Page 106 of Go Cook Yourself

“Have you heard from him?” Liz asks.

As much as she couldn’t stand the guy and told him to “go ‘cook’ himself,” she told me during one Cloud Burst that she wanted him to change his ways rather than suffer forever. Then Iain called her a liar and it ended in a jovial argument. That’s how most Cloud Bursts end. I love them.

“Yeah,” Flora replies, bending down to stroke Cookie. “He’s travelling. He messaged me before he left for a monastery in Thailand. He’s trying to find himself and work on not being the bad guy in every story. We’ll see. He said he was proud of me. He knows I was shadowing Ruby and that I’ll run the children’s parties and cookery school with Amber.”

Liz hugs Flora. “As he should be. We’re all proud of you. You’ve made such a difference already, and there’s so much potential for other things, too.”

Flora’s grin reminds me of the day I first complimented her. She didn’t have enough positive role models until this last year. She’s doing great things, although she confessed to me privately that she’s still not found her passion.

I glance around the room. The family and workers surround me. Now’s the moment.

“Ready?” Kalen asks. I nod at him and tip my head to Jem, who points at Iain and nods. All the Cloud men have helped me with this.

Iain hits the fairy lights, and Jem turns off the main ones. Flora passes me the dessert I prepared that morning.

Ruby catches the movement. Her brows are low in a glare.

“Rubes,” I say, getting on one knee. Everyone turns to stare. There are gasps and smiles, but all I see is the beauty in front of me. “From the moment I first saw your bleeding hand and nearly lost my shit–”

“Nearly?” Ruby cuts in.

“Shush, Ruby,” Liz says. “Let him do this.”

“You shush,” Iain says.

I raise my hand before it descends into another family tussle.

“From that moment, I had to know more about you. Every second I’ve spent with you since has shown me that I was missing significant light from my life. You brought this cheeky sunshine that I needed and wanted. No matter what happens, whether we’re a success or if I end up in another God-awful bedsit, I want you with me. Every cloud does have a silver lining, and you were mine at a time in my life when I thought I’d never see sunshine again.”

Liz bends and stares at me. “I think you’ll find we were all that silver lining, Garett.”

“Mum, let him finish,” Jem crows.

“Your whole family changed my life. This means that there is no chance for me to get rid of them. But I love them nearly as much as I love and adore you.”

Iain makes a happy sigh.

“I’m saying, Rubes, will you eat my pudding? I made this crème brûlée just for you. It’s called the Ruby Red.” She eyes me suspiciously as she takes the teaspoon I offer her. “It’s raspberry and white chocolate, but with one special secret ingredient.”

“I’ll never say no to one of your desserts, although can you not say ‘eat my pudding’ in front of my family because it gives me filthy ideas?”

“Ruby,” Iain warns, and Amber laughs.

She cracks the sugar topping in one go—the spoon clinks against something.

“What did you do, Garett?” she asks, but she’s struggling not to turn those beautiful lips into a smile. Using the end of the spoon, she hooks a silver ring that sparkles with rubies. “My grandma’s?”

I nod. “She’ll always be with us, and I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet her, but this family is as much a part of our future as they are your past. I’m saying, Ruby, will you marry me?”

“I feel we should have given some sort of blessing,” Liz comments.

“I already gave it,” Iain replied.

“But he didn’t ask me.”

“Or me,” Amber adds.

“I’m sorry, Liz and everyone,” I say, although my focus is on Ruby, who still hasn’t answered. Not that her family give her space to. “Can I have everyone’s blessing as I know I’m never getting away from you?”

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