Page 31 of The Sheriff & the Nurse

They pulled into Kalispell at six-thirty.

“We made good time,” Clint said.

“Well, you drive like a bat out of heck,” she tried to tease to break the tension.

“Sheriff’s truck.” He smirked. “Can’t get a ticket.”

“Abusing your power. I’m so disappointed.” She was only disappointed that he didn’t love her.

He chuckled.

His soft laugh helped her relax. It wasn’t Clint’s fault he didn’t return her feelings. It was his fault he’d made moves onher, but maybe he was lonely and simply in need of someone to hug and kiss.

Blech! She loathed that thought. She wanted to be special to him.

He parked in the main hospital parking lot. It was quiet this early in the morning. Most emergencies happened from two to ten p.m. and the doctor’s office hours would start around eight a.m.

Jumping out of the truck, Clint put his hat on and strutted around the front. Lily couldn’t peel her eyes away. No matter if he didn’t want her, hewasthe walking billboard of cowboy manly heroism. Sheesh, the man could strut well. And she knew Clint. He wasn’t even trying to put on a show for her.

He opened her door and lifted his hand to help her out. Lily jumped out without taking it. She rammed into him.

“Whoa now.” He put his arm around her lower back and grinned down at her, his face crinkling in that irresistible way he had. “You all right?”

“Fine.” She forced herself to step back. Her body tried to rebel against her mind, but sanity won out. She bumped into the truck seat.

Clint pulled the listening device out of his pocket and messed with it, as if her stepping away hadn’t bothered him a bit. He slid the small round piece of metal into the pocket of her scrubs top. His fingers brushed her collarbone, and she trembled.

“Okay. It’s on. It will record everything you say until we turn it off. I have an app on my phone that will let me listen in.” Clint was all business, which made sense as he was only doing all of this because it was his stupid job. “You have a great day, and know I’ll be right here waiting if you have any trouble.” He stepped back.

She nodded and went to move around him.

His husky voice stopped her. “Lily.”

“Yes?” She pivoted, steeling herself not to react to his magnetism. He was acting unaffected; she could attempt to do the same.

“Do nurses wear wedding rings or bands?” He shifted from foot to foot and Lily realized … he looked nervous. She didn’t know that she’d ever seen Clint nervous.

“Some do. Not a diamond that sticks up but a flat band. A lot of them wear rubber bands.”

“I wanted you to … look engaged so nobody messes with you.”

She blinked at him. What was he saying?

He pulled a ring out of the pocket he’d had the listening device in. It was a flat white gold band with inlaid diamonds. The square diamonds caught the early morning sunshine, sparkling like nobody’s business. The ring took her breath away, especially held in Clint’s strong, capable, manly fingers.

“Clint?” she managed, swaying on her feet.

“If you would, Lily … I’d like you to wear this wedding band.” He gave her his irresistible smile. “Let all those punks who are flirting with you know you’re taken.”

“Where did you get this?” She was having a hard time catching a breath as she looked from the beautiful ring to Clint’s handsome face and back again. She felt like a bobble head.

His smile dropped. “I bought it for Sheryl so she could wear it instead of the big diamond when she was teaching school or working out. Needless to say, I never gave it to her.”

“I’m sorry.” She should be appalled that he was trying to give her a ring he’d bought for his ex-fiancée, but she wanted to wear it, wanted to pretend she belonged to Clint, even if it could never be true.

“Not your fault.” He looked away.

Other nurses were pulling in for the seven o’clock shift. A couple cast glances their way. She needed to go face this day.Knowing he’d be here waiting for her and listening in helped strengthen her.

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