it down.”

She’d witnessed Liam choose work over family, and now she was seeing it firsthand. When it came to his profit, he chose money over people, and right or wrong, she couldn’t deal with that right now.

“It’s bigger than just this one shop,” he said, but his excuse fell flat.

At the end of the day, while she adored the great parts of him, she didn’t need this. “You know, I’ve been with someone before who put building his business ahead of us. I don’t want to make that mistake again,” she said, feeling the lump in her throat.

“Hannah…” He reached out for her arm, but she pulled back.

“Thank you for the ladder. I’d be happy to pay you for it.”

He shook his head, clearly consumed with his thoughts. “That’s not necessary,” he said, looking up and finally making eye contact. “I’m trying here,” he said.

But she wouldn’t listen. Trying at what? Yes, he’d let Hannah in, breaking down his walls a bit, but she needed someone who could be there for her through everything. The shop was important to her.

“I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place here,” he said. “I tried—”

She stopped him. She didn’t want to hear any explanations. Even though she wanted to relent, she stood her ground and shook her head.

“I’ll let myself out,” he said, defeat in his eyes. He turned around, but she refused to acknowledge the gesture.

And despite the pinch in her chest, she let him go.



Hannah pulled up at Ethan and Christie’s rancher on the edge of town. It was neatly kept with a spring wreath on the door that read “Welcome” in pink flowers. She could only see half of it, however, because Ethan was standing in front of it with his hands on his hips. He was wearing jeans that fell over the old pair of paint-splattered riding boots he used to wear when he did his murals.

“I s’pose if you and Christie are off dancin’, that means I’d better get paintin’,” he said.