I hoped it wasn’t over.
Her arms slipped around my waist. “Have. Do I have you, Taggish? I promise to be brave, or at least, to try.”
I dropped my face to her neck. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said all those things.” As much as I might have meant them, Mara had come a long way. “I just—I just wanted to know you were in this. All in.”
“I am,” she said quickly. “I am. I want to be.”
I couldn’t help myself then, and it was a little while before either of us said anything. Kissing her never seemed to get old. It was just as exhilarating as the first time.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me your mom was Anne Merriman,” she said later.
I smiled into her hair. “Yeah, well, I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together. I had no idea you were applying for her scholarship.”
Mara lifted her head, her green eyes finding mine. “How does it work? Where does the money come from? Her art?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s mostly from donations. Dad and I started it when she got diagnosed the second time. We wanted to donate the money to cancer research, but she wanted to do something for art students in our community. She was locally known, and she’d sold a couple of paintings for good money.” Enough for me to go to college, or as I was planning to do, go to trade school and start my own business. “But the money isn’t from her; it’s just in her honor.”
“That’s really cool.” She laid her head back down on my shoulder. We were both quiet for a moment. It was getting late—or early—however you wanted to look at it, but I didn’t want to let her go, didn’t want this night to end.
“What’s going to happen to them after they award the scholarship?” I asked.
“They'll go on display for a year at the foundation, and then they come back to me.”
I thought about that. “What will you do with them then?”
She shifted in my arms. “I don’t know. Why?”
I pictured them in my mind, especially the one of my mom and me. “I wouldn’t mind having the one of Mom if you think you can let it go.”
Mara’s hands framed my cheeks. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather it be than with you,” she said, pulling my face down to meet hers.
“Thank you,” I murmured. “Now, no more talking.” And we didn’t.
18
Mara
I knew it would be hard waiting to hear from the scholarship committee, and it had been. A whole month of anxiety. Thankfully, I had Taggish around to keep me distracted. For the last six years, The Anne Merriman Foundation announced the winner of its annual scholarship recipient at its annual fundraising event. A dinner and silent auction attended by people from the community and the three applicant finalists and their families. My parents had come, Marie and Wade—who were recently engaged—and Matt and Jessica. They had left the kids with a sitter.
Taggish and his dad were there, too.
We’d made it through the dinner and the results of the silent auction. Taggish had dutifully held my hand throughout, but near the end of the evening, he leaned over to whisper that he needed to find a restroom.
I wanted to latch onto him and tell him to just wait, certain he would miss everything if he left.
“Just hurry,” I whispered.
He grinned that familiar, careless grin I’d come to love so much and reassured me he would be right back.
As soon as he left my side, the lights dimmed. I half-stood, prepared to run after him, but Dad clamped a hand on my shoulder and shook his head.
“He’ll be back.”
I sat back down, not even registering my mom moving to sit in Taggish’s seat beside me. I was so nervous and anxious. My parents each wrapped an arm around me for support. I watched the podium as Karen gave a brief explanation of the scholarship and Anne herself. She talked about Taggish and his dad and how they’d started the foundation in her name. She thanked generous supporters and announced the staggering sum the foundation had raised in the last year. The money would fund next year’s scholarship and keep the foundation running, displaying the work of other local artists.
I kept glancing at the door, waiting for Taggish to appear, my anxiety ratcheting up with each passing second.
Karen began introducing the finalists for the scholarship. She gave a brief biography and an explanation of