Spacetime Continuum & Gravity

If gravity fails due to the sun not being present in the space time continuum and that would create a ripple much like throwing a rock into a pond how would that ripple send planet earth off course imagine a boat in the water or a raft it surfs the wave or ripple and the ripple just travels under the object the planet stays in its course like a boat would. Also if you have the sun weighing down on that point ant the earth and planets are surfing those curves what keeps the planets from just sliding into the sun so shouldn't the planets be traveling closer to the sun.