Page 129 of Vengeful Union

“What’d he say?” She drags me to the car.

“He was very intimidating.” I laugh, but I don’t unlock the car.

She tries the handle and then frowns up at me, her mouth in a little pout.

There’s no one else in the parking lot. We’re alone, under a big yellow streetlight, and it illuminates her features.

She’s so beautiful it makes my chest hurt.

“I wanted to ask you something.”

Lara takes a couple of steps toward me, clearly worried.

“What is it? Whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”

I drop down on one knee, and her green eyes widen. “You already have the ring, honey, but I wanted to ask you for real. Will you marry me? For real and forever?”

Lara’s eyes swim with tears, and she throws her arms around me, nearly knocking me over.

I groan and laugh at the same time, kissing along the side of her face as she sniffles and sobs.

“I always wanted a big proposal. Always wanted it done in front of my friends and family, but, Rory... Rory, this wasperfect.”

“Yeah? That’s good, because I only planned it for about thirty seconds.”

She laughs and stands up straight, and I kiss her soundly before opening the door of the car for her, and she slides inside, smiling at me dreamily all the way home.

It’s the best way this horrible ordeal could end.

Chapter Thirty-Five

35

LARA

Raquel adjustsher suit as the makeup artist finishes up my face. I’ve asked for full glam, unlike my normal natural makeup. I want to knock Rory’s socks off.

“Are you nervous?”

“Oddly enough, yeah. A little.” I twist a curl around my finger.

The hairstylist left my hair down, with ringlets framing my face.

“Don’t mess with it,” Paige snaps, waddling over to scold me.

I would laugh and tell her she looks like a duck, but she’ll probably bite my head off. She’s been sogrumpythrough the last few weeks of her pregnancy.

“Well, there’s no reason to be nervous,” Raquel says, and I turn to smile at her. “Rory’s gonna love how pretty you look.”

I pick at the bodice of my dress.

I’m wearing Ma’s wedding dress. We were both tall and trim, so it only had to be altered mildly. It’s the most beautiful dress I’veever seen, small sequins littering the bodice and a big hoop skirt. I love the way I can sway in it and feel like I’m a bell.

I let out a long breath as Paige and Raquel make their way down the aisle to stand next to Bree and my other bridesmaids. I watch as the double doors close behind them.

We’ve chosen a venue downtown for the wedding, an old speak-easy that was built at the turn of the twentieth century. It’s decked out with my favorite flowers–lilies and roses, all picked from Rory’s mother’s greenhouse.

Rory decided to stay in the mansion after he inherited the estate and the money. Everything else, he handed over to Bree. He was looking for an accountant position in town.

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