“Now is fine.” Looking at the rings for Nick, Sam’s heart beat faster all of a sudden as it suddenly dawned on her that they were getting married. Saturday. “Oh, boy,” she said, perusing the choices. “They’re all beautiful.” Sam picked them up one-by-one and studied them closely. The first was made of brushed platinum with engraved edges. The second had two engraved circles in the middle, and the third was the brightest of the batch, also with engraved edges. “Which one best matches the one he chose for me?”

“Nice try, but you are not getting that out of me. They all match yours.”

“All right then, which one do you like best for him?”

“I like them all, or I wouldn’t have brought them to you.”

“Just for the record—you’re no help at all.”

Shelby giggled. “I beg to differ.”

Sam looked the rings over again and kept coming back to the first one—classic and elegant, but not flashy. Just like him. “This one.” She held it up for Shelby.

“Excellent. Now what would you like to have engraved inside?”

Sam blanched. “Engraved? I have to engrave something?”

“Well, it is customary.”

“What did he put in mine?”

Shelby rolled her eyes. “Stop asking me that stuff.”

Sam rested her hand on her weapon. “I could make you tell me.”

“No, you couldn’t.”

“You’re awful ballsy, Tinker Bell. I gotta give you that.”

“I have to be to manage you.”

A knock on the door interrupted them. “Unless you’re Stahl, enter.”

Freddie entered. “Definitely not Stahl.”

“What’s up, Cruz?”

“I can come back when you’re not busy.”

“Help me out here—what should I have engraved inside Nick’s ring?”

“You haven’t decided that yet?”

“Thank you,” Shelby said. “A man after my own heart.”

“You’re too old for him,” Sam said, earning a glare from Shelby. Returning her attention to Freddie, she handed him the ring she had chosen. “You like this one?”

He took it from her, examined it from every angle and held it up to the light. “Yep. That works.”

“So what do I put inside?”

Shelby reached into her bag and withdrew yet another piece of paper. “Here are some suggestions.”

Sam scanned the list and passed it to Freddie. “Nothing really jumps out at me.”

“Personally, I like ‘Someone to watch over me,’ because you certainly need that,” Freddie said, which got him a scowl from his boss and a snort from Shelby.

“If you don’t have anything productive to add, hit the road,” Sam said to her partner.

“I need to talk to you about Gardner when you’re free.”

“Give me five.”

“Good ring choice,” Freddie said on his way out. “Nick will like it.”

Shelby leaned in to whisper to Sam. “He hasn’t RSVP’d for the wedding yet.”

“Huh?”

Shelby shrugged.