Page 1 of Vengeful Union

1

LARA

My feet are killingme from all the dancing with Sutton, Sarah, and Rose. Time to try and sit down for a bit.

I head to the bridal table, grabbing my flute from the table where I set it down a couple of minutes ago.

“Lara Burke.” A deep, nasally voice from behind me freezes me in my tracks. “As I live and breathe.”

I turn around, plastering a smile on my face, sipping on my champagne. I don’t know if this is flute number five or number nine. I lost count a while ago.

“Hey.” I have no idea whose eyes I’m looking into.

The man is relatively handsome, tall and with an almost beer belly, but he has kind enough eyes and a broad brow. He’s a little older than I like them, older than my brother Gray. Since this is his wedding, it’s probably a long-lost relative of some kind.

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

“I’m sorry.” I wince, but he’s smiling.

He shrugs. “It’s okay, you were about twelve the last time I saw you. I’m Rowan Grant, one of Gray’s friends.”

It slowly dawns on me that Rowan is the tall, lanky, bad boy older friend that Gray had in high school. The one I’d had an enormous crush on.

My face burns. “Oh. Rowan, of course!”

He grins, and the ghost of the boy I’d been so obsessed with washes all over his face.

“It’s good to see you,” he murmurs. “You’re all grown up.”

“So are you.” My cheeks are scorching now.

I’m not like my sister Paige, bubbly and flirty, and I’m not sure how to handle this.

Fortunately for me, Declan comes over and throws an arm around my shoulder.

My brother looks to be a little tipsy, but that’s fair enough. He hasn’t done much drinking since Bree got pregnant just out of respect for her.

My brothers are good guys.

“Rowan. Remember when Lara used to follow you around on dates like a little weirdo?”

I take it back. My brothers are terrible.

“Declan,” I hiss and pull him away while Rowan just laughs.

I tug him toward his heavily pregnant wife, and she shakes her head as she sees us.

“What’d he do now? I can’t let him out of my sight when there’s champagne around.” She shakes her head.

Despite my humiliation, I can’t help but chuckle as I refill my flute.

Who would have thought Niall Murphy’s daughter would end up being my sister-in-law and one of my best friends?

“It's okay, no real damage done.”

Declan grabs her around her considerable waist, pulling her close and kissing her.

Bree squeals against his mouth, but then she laughs, and something like despair washes over me.

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