Page 37 of Falling for the Bombshell (Falling for #1)

One Rainy, Miserable Start to Forever

They had waited months for this.

After too many nights sharing a childhood queen bed, tripping over work boots, Ember barking every time someone used the downstairs bathroom, and Daisy trying to herd every single person in the house like it was her divine mission—it was finally here. Move-in day.

Except…

It was pouring.

Not just drizzly or “ bring a hoodie” weather—no, this was full-on Montana monsoon energy, with wind that slapped sideways rain into their faces the second they stepped outside.

The grass was soaked, the cardboard boxes softened before they could even reach the tailgate, and Daisy refused to leave the dry spot under the porch.

“ This is the universe punishing us,” Linnie groaned, tugging the hood of Blaine ’ s hoodie over her hair. “ Probably for that shower.”

Blaine snorted. “ Hey, you didn ’ t complain at the time.”

“ Because I didn ’ t know your little sister would need therapy afterward!”

He wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. “ Therapy builds character. So does moving in the rain. Let ’ s go.”

The U-Haul sat in the driveway of their brand-new home: a cozy, fresh-built rancher with a dreamy porch swing already soaked from the storm.

A big backyard with half-sod-half-mud just waiting for Daisy to destroy.

And that scent of clean wood and new beginnings hung in the air the moment Linnie opened the front door.

“ Mud ’ s gonna be everywhere,” Blaine said, stepping inside with a box labeled Kitchen – Maybe Fragile?

“ Memories,” Linnie smiled, even as Ember skidded across the slick floor, trailing wet paw prints and howling like a war cry.

His parents came to help. Bria, to everyone ’ s surprise, even brought cookies (though she kept her eyes anywhere but on them). Her awkwardness had mostly faded, replaced by excited commentary on “ how cute the kitchen was” and “ how lucky they were to have a walk-in closet.”

“ Your dog just tried to eat my Croc,” Bria added, jumping back as

Daisy bounded through the hall with a squeaky toy bigger than her head. Hours passed in a blur of wet jeans, takeout pizza from Blaine ’ s favorite place in Lockwood, and laughter echoing off the bare walls. By sunset, the rain had lightened to a drizzle, and the last of the furniture was in.

“ Daisy,” Blaine said, drying her off with a towel, “ this is home now. No more moving. No more couches that aren ’ t ours. This porch swing is ours. That big kitchen? Ours.”

Linnie came over, fingers brushing his. “ Feels weird, doesn ’ t it?” “ In the best way,” he said, pulling her into his arms .

They stood under the covered porch, Emberlynn snoozing inside, Daisy watching squirrels from the doorway. The rain made the world soft and golden around them. They weren ’ t just starting a chapter.

They hadn ’ t even finished bringing everything in before Daisy squatted and let out the most massive puddle of pee right on the new carpet in the hallway.

Linnie stared in horror. “ How does something so cute pee that much?”

Blaine was already grabbing paper towels, gagging, laughing, and trying to contain the flood.

“ Welcome home,” he joked.

The first few weeks were chaotic in the best way.

They spent hours setting up the living room, arguing over furniture placement, and laughing through trial-and-error dinners.

Daisy chased Ember around the house like they ’ d been sisters forever.

When they weren ’ t working, Linnie and Blaine curled up together under fuzzy blankets, playing The Last of Us and Until Dawn on Blaine ’ s new PlayStation, yelling at jump scares and trying not to throw the controllers.

Linnie still made him drive all over Billings at night to catch rare Pokémon.

She ’ d even gotten Blaine to download the app again, and it became their favorite way to wind down after a long day— just the two of them and whatever gym raid popped up next.

Sundays? Those were reserved for Broncos football.

Blaine made it a tradition—pulling out his lucky Broncos hoodie, setting out snacks, and yelling at the TV like he was calling plays.

Linnie wore her oversized orange-and-blue crewneck and let Daisy wear her Broncos dog jersey.

Ember would curl up at their feet while they screamed at refs, cheered for touchdowns, and yelled over bad calls.

Win or lose, it was their team—and their time together.

September slipped past with football weekends, decorating the house for fall, and baking a ridiculous amount of cookies just because. October came and went with Halloween parties, trick-or- treaters at their new door, and Ember dressed as a cheerleader while Daisy rocked a rufforee.

By the time November rolled in, it was time for Blaine ’ s family ’ s annual Thanksgiving get-together.

His grandparents hosted every year, and it was the perfect chaos.

Linnie got tackled by Blaine ’ s younger cousins during a backyard football game, helped bake four pies, and even got caught in the classic family prank—when Grandpa turned his cheek for a kiss and whipped his head at the last second, landing her kiss square on the lips.

She turned beet red.

The entire family roared with laughter.

They made Black Friday an event. Linnie had mapped it out with military precision—Target, Best Buy, the mall, Costco.

Blaine pushed the cart while she loaded up deals and joked about who was going to survive the day.

They ended the night with hot chocolate, sore feet, and bags upon bags of everything from house supplies to

Christmas decorations.

But what Linnie didn ’ t know was Blaine had made one very important stop alone—at a small jewelry store downtown, where he picked out a ring that sparkled like nothing he ’ d ever seen.

He kept it hidden in his jacket pocket, then later, tucked in the sock drawer at home.

The house was finally starting to feel like theirs.

And now, Blaine was preparing to take the next step.

Forever.

The ring had been sitting in the sock drawer for two weeks now.

Blaine checked on it every night before bed like it might grow legs and run off.

It was a double halo emerald cut diamond—bold, timeless, and breathtaking.

Massive. When he first saw it under the jeweler's lights, he whispered, That's her. There was no question. He didn ’ t tell anyone. Not his mom, not Chase , not even Logan who would ’ ve driven all the way back from Bozeman just to be there.

This moment? It was his and Linnie ’ s. The world could wait.

They ’ d just finished decorating their first Christmas tree—real, slightly crooked, covered in mismatched ornaments and golden string lights.

Daisy kept trying to chew on the garland and Ember had already claimed the tree skirt as her throne.

Linnie had just changed into her cozy Broncos pajama pants and was sipping hot cocoa from a mug that said Let ’ s Get Lit in holiday lights font.

The fire was crackling. The snow had started falling.

And Blaine couldn ’ t wait anymore.

He stood up, fidgeted with the box in his hoodie pocket, heart hammering like game day. “ Hey,” he said softly.

Linnie looked up from the couch, eyes hazel-blue with those golden-green flecks dancing in the firelight. She smiled like she always did, like she had no idea her life was about to change.

“ I know we ’ ve done a lot this year,” he began. “ We ’ ve lived fast.

We ’ ve worked hard. We ’ ve gone through chaos and joy and ugly carpet pee. But I ’ ve never been more sure of anything in my life than I am about you.”

She blinked, already suspicious. “ What are you doing?”

He dropped to one knee.

“ Oh my God,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

“ I want every Sunday morning, every bad Broncos game, every midnight Pokémon drive, every messy, wild, beautiful part of life —with you. I want the fights and the make-ups, the dog hair on the couch, the burned dinners, the loud laughter. I want forever with you.”

He opened the box, and her hand flew to her mouth.

The ring caught the firelight like it was born from it—an emerald cut diamond, hugged by two sparkling halos and a delicate band that shimmered like snow. It looked massive in his hand, but he already knew it would look even more stunning on hers.

“ Linnie Rose, will you marry me?”

Tears spilled down her cheeks. “ Blaine, are you serious? This is really happening?”

He laughed, a little nervous, eyes shining. “ You gonna leave me hanging, or—?”

“ Yes!” she shouted, throwing herself into his arms.

The ring slid perfectly onto her finger, almost too big, almost too beautiful, like her hand was made to wear it. She held it up and gasped, the size of it making her laugh through her tears.

“ It ’ s so big,” she said, eyes wide. “ It ’ s… It ’ s so me .”

“ You ’ re the only one it was ever meant for,” he whispered, kissing her deeply.

Ember barked. Daisy rolled onto her back. Snow continued to fall quietly outside. And in their little living room, under twinkling lights and a slightly crooked Christmas tree, Blaine and Linnie began the rest of their forever .

The morning after the proposal, Linnie woke up with her hand still perched on her pillow, fingers splayed, just so she could see the ring first thing when she opened her eyes.

Blaine woke up grinning next to her, hair messy and face lit with the kind of sleepy joy that only came from the best kind of night.

“ Still real?” he asked, voice scratchy.

She held her hand higher. “ Still real.”

Their first stop was Blaine ’ s parents' house. Ember wore a tiny hoodie that said My humans are getting married, and Linnie couldn ’ t stop giggling every time she looked at Daisy, who had a pink ribbon tied around her tail like it was a party horn.

Blaine ’ s mom answered the door, mid-laugh from something Bria had said, and froze when she saw them.

Linnie held up her hand with a bashful grin. “ Surprise…”

Screams. Literal screams.

“ Oh my GOD,” his mom cried, rushing to grab Linnie ’ s hand. “ It ’ s huge! Oh, it ’ s stunning! Oh, Blaine, you didn ’ t!”

Bria screamed again, completely losing it as she grabbed Linnie into a jumping, bouncing hug. “ You ’ re gonna be my sister! I KNEW it! I told everyone! I told Blaine you were the one!”

Blaine ’ s dad gave him a classic dad clap on the back. “ Guess

you ’ re not just catching footballs anymore.”

Blaine just chuckled, wrapping an arm around Linnie and pulling her in tight. “ Only catching the best thing that ’ s ever happened to me.”

Later that afternoon, they drove across town to meet Linnie ’ s mom at Olive Garden—her choice, and a bit of a tradition whenever something big happened in their lives. Linnie was bouncing in her seat, her excitement somehow even bigger than the ring itself.

Summer was already waiting at a booth by the window, sipping an iced tea and flipping through a coupon flyer. She looked up and smiled when she saw them, though a little confused by the surprise meetup.

“ Okay, what ’ s going on?” she asked as they slid into the booth.

Linnie didn ’ t say a word—just raised her left hand with a grin stretching ear to ear.

Summer froze, squinted, then gasped so loudly the waiter turned around. “ No! Shut. UP!”

She flew out of her seat and wrapped Linnie in a hug so tight she nearly knocked the breadsticks off the table. “ My baby. My beautiful baby girl. You ’ re getting married. Oh honey, look at that ring!”

“ Pretty sure she ’ s going to need a wrist brace,” Blaine joked, reaching for a breadstick with his free hand.

Summer laughed through fresh tears, fanning her face with a napkin. “ You two are gonna drive each other nuts and love each other through it all. Just like it ’ s supposed to be.”

Over salad and too many breadsticks, they talked wedding colors, venue dreams, and how Ember and Daisy could be involved— flower pup and ring bearer, obviously.

Summer teared up again at least three more times, especially when Linnie mentioned DanWalt Gardens and her dream of a June evening ceremony.

By the time they left the restaurant, Summer had already started a group chat labeled “ Operation Wedding Magic,” and Linnie was floating.

Later that night, Blaine texted Logan a photo of Linnie holding her hand up next to his face with the ring catching the light like a full- blown galaxy.

Logan responded immediately: brO. I KNEW IT. You soft, football-playing romantic. Proud of you. Send me the invite or I ’ m crashing the honeymoon.

The ring sparkled on Linnie ’ s hand as they sat on the couch together that night, Blaine ’ s arm draped over her shoulders, Daisy curled at their feet, Ember snoring between them.

They had told their families.

And now, they were about to build one of their own.