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Nerves escalate in my chest. I push, "You can admit it."
He shakes his head, answering, "No, princess. You're the best I've ever had."
I scoff. "I'm sure that's not the case."
"Ya are, and you and I are going to get better with time."
"How do ya know?"
He wiggles his eyebrows, and tingles race down my spine. He's done it several times throughout the night. Every time he does, my body reacts the same. He answers, "Because I know these things."
I remain silent.
He leans back into my ear and says, "I'm sorry again. We'll do it right when we get to the hotel."
My butterflies take off again.
"In fact, let's get out of here now," he states and pulls me off the dance floor. He leads me toward the exit. We're almost there when he barks, "Goddammit!"
I turn toward the bar.
Men are shouting. My da's right in the middle of it, and he suddenly pumps his arm in the air when the horse crosses the line on the TV.
Dread fills me. He bet again. Someone gave him credit, and he placed bets.
Da cries out, "I won! I won!"
Tynan's face darkens. He steps inside the room. "I told ya to stop betting. You couldn't even do it for your daughter's wedding day."
"I won. Now I can buy her back," he shouts.
More embarrassment fills me as everyone stares at us.
Tynan's expression darkens further. He snarls, "Buy her back? I didn't buy your daughter. And is that what ya think ya can do? Win a bet and give me some money for her?"
Da puffs out his chest. "I won. I can buy her back."
"Da, stop," I say, hating all the eyes on us.
"You better watch your mouth, old man. You don't talk about my wife that way," Tynan warns.
Da continues, "Ya can have half of what I won. Now give me my daughter back."
Tynan declares, "She's my wife. She's mine. Not yours."
Da shakes his head, claiming, "She's not yours."
Tynan holds me tighter to him, asserting, "Maeve can choose. What do ya want to do, princess? Stay with him or go with me?"
It's like I'm suddenly paralyzed. I don't know what to do. I glance between Da and Tynan. Both men's expressions turn a little angrier.
"Tell him," Da says.
"Aye. Tell me," Tynan challenges.
The channel flips to darts, and a man cries out, "There ya go. Bullseye!"
Da's face jerks toward the screen. He tugs at his hair, whining, "No, no, no!"
