Page 32 of The Sheriff & the Nurse

“I’d better go.”

He nodded and held the ring up. It sparkled and shone and begged her to put it on. “Will you please wear this?” he asked in a husky tone that sent shivers through her. “I want you …”

Lily’s heart thumped out of control. He wanted her?

He swallowed and started again. “I want you to be safe and everyone to believe you’re taken.”

It wasn’t quite as romantic as him wanting her, but she wanted to be ‘taken’. By him. Not by Walker or Miles or anyone else. How could she tell him that when last night he’d all but acquiesced her to Walker?

“Okay,” she managed, holding up her left hand.

Clint gently slid the ring onto her third finger. It fit. She loved the way it looked. Clint didn’t release her hand. He lifted her fingers to his lips and pressed a heated kiss to the skin right below the ring.

Lily trembled at the tender kiss. So atypical of the tough, untouchable sheriff. She loved him. Every side of him. Every part of him.

And he hadn’t even fought for her last night.

“It looks amazing,” he said.

She swallowed. It did.

He still didn’t release her hand. His blue eyes studied her and made her feel like this was a meaningful moment for him as well.

“Can I bring you lunch in?” he asked.

She blinked at the subject change. “Sure. I’ll text you when I know when my lunch break is. Depends on how busy labor and delivery is today.”

“All right.”

He still didn’t release her hand, and against all that was smart for her heart, she didn’t want him to.

“Stay safe. If you feel in danger at all, I want you to say a code word and I’ll be there.”

She swallowed. How could he appear like the most protective and enticing man on earth, and not want to be her man?

“Okay. What’s the code word?”

“Hot sheriff,” he said, smirking at her and squeezing her hand gently.

“Oh boy. Are you serious? So if I’m in danger I’m going to naturally say ‘hot sheriff’?”

“Good point.” He chuckled. “Actually, I think you could work it in.” His look became smoldering. “You can threaten any punk with, ‘Did you know I’m engaged to the hot sheriff? He will disseminate you if you touch me, flirt with me, or even look at me in a way that makes me uncomfortable.’”

She wanted to melt into him. “You’ve thought about this code word situation.”

His grin should’ve been illegal. “I’ve thought about you, Lily.”

Lily was at a loss. When had he thought about her? If that was true, how could he simply tell his brother he’d step away from her so Walker could date her? She was confused; she needed space to think.

“I have to go.” She tugged her hand free.

He nodded and pivoted with her as she walked away. She was halfway through the parking lot when she looked back. He leaned back against the truck, his ankles crossed, and he was watching her. He looked like the stationary billboard of manly cowboy heroism. But Clint was so much more than that for her.

Lily tried to focus. It took more than a few minutes to calm down and not think about Clint or everything she said being recorded or when Dr. Hampshire might try to corner her.

It was a busy morning, which helped immensely. Three scheduled inductions and four moms in the process of delivery who had come in during the night. A few of the nurses noticedher ring when she was washing up, putting gloves on, or taking them off. They asked her about it, but there wasn’t much time to answer questions about her fiancé.

She worked with Jacob as he administered epidurals to three different moms. He didn’t say anything about her ring, flirting with her like usual. She was friendly but tried to discourage him with her responses.

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