First thing...Kudos for wanting to buy your lady the means to defend herself! Wish more husbands, boyfriends/partners would do the same...
Good advice above, and I just want to pile on...
Take her to a gun show...Make it clear to her you want to buy her a handgun as a present...
You’ll find every possible handgun available there...Let her “try on” every handgun there, and make up her own mind...
Like a pair of shoes, she won’t necessarily like or want what you might choose, and that’s OK...A personal weapon is by definition, a personal choice...
Then up front, or (discreetly) give her the money to buy it and let her complete the paperwork and background check, and make the purchase; or reimburse her for the cost later on so as to avoid any possible appearance of a “straw purchase”...
And one other suggestion...How about a gift certificate for some firearms training if she is not already well trained?...Or a case of ammo in her caliber so she can practice?
Great suggestions from you.....but remember; she is already very highly trained (a TRUE professional armed security officer/supervisor/trainer; not some dimwit “rent-a-cop”).
She also has a CCW, so she can buy any and as many handguns/rifles as she wants under NC law. No background checks.