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I wait a moment, release Maeve, then turn to face him, sliding my hand around her waist. "Not at all. Let's get this show on the road."
2
Maeve
Father Michael turns toward Tynan and asks, "I'm assuming ya have rings?"
My heart aches thinking about Da not wearing his ring. I glance at my finger and can't help thinking about when Ma was alive and wore it.
Tears fill my eyes. Everything about this situation is wrong. Da's ring was never meant to be Tynan's. Da's sad eyes haunt me momentarily, but then anger fills me.
He sold me for his debt.
He didn't. It was my choice to marry Tynan instead of letting him kill Da.
I should've let him die. It'd serve him right.
How can I say that?
How many times have I had to risk my life or myself for him?
What am I saying? He's still my da. And he's an addict. I should have protected him.
"Take your ring off, lass," Tynan orders, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I swallow hard. My hand shakes as I try to remove it from my finger.
Tynan grasps my hand, studying me.
I take a deep breath, ignoring his stare, and manage to tug the ring off. I hand it to Father Michael.
Tynan hands him my father's band, and another pain shoots through me.
Father Michael curls his fingers around the gold and asks, "I suppose we should do a blessing for them...an extra one based on the circumstances."
"What circumstances?" Tynan questions.
Father Michael glances at me with pity in his eyes. "Lass, are ya sure you're here of your own free will?"
"For the last time, she wants to marry me. You're beating a dead horse," Tynan grumbles.
"I didn't ask ya, now did I? I asked the lass," Father Michael reprimands, then turns back to me. "You're choosing to marry this man?"
My heart pounds harder.
Who cares about my da?
I do.
Da's going to burn in hell for this.
I lift my chin. "I do. Can we get on with this?"
Father Michael's still unconvinced, but he opens his hand in front of us. The gold dances in the candlelight, and he prays, "Dear Father, please bless these rings and show them extra mercy. Amen."
Extra mercy?
I swallow hard, and my throat clicks from the dryness.
