Nicole started to move away but Fiona grabbed her arm. “What if your studio were a satellite of the Gallagher school? Then you could stay where you are.”
“No, thank you, Fiona. I enjoy working for myself. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my family.”
Leaving the other woman, Nicole went to sit down between Remy and Shay again.
“What was that about?” Shay asked.
“It was nothing. She just—”
At that moment, the announcer’s voice cut her off and the auditorium fell silent. Nicole bounced on the edge of her chair as one by one, the dancers’ scores were announced. When Ainsley’s numbers came up, Nicole squealed in delight. She had the highest score, high enough that it was unlikely anyone could best her.
“I think you’ve done it!” Nicole grabbed Ainsley’s hand, and they sat anxiously awaiting the last of the scores to be announced. When the very last one had been read, and no one had outscored her, Ainsley’s family began to scream and cheer, squashing the young World Champion in an enormous group hug. Around them, other teachers, parents, and dancers offered their congratulations.
Nicole could barely hear over the sound of her heart beating, so fast she thought it might explode. Tears of joy streaked her face and her hands trembled. She didn’t think she could ever feel happier than she did at that moment.
* * * *
After the awards ceremony, Nicole’s family went out to one of the nearby restaurants for dinner. Everyone was in a celebratory mood, and the chatter and laughter flowed easily. When dessert had been served, Nicole’s father stood.
“Listen up, everyone,” he said. When the table had quieted, he continued. “I just wanted to propose a toast. To Ainsley and Nicole, our World Champ and her teacher. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we couldn’t be more proud of all you’ve achieved.”
“Here, here!” called Shay’s dad. Everyone clinked their glasses together and drank.
Shay and Remy both stood, and Remy walked around Nicole to stand at his husband’s side. The table went quiet again, and Nicole looked up at her men.
“When I found Remy five years ago, I found a soul mate.” Shay took Remy’s hand and smiled at him. “I never dreamed that I could love anyone as much as I loved him. But then Nicole came into our lives and proved that I was wrong.”
A tear escaped the corner of Nicole’s eye, and she brushed it away, smiling tenderly at Shay as he spoke.
“Shay and I never dreamed that one day we would both fall in love with someone else, but it happened, and our lives are so much more complete because you’re with us,” Remy said.
More tears fell, and Nicole couldn’t contain them. “I love you both so much.”
She gasped and her pulse raced when they both dropped to their knees in front of her and held out a small velvet box.
“Will you marry us?” They both spoke at the same time, and Shay opened the box to reveal a platinum Claddagh ring with a sparkling, heart-shaped diamond solitaire surrounded by tiny emeralds.
“We can’t make it legal,” Shay said. “But we want you to have a symbol of our commitment to you. We want you to know that for us, this is permanent.”
Nicole fell to her knees and threw her arms around Remy’s neck. Shay pressed up against her back, holding both of them.
“Is that a yes?” Remy asked.
“Yes,” she said with a laugh.
They stood again and Shay slipped the ring onto the third finger of her left hand with the heart facing in, the way a Claddagh ring should be worn by someone who is married. Then he kissed her, politely enough for company, but with a possessive edge that said she would always be his. When he pulled away, he smiled and turned her toward Remy, whose kiss quickly earned calls of, “Get a room!” from someone.
“My turn!” Nicole looked down to see Ainsley beside her. As they hugged, she said, “Does this mean I can call you Mom?”
Nicole thought her heart would stop. She glanced up at Shay and Remy to see if they’d heard. Remy had tears in his eyes, but a smile on his face, and he nodded at her. She looked back at Ainsley. “If you want to call me Mom that’s okay with me.”
Ainsley squealed and squeezed Nicole tightly. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, sweetie.”
After a moment, the little girl pulled back. “So when can I have a baby brother or sister?”
Nicole’s eyes went wide with panic. “Umm…”
“Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves,” Remy said from behind them.
Pouting, Ainsley retreated to her seat. Remy’s parents, and then Shay’s parents offered their congratulations, and then Nicole turned to look at her own. Her mother wore a happy smile, but her dad looked a bit shell-shocked. Nicole went to sit beside him.
“Dad? Are you okay?”
He looked up at her, and then brushed a strand of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. “I’ve only ever wanted you to be happy, A leanbh. And I know it hasn’t been easy for me to accept your relationship, but over the last few months, you’ve been happier than I’ve ever seen you. I couldn’t possibly take that away from you.”
Throwing her arms around him, Nicole sobbed. “I love you, Dad. Thank you.”
Nicole returned to her place between Shay and Remy. She kissed them each in turn, vowing to herself to cherish the gift of their love for as long as she lived.
THE END
WWW.MICHELLEGRAHAMBOOKS.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michelle Graham has dreamed of being a writer since she was very young. Her stories almost always had a happy ending, and once she reached a certain age, they almost always had romance. Michelle loves to recreate that wonderful feeling of falling head over heels in love. The relationships she writes about are definitely not conventional, but the love is always the same.
Michelle has been in love with her wonderful husband for eighteen years, and they have two children and a variety of animals. She lives in southern Ontario, Canada.
For all titles by Michelle Graham, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/michelle-graham
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
The Stylist, His Dom, and Their Dancer [Hedon Falls 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 14