Bonus Epilogue

SOPHIE

“Stop fidgeting,” Trevor whispers, placing a soft kiss near my ear. His finger traces the strap of my gown, causing goosebumps to break out. At his request, I’m wearing the bronze gown I wore on New Year’s Eve. He calls it my “lucky dress” because that’s what I was wearing when I met him. It’ll be his lucky dress when it’s on the floor of our hotel suite later tonight.

I shiver slightly. “I’m not.”

His chuckle is low and sexy. “You are.”

Okay, I am. But who can blame me? My category is up next. I never dreamed I’d be in a theater in Los Angeles, surrounded by my peers, nominated for an industry award honoring my choreography. But here I am. Here we are. I’m the nominee because I did the choreography, but if it wasn’t for how Trevor danced in the finale, we wouldn’t be here.

An actress famous for her dance roles in major motion pictures and one of the judges of the main Celebrity Dance Dare show take the stage to announce my category.

Kenna Newar, the actress, is gorgeous in her black strapless gown. I watched a bunch of her movies growing up. My favorite was the one where she was a poor girl with a scholarship to a prestigious ballet company who felt like an outcast because she didn’t have the training or money her peers did. Through hard work, perseverance, and spunk, she made it to the top and fell in love with the director of the company.

“We sit in awe, watching the beautiful and complex dance routines that grace our screens and laud the dancers who make it look effortless. But without the genius of the choreographers, we dancers would be stumbling around bopping our heads.” She pauses to do some uncoordinated flailing and funky neck movements to a beat only she can hear, making the audience laugh.

When the laughter dies down, her husband—and head judge of Celebrity Dance Dare—Michael Bingley-Darcy, continues. “Tonight we honor the work of those choreographers who make the dancers look good. The nominees are…”

He then reads off the names of the four other people in my category. A couple choreographed musicals that were shown on TV, another is from a different dance competition show, and the fourth is from the main CDD. I’m the only nominee from the shifter version. When my name is read as the final nominee, there’s a camera trained on me, and I do my best to look serene and not fidget. Trevor’s holding my hand and rubbing figure eights with his thumb. He’s as nervous as I am. This is my first time being nominated for an award, and it truly is an honor to be nominated. But damn it, I want to win.

“And the award goes to…” Michael opens the envelope and shows it to Kenna. In unison, they announce, “Sophie Mackenzie, for her choreography on Celebrity Dance Dare: Shifter Edition!”

I sit there in shock. The applause is loud, and my fellow nominees are all smiling at me.

“Sophie, you won! Go up there!” Trevor squeezes my hand as he stands to pull me to my feet.

You’d think as a dancer and an award-winning choreographer—squee!—I’d be graceful taking the stage to accept my award. You’d be wrong. Michael, ever the gentleman, offers me a hand as I climb the three steps to the stage. Kenna hugs me, and they step back so I can give my speech.

I hold the statue in my hand and stare at it blankly. I’ve dreamed of what I’d say in moments like this, but my mind has gone blank. Looking out over the crowd, I focus on the only face that matters to me. Trevor.

Taking a deep breath, I say the first thing that comes to mind.

“Trevor Carter, I love you.”

The crowd gives a collective “aww…” and tears shine in Trevor’s eyes as he mouths, “I love you, too.”

My knees are shaking so much, I lean on the podium to steady myself before continuing.

“Being a professional dancer and choreographer has been my dream ever since I was a little girl. I worked at it with a singular focus, neglecting relationships, friendships, my family. Dance was the only thing that mattered. To be the best, it had to be the most important thing in my life. Then I got a flirty hockey-playing wolf shifter as a partner for what I was determined to be my big break. I was going to prove to everyone that I was just as good a dancer as my mother and my brother. That I was the best. I wasn’t going to let some pucking idiot stand in the way of my goals.” The audience laughs. “But working with Trevor showed me that there was more to life than dance. He showed me it could be a priority but that I didn’t have to push away everything else. I could have friendships, I could fall in love. Winning isn’t only about the trophies you collect but the experiences you have. But I really, really love this trophy, so you aren’t getting it back.” I giggle as I hold up the award. “Thank you to everyone who’s helped me get here. Family, friends, fellow dancers, judges, everyone. You’ve made a little girl’s dream come true. Thank you.”

I step back from the microphone and look out over the crowd. Trevor stands in the audience with other folks from the assorted Celebrity Dance Dare shows who are nominated in their respective creative categories. My family and many of the Devil Birds are up in the balcony, standing and clapping. They traveled early to LA to be here at the ceremony before their first preseason game against the Area 51 Aliens tomorrow night.

Later that night, Trevor and I lay in bed, my gown a bronze puddle on the floor in the moonlight. His fingertips trace hearts and other doodles on my arms. We’ve already made love twice—once against the wall and once in the shower. Trevor wanted to go for a third time in bed and get a “hat trick,” but he has a game tomorrow, so I told him to save the hat tricks for the ice.

“Sophie,” he whispers.

“Hmm?” I mumble sleepily.

“On New Year’s Eve, I was just looking for a pretty girl to kiss to keep my streak intact.”

I lift my head from where it’s resting on his chest, wondering where he’s going with this.

“Watching you slip away in the crowd after the best New Year’s kiss I’d ever had, I wished I’d gotten your name. I had no idea at the time I’d not only get your name, I’d get your heart too. And you have mine. I can’t wait to share a lifetime of New Year’s Eve kisses with you. And Christmas kisses. And you just won an award, and now we need a mantel even though the pool house doesn’t have a fireplace. I love you, Sophie Mackenzie. You danced into my life and stole my heart.”

“I love you too, Trevor Carter. I can’t give you an award for our future mantel, but how about we go for that hat trick?”

And that’s how the Carter-Mackenzie hat trick came to be.