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Ruby and Chelsea watched as they shared an extended embrace. It was a touching moment, in the midst of a day chock-full of happy times. “I hope you continue to feel well,” Ruby said to Chelsea.
“Thanks. I’d love your help picking out baby clothes, if you’re ever up for more shopping.”
Ruby hugged Chelsea. “Sounds great. Text me.”
Heath and Ruby stood in the driveway and watched as his brother and Chelsea drove away. Then they headed back inside. Now that everyone had gone, Ruby wanted a chance to bring something up with Heath, but she was a little nervous about it. He’d been so stressed about today. Unveiling the riding center had been a massive undertaking, right on the heels of building it. Maybe it wasn’t best to put a big question in his lap. Would he think it was too soon? Would he think she was moving too fast? “Hey, Heath. I was thinking about something,” she said as they walked into the kitchen.
“Oh, no. Not that.” He reined her in with his strong arms, the one place she always wanted to be.
“Stop joking around. I’m serious.”
He adopted a far more stern look on his face. His forehead wrinkled with concern. “Okay. Go.”
“Well, I can’t stop thinking about what Nolan and Chelsea said. That the contractor can’t start on their house yet. With the baby coming, I know that’s got to be incredibly stressful for Chelsea. And let’s face it, even if they broke ground today, there’s no way a custom home is going to be ready to move into in six months. You had to move heaven and earth to get the riding center built in that time, and that didn’t require everything a home will.”
“Right. And it’s pretty clear that she hates the idea of having to move back home with her parents.” Heath pressed his lips together tightly. “I was thinking about suggesting that they come and live here, but I wanted to talk to you about it first. I wouldn’t want to make a decision like that without you.”
“Well, I actually had a different idea. What if we let Nolan and Chelsea move into my house? It’s completely finished and the perfect size for a young family. They could set up a real nursery and have their own space.”
A deep crease formed between Heath’s eyes. “So you’re saying you want to move in here?”
Ruby was confounded by his tone. It was so stern. “I am. But hold on. What did you mean when you said that you wouldn’t want to invite them to live here without talking to me first? It’s your house.”
Heath pinched the bridge of his nose. “I should know better than to plan anything. It never works out exactly the way I want it to.” He started for the living room. “Come on.”
“Heath. What is going on?” she asked, shuffling after him. “Are you angry? Are you upset with me?”
He stopped in front of the entertainment center, but didn’t turn back to her. “No. Quite the contrary. But I need you to stop talking and close your eyes.”
“Now I’m super confused.”
“Like I said, no talking.”
“Okay. My lips are sealed.” Ruby stood as still as a statue, unsure what he was doing, but trusting that there was a reason behind his strange behavior.
“Okay,” Heath said. His voice was inches away. “Open your eyes.”
Ruby gasped. There before her was Heath on bended knee with a small box from a jewelry store in his hand. “Heath. Is this why you’ve been acting so antsy today?”
“Yes. The stuff with the riding center was fine. This was the real thing I was nervous about.” He smiled and encouraged her with a nod of his head. “Please. Open it.”
She took the box from his hands and popped it open. Inside was a beautiful solitaire diamond, surrounded by rubies, in a platinum setting. It was so beautiful, she couldn’t even touch it. Nor did she know what to say.
“I don’t just want you to think about moving in, Ruby. I want to know if you’ll marry me.”
She blinked at him as tears started to roll down her cheeks. “I...I...” No matter how hard she tried, the words would not come out.
“Hold on. I just want to say one more thing.”
“Before you do that, will you please stand up?”
“I thought you’d never ask. These floors are murder on my knee.” He straightened to his full height and gathered himself, then took her hand. “Today was a chance for me to honor two very important women in my life. But I’m hoping that you’ll become the most important woman in my world. My wife. Will you marry me?”
She nodded so many times she was surprised she wasn’t flinging tears all over the room. With one hand, she took the box with the ring in it, and with the other, she clasped the side of his head and brought his lips to hers. “I love you so much, Heath. Of course I will marry you. I can’t wait to marry you.”
He took the ring from the box and slid it onto her hand. She wiggled her fingers, watching the beautiful stones catch the light. “I not only went with rubies because of your name, but you also told me you were a nerd for rocks. These are the best rocks I could find.”
She giggled so hard she nearly couldn’t stop. “You can be a real goof, Heath. And I love you for it.”
