Falling for ruben fallin.., p.28
Falling For Ruben (Falling Book 4), page 28
part #4 of Falling Series
He ties the scarf around my eyes and, after checking to see if I can see anything, he begins tugging me along with him somewhere.
We seem to be walking for ages, but it could just feel that way because I’m in darkness. I know we are walking up a gravel track, because I can feel the stones under my feet. It’s not very easy to walk on in heels - he could have warned me.
Eventually, he brings me to a stop.
“You ready?”
“Uh, I guess,” I say, but I have no idea what I’m about to be facing.
He pulls the scarf away and, after blinking against the bright sunlight, I see that I’m stood in front of the barn conversion I’ve been admiring for months on my daily runs.
“Why are we here?”
“Come on.” He grabs my hand and begins pulling me towards the front door.
I watch in horror as he opens the door and goes to walk inside.
“Ruben, you can’t just walk…oh,” I say, when the sight inside takes my breath away.
It’s as I imagined it would be. The downstairs is a massive open plan room, but it’s completely empty, apart from a huge bookcase next to the vast floor to ceiling windows. What really takes my breath away, though, is the number of roses of all colours filling the bare space.
“I don’t understand. Why have you brought me here?” I say, walking into the room behind him.
“I wanted to show you our house,” he says with a massive smile.
“Our house?” I repeat in disbelief.
“Yeah.”
“But…but is it even for sale?” I ask, completely bemused by this situation.
“No, it’s never been for sale. I’m the only one that’s ever owned it. Well, other than my parents.”
He must see the utter confusion on my face, because he goes on to explain.
“This field and barn was on their land. I bought it off them years ago, and I’ve been converting it ever since. I was planning on moving in when it was all done. But then I met you and discovered you loved it as much as me, so I got it to this point,” he says, gesturing around, “And stopped, because I thought you might want some input on it as well.”
“This is…yours? All of it?” I’m completely gobsmacked.
“Yeah,” he says with a laugh, “All of it. Well, actually, it can be ours. I have a key here for you.”
I watch as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key. He holds it out to me and when I hold my palm out, he gently places it down. I briefly look down at it, but something about Ruben makes me look up at him.
“What do you think?” he asks, nodding towards the key and making me look at it a little more closely this time.
My eyes go wide when I see what he’s really asking, and when he sees that I see it, he drops down to the floor.
On one knee.
Oh my God!
“Emma. I never thought that a serious girlfriend, let alone marriage, was in my future, but that was only because I hadn’t met you. Since the moment I looked into your eyes when I was in Australia, you captivated me, and I knew you were mine. You amaze me every day with your intelligence, creativity, kindness, strength and love. I never want to experience a time without you or those things in my life. Will you marry me?”
Tears are streaming down my face and my whole body is shaking at this very unexpected turn of events. Never in a million years did I see this coming. It’s so soon. We haven’t been together very long. But even knowing that, there is only ever going to be one answer.
Ruben can obviously see the thoughts running wild around my head, because he tries to reassure me, “I know it’s soon but I know that you are the one for me. We don’t have to get married anytime soon; we can have a long engagement. I just wanted you wearing my ring, and knowing that one day soon you will have my name as well.”
“It is soon,” I sob out, “But that doesn’t matter to me. I love you, Ruben, of course I’ll marry you.” I just about finish what I have to say before he is up off the floor and I’m in his arms as he spins me around the room. When he puts me back on my feet, he takes the key he gave me earlier from my hand, unclips the engagement ring that was hanging from it, and slides it on to my finger. I look down through my tear-filled eyes at the simple but perfect solitaire diamond on a platinum band. It’s perfect.
Once I’ve composed myself, Ruben asks if I want a tour. Does he even need to ask?
“This end is going to be the kitchen. I was thinking of units all around there, a breakfast bar here, as well as a dining table in that space over there, but if you think something different, then we can change it,” he says enthusiastically.
We walk through the space that is going to be the living room and over to the bookcase. It’s only now I realise there’s a book on it. And, of course, that one book is the one I sighed for Ruben weeks ago at the book signing. If it’s possible, my smile gets even wider looking at it.
“This bookcase is gorgeous,” I say, running my hand across the smooth, chunky wooden shelves.
“I made it for you.”
“Wow, it’s stunning, Ruben. You could make a fortune selling these.”
“Nah, that’s a one of a kind Foster special for my fiancée.” Butterflies erupt in my belly at hearing him call me his fiancée. It’s gonna take some getting used to. I’d barely got used to calling him my boyfriend.
The entire house is gorgeous, even half finished. The master bedroom has the same floor to ceiling windows that the living room has, showcasing the view. Waking up to that will be amazing.
I’m looking over the countryside beyond when something catches my eye and a thought hits me. “A while ago I was sat on that bench mid run, and I felt like I was being watched. I was being watched, wasn’t I?” I ask, but I really don’t need to. I know the answer.
I look over my shoulder at Ruben, who is completely ignoring the view and staring straight at me. His lips quirk up at the sides, and its all the confirmation I need.
“That’s how you found me on my birthday,” I state. I never really questioned how he knew where to find me, but it’s all become clear now.
He shows me what will soon be our en suite and dressing room, before going round the other rooms upstairs.
“I thought this could be a nursery,” Ruben says, when we are stood in the smallest of all the bedrooms next to the master.
“Whoa, one step at a time, Ru.”
“I know, I’m just thinking ahead.”
I love the look Ruben’s had on his face the whole time we’ve been here. It’s clear to see the pride oozing from him from what he has achieved here. He’s full of it, bouncing from room to room and telling me about all the work that has gone into turning the once dilapidated barn into a stunning family home.
And I have to say, I totally share his vision. I really can see us here, starting a family. My stomach flips in anticipation at the thought. How my life has changed in only a few weeks really of living here.
When I put that offer in on my cottage a few months ago, I did it with the intention of starting over, getting a new life for myself. Never in a million years did I think that I’d have that new life so quickly. Not only a new life, but new friends, and now a fiancé.
The thought of leaving my cottage saddens me, but at the same time, the excitement of being here with Ruben cancels it out. Plus, it’s still gonna be a while before we can move in.
* * *
Those aren’t all the surprises that are apparently planned for the day. Once Ruben has showed me every inch of our soon to be home, we head back to my cottage. I spend the entire journey staring at my hand in disbelief.
There are cars everywhere when we pull down my street. I recognise most of them, so it gives me a clue as to what I’m about to walk into.
We go around to the back door, but instead of going in, Ruben steers me to the garden, where all the people I’m expecting to see are stood in my garden with drinks in their hands.
My mum and dad come straight over to hug us both, before my mum demands to see my hand.
“You guys know?”
“Of course we do, angel. Ruben came to ask your dad’s permission.”
I look over at Ruben and I fall even more in love with him at his thoughtfulness. That would have made my dad’s day, being able to give him permission to marry me.
Once we’ve said hello to everyone and accepted their congratulations, Molly thrusts a laptop in my face. With all the proposal and house excitement, I’d almost forgotten about my book. She hits refresh on the screen, and I see twenty-five reviews, and when we go into them, they are nearly all 5* with a few 4* thrown in. I’m trying desperately hard to hold back the tears as I read through what everyone has said about my book. I’m completely overwhelmed.
Today is turning out to be the best day ever.
Molly takes the laptop back, just as Ruben comes walking over to me. “Babe, is there something you need to tell me?” he asks, looking a little pissed off.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Okay, so how about you explain to me why when I just put an old loo roll tube in the bin in the bathroom, I found this,” he says, pulling a positive pregnancy test from his pocket.
“What? That is not mine.”
“It’s not? So why is it in your bathroom?”
“No, it’s not mine, I’ve never peed on one of those in my life.” I break eye contact with him and look around all our family members in my garden. One person stands out to me, and she is sat at the garden table, looking a little green and sipping on lemonade with Lilly. “Connie,” I whisper to myself, forgetting that Ruben is in front of me.
“Connie?” he asks with wide eyes.
“I don’t know anything, I swear, but she’s been sick a lot lately.”
Ruben instantly starts marching in her direction, and I have to run to catch up with him. “Ruben, don’t,” I warn as he gets closer to her.
“We need to talk,” he growls at Connie, before grabbing her arm and dragging her inside.
“What are you doing?” she shouts at him, but he ignores her and continues pulling her towards the living room.
He sits her down on the sofa, then stands in front of her with his hands on his hips. “So, is it you? Are you?”
“Am I what?” she asks, but I can see the guilt shining through her eyes when she glances at me, pleading for help.
I put my hand on Ruben’s forearm in the hope of calming him down.
“Are. You. Pregnant. Connie?” he bites out.
Her eyes instantly fill with tears and she nods as they spill over her cheeks.
“Who’s the father?” he demands.
“Ruben, calm down, you’re scaring her. I’m sure she’ll tell us everything when she’s ready.”
“No, I want to know now. I want to know what fucking idiot has knocked her up. How could you be so fucking stupid, Con?”
Connie goes to say something but gets interrupted.
“Con, baby, what’s wrong?” Fin says softly around a mouthful of hotdog from the barbeque that my dad and Ruben’s are manning in the garden.
Connie and I watch as Ruben looks between her and Fin with a shocked look on his face, before he starts shaking his head. Connie starts to cry harder and Ruben has Fin pinned up against wall and has his fist in his face faster than either of us can move.
“RUBEN, NO,” Connie screams, as she leaps from the sofa.
Find out Connie and Fin’s history, as well as their future, in Falling for Fin, out now!
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Acknowledgments
I can’t believe I’m at the end of my fourth book in this series already. These four characters have been floating around in my head for so long, it feels amazing to put them out there. I’ve felt really apprehensive about Emma, because I feel she is so different to Molly, Ryan and their gang. She lives a much quieter life then Molly and Abbi, and I was worried she wouldn’t be as entertaining. I really hope you have loved her and her self-conscious, shy ways.
As always, I want to thank my husband for supporting me through this and listening to me talk all things books without looking too bored! Of course, my gorgeous baby girl, thank you for allowing me to write Emma while pregnant, and then to complete and get her ready for publishing once you arrived. You are the most amazing little person ever.
To Pam, again, for helping me with ideas, beta reading. I couldn’t do this without your support. Thank you.
To Evelyn at Pinpoint editing for proofreding Emma and polishing her up for me.
To Colleen and her reviewers and promotional team at Itsy Bitsy Book Bits. Thank you for everything you do to support and promote me – oh, and for making me cry while reading your reviews. It blows me away that you are writing those things about something I have written. And finally, to my Angels, thank you so much for all of your kind words, reviews, support, post sharing, pimping, and general awesomeness. You guys make me believe that I can actually do this.
About the Author
Tracy Lorraine is a M/F and M/M contemporary romance author. Tracy has just turned thirty and lives in a cute Cotswold village in England with her husband, baby girl and lovable but slightly crazy dog. Having always been a bookaholic with her head stuck in her Kindle, Tracy decided to try her hand at a story idea she dreamt up and hasn’t looked back since.
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Also by Tracy Lorraine
Falling Series
Falling for Ryan: Part One #1
Falling for Ryan: Part Two #2
Falling for Jax #3
Falling for Daniel (An Falling Series Novella)
Falling for Ruben #4
Falling for Fin #5
Falling for Lucas #6
Falling for Caleb #7
Falling for Declan #8
Falling For Liam #9 Coming Jan 2019
Chasing Series
Chasing Logan
Ruined Series
Ruined Plans #1
Ruined by Lies #2
Ruined Promises #3
Never Forget Series
Never Forget Him #1
Never Forget Us #2
Everywhere & Nowhere #3
The Cocktail Girls
His Manhattan
The Halloween Honeys
His Sorority Sweetheart
Second Helpings
Cheeky Trifle
Tracy Lorraine, Falling For Ruben (Falling Book 4)
