Page 111 of Lost Hours

She settled her head on his shoulder and the night sky lit up while a soft breeze blew over her. “I’ll have to revoke your deputy status now.”

“I expected nothing less, but tell me there are rights that come with being the sheriff’s first man.”

“Ah, Nolan.” She giggled. “I don’t think there are first ladies or first men that go with this elected position.”

“And here I was looking forward to putting on my tux over and over throughout the year and going to special events with you.”

“You couldn’t have been more sarcastic.”

“Oh, I could’ve been, but I wasn’t.” He laughed but then it stilled. “In all seriousness, Iamgoing to ask you to marry me. But not tonight. Not while we’re still fresh in the emotion of the shooting and all of that. But once that settles down, we’ll make things official.” He tipped her face up by the chin to look at him.

She swiveled and put her arms around his neck. “There’s nothing more that I want in this world, Nolan Orr, than to marry you and make up for all of those lost hours.”