by Caroline Lee
That sounded like a lot of fun, actually. Lin shoved another one in her mouth—these things were delicious! Brandon used more ginger than Mr. Lee did, and she thought she liked this new version better. Judging from how many were ordered tonight, the patrons liked them too!
“You know,” Brandon said thoughtfully as he watched her eat, “until I explained it all, I didn’t realize how many of our traditions are about gaining fortune.”
Lin shrugged while she swallowed. It made sense to her—he always seemed to be talking about luck. “That’s how you end up with two people like us hooking up. My lucky green eyes and your ‘4CHIN8’ license plate.”
“Yeah,” he murmured, almost distractedly, while he stared at her.
“You know…” She pointed a chopstick at him again, pleased she could find some use for the ridiculous implement. “You’re teaching me stuff again. I learn so much from you. ‘S why I love you.”
“What’s going to happen when I teach you everything I know about Chinese food?”
She shrugged. “You’ll have to learn something new to teach me.”
“Well, I love you because I’m always learning stuff from you.”
Really? Both of her brows went up. “Like what?”
He reached across the table and took a hold of her free hand. “You taught me how to love someone else. You taught me how to face the future I wanted.” His smile seemed a little weak. “And you taught me all about the restaurant business!”
Lin’s throat went dry, thinking of the envelope she was carrying in her pocket for him. “Yeah…” Her voice cracked and she had to clear her throat. “About that…”
He didn’t say anything, but his grip on her hand tightened, and his eyes held a strange combination of fear and hope. She swallowed again, desperate to make her voice work.
“You know how you taught me all about the lucky red envelopes?” She fumbled for the pocket of her jeans.
“Everything’s lucky, seems like,” he joked.
“Yeah, well…” She pulled out the thick envelope and placed it on the table between them, pushing her plate of food out of the way. “I made one for you.”
He was staring at it like he’d seen a ghost, eyes wide and his breathing shallow. “That’s not money, is it?”
“No,” she whispered, squeezing his hand.
The little red and gold envelope blinked innocuously up at them, but Lin could feel its pull. Two days ago, he’d used a fortune cookie to tell her how he felt—although it took a few tries. Today, this little red envelope could change everything about their relationship.
Finally, the fingers of his free hand twitched towards the envelope, and panic hit her. What if he didn’t like her offer? What if—
She cut off the worry with a sudden and extra-tight squeeze of his hand. “I love you,” she blurted out.
He met her eyes and slowly nodded. “I love you too.”
When he exhaled, some of her panic receded, and she nodded as well. Okay, she was ready for this. She nodded again.
He released her hand, and reached for the envelope. When he picked it up, she realized she was holding her breath again, but couldn’t make herself stop.
“What is this?” he asked quietly, pulling out the paper she’d folded so many times to make it small enough to fit inside the envelope.
She had to swallow to make her voice work. “Read it.”
He unfolded it, and she watched his eyes skim across the paper. She knew what it said, because she’d written it with Mr. Lee’s advice and blessing.
Finally, he looked up and met her eyes. “Lin…?” he asked hoarsely. “Are you offering me a job?”
Was he happy? Sorry? Embarrassed for her? Lin hurried to explain. “You don’t have to take it. I know you love your work, but you seemed so happy here, in the restaurant business.” She took a deep breath. “And I know your family is in California, so I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay, but if you did, if there was any reason you wanted to stay here in Riston, I thought that maybe you’d like to know that you had a job if you wanted one, and I asked Mr. Lee what he thought, and it was his idea to offer you the position of head chef, honestly, because he needs a chance to rest and recuperate, so it’d be under his supervision, but you’d have the opportunity to do all the improvements and the new menu you were talking about, but only if you wanted to, and only if you thought that maybe you could stand living here in Riston—with me—and—oh my gosh—I’m making a total mess of this, aren’t I?”
Somewhere along the way his face had split into a grin, and she wasn’t sure if he was pleased, or if he was laughing at her run-on-sentences.
He reached across the table and placed his hand on her arm. “Breathe, Lin.”
Seems like good advice. So she did. And again, until she felt normal, and the blackness at the corner of her vision—brought on by oxygen deprivation and panic—receded.
“Thank you for this.” He jiggled the letter slightly. “This is…incredible. I guess I was kinda hoping something like this might be in my future…”
When he trailed off, Lin’s eyes grew round. “You did?”
He dropped the letter to fumble in his own pocket. “You know how they say great minds think alike?”
Lin sucked in a startled gasp when she saw that he held a little red envelope, stuffed thick with something.
“I’m assuming that’s not money, right?” she repeated his question in a whisper, amazed they’d had the same thought.
“No,” he responded seriously, “And you can see why I was so surprised when you pulled out yours.” He handed her the little red envelope.
Lin hurried to open it, and wasn’t too surprised to see a folded-up piece of paper inside. It was a letter, sorta.
Her eyes skimmed the printout of the email, addressed to what looked to be Brandon’s boss.
…appreciation for everything the company has offered me…
…chance to follow my dream…
…best wishes for many successful projects in the future…
…always hold these friendships dear, but must take charge of my own fortune…
“Brandon?” she asked, looking up at him, the paper shaking in her hands. “What is this?”
He cleared his throat, but didn’t drop her gaze. “It’s my letter of resignation, Lin. To my boss. I loved my job, yeah. But when I met you, and saw the life I could be living, I realized what I loved more.”
“So you quit?” she asked in a whisper.
“Yes.” He brandished her offer letter. “And I’m accepting a far superior job offer, as far as I’m concerned.”
His surety filled her, starting in her belly and up into her chest, then her throat, before finally bursting out of her mouth with a laugh, and she found herself standing, as if she was so light and buoyant she couldn’t stay down.
Still laughing, she threw herself at him, and between one heartbeat and the next, was wrapped in his arms and seated in his lap.
“Oh, Brandon,” she said, “I’ve never looked forward to new-hire paperwork quite so much!”
“And how about you?” he asked, chuckling. “Are you going to be my new boss, or a coworker?”
Remembering the wonderfully sweet things a terribly intent Mr. Lee had said yesterday after Brandon had left them in the hospital, Lin blushed. “Apparently I’m not just a manager, but part owner of The Golden Palace. GungGung is having the legal documents written up.”
“Yes!” He pumped his fist beside her. “I was hoping he’d come to understand how important you are.”
“I am?” She nestled against him.
“You are,” he whispered, staring down at her. “To the restaurant. And to Mr. Lee. And to me. And to our future together.”
She sighed happily, just as he kissed her.
And it was really quite a lovely kiss, all things considered.
Gung hay fat choy!
EPILOGUE
“A little left. More left. More. More. Too far! G
o right again.”
Brandon smothered a snort of laughter against his shoulder, and followed Mr. Lee’s instructions. “Like this?”
“It is…” The old man stepped backwards off the curb—looking both ways first, thank goodness—and cocked his head to get a better angle. “Acceptable. You may hang it up.”
Brandon exchanged a look with Lin, which told him they were both moments away from breaking into uncontrollable laughter. Instead, they both pressed their lips together and turned back to their task, securing the banner above the door to the restaurant.
Grand Re-Opening! New Menu!
Lin had arranged the banner from the same place that had printed all of their Chinese New Year promotional stuff the month before. As Brandon climbed off the stepladder and stepped back, he had to admit it looked pretty good. Well, that, and the fact Lin was up there too.
Grinning, he hurried over to help her down from the ladder, liking the way her waist felt in his hands. So far this whole “manager and chef” thing was working pretty well, as long as she was willing to date him on their days off…but he was pretty sure he was either going to have to do something drastic, like leave town, or something even more drastic…
Like marry the woman.
“Good job, boss,” he murmured in her ear as he lowered her to the ground, and was gratified when she giggled in agreement.
“I’m just glad you were able to take off those bulky gloves to manage the hammer and nails, without your fingers falling off from frostbite,” she teased.
Brandon nodded and glanced down at his hands, which miraculously seemed still-whole. In the last few weeks, since moving permanently to Riston, the cold didn’t seem quite so bad, and he was even able to go out with only one scarf, now. Maybe it was because it was getting closer to spring. Maybe his blood was acclimating to the Idaho winters. Or maybe it was because he had plenty of thoughts of Lin to keep him warm.
“Hey.” She poked him in the side. “You okay?”
He started. “Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about…stuff.”
“Stuff?”
He chuckled and scooped her into a hug. “About how lucky I am, mainly.”
She nodded seriously and pointed up to the big sign above their heads, above the banner. “I’d say you’re quite fortunate.”
When Mr. Lee came back to work after his stay in the hospital, he’d not only followed through on his promise to make Lin half owner, but they’d changed the name of the restaurant to reflect Brandon’s involvement. Riston’s new Chinese restaurant was now called Golden Fortune, and everyone agreed it was perfect.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about that.” Brandon rubbed his cold nose against her soft hair. “About being fortunate.” He’d even gotten his car registered in Idaho with the tag 4CHIN8, which to no one’s surprise hadn’t already been taken.
“Hmmm?”
“Well, being here in Riston, finding a Chinese girl with green eyes…I got really lucky. PohPo used to tease me that everything I got was ‘for-Chin,’ and that feels right in this case.”
Her arms snaked around his middle and she pulled him closer. “I agree. And I think I’m really fortunate too.”
“Because you found me?” he teased.
“Because I found you. I fell in love with a wonderful man. But more than that, you helped me discover a part of myself—my heritage—I didn’t know. And you helped me find a place here at the restaurant—a permanent place where I’m even more invested to succeed.” She peeked around Brandon’s shoulder to where Mr. Lee was still standing in the street, using his hands to judge if the banner was level. “I found a whole ‘nother family.”
Brandon squeezed. “So you’re saying you’ve found some ‘for-Chin’ too, huh?”
She giggled against his shoulder, but didn’t answer.
He swallowed, his heart suddenly pounding. This was something he’d been thinking about, but had been waiting for the perfect time. Only, standing here in the snow outside their restaurant—because, yeah, this was their restaurant and their future—stealing a few moments together before work called them back into their shared dream…
This suddenly seemed like the perfect time.
“Then how about we make it official?” he whispered.
She straightened just enough to meet his eyes. “What do you mean?”
Brandon swallowed. This was a lot harder to say while those lovely green eyes were staring up at him. “I mean…how about we make you a Chin too?”
She suddenly went really still. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, if you were willing to marry me, and take my name, you’d be a Chin too. Then the restaurant would really be Golden Fortune, and we could be lucky together.”
Lin burst into laughter, which wasn’t encouraging, all things considered.
“What?” he asked defensively.
She was still laughing, burying her head against his shoulder to try to calm herself. “That’s how you propose?” she teased through her laughter. “You think we should get married just so I can have your last name and wordplay everything?”
When she said it like that, it did sound pretty silly. He began to laugh too, and picked her up off the ground. Her laughter cut off with a squeal, and she wiggled in his grasp.
“Sorry, honey.” He apologized by kissing her forehead. “But marrying me would be more than just gaining my last name. I want to share everything with you—our fortunes, yes, but also hardships. I want to work hard with you, I want to celebrate successes with you…I want to make our own fortune. I love you, Lin.”
Her gaze softened. “I love you too, Brandon.”
“Oh, kiss him already!”
From behind, Mr. Lee’s caustic voice surprised Brandon enough to drop Lin to her feet.
“GungGung,” Lin said sternly, still looking up at Brandon, “I’m working on it. It’s not every day a girl gets proposed to, is it?”
The old man whooped in excitement. “Say yes! Year of the Dog is very lucky year for marriage!”
Brandon nodded seriously down at her, trying to maintain a somber expression. “He’s right, you know. Very lucky year.”
She snorted with laughter. “Every year is lucky, as far as you’re concerned.”
He lost his battle, and burst into chuckles again, then pulled her close once more. “Every year is lucky, as long as I’ll be with you!”
“I guess that means we have to get married, huh?”
“I guess so,” he said, still chuckling.
“Then yes, yes. Let’s get married!”
Brandon’s heart leapt at her easy acceptance, and he was pulling her closer to seal the bargain, when from behind him he heard, “Just kiss her already!”
“Yes, Grandfather,” they both murmured, right before their lips met.
Fortunate, indeed.
What is up with Toni? Is she ever going to find someone to kiss over there in the Baltic? Do cowgirls really get to date princes? You’ll find out in the first book of an exciting new series: The Bodyguard’s Prince, coming April 27th. Click here to preorder Toni’s story!
Recipes
Don’t tell me you’re not hungry right now. Right?
When I became part of the FamiLee, I was introduced to this whole new world of culinary delights. The food that Brandon shares with Lin is some of my favorite—sweet walnut shrimp especially!—but dim sum holds a special place in my heart. My kids learned from a young age the delights of a weekend dim sum meal, and know how to order their favorites…and as a family, we love baked char siu bao. So much so that when our local restaurant quit making them, I learned how to. This recipe is courtesy of The Woks of Life, and is the most authentic one I’ve found.
The bread:
2/3 cup (158 ml) heavy cream (at room temperature)
1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon (total 250 ml) milk (at room temperature)
1 large egg (at room temperature)
1/3 cup (115 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (about 7
0 grams) cake flour, tap measuring cup to avoid air pockets
3 1/2 cups (about 500 grams) bread flour, tap measuring cut to avoid air pockets
1 tablespoon (11 grams) active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 grams) salt
Egg wash: whisk together 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water
Simple syrup (optional): 2 teaspoons of sugar dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the ingredients in the following order: heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt. Use the dough hook attachment, and turn on the mixer to “stir.” Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together. If you’re in a humid climate and the dough is too sticky, feel free to add a little more bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it comes together. If you don’t have a mixer and would like to knead by hand, extend the kneading time by at least 5-10 minutes. After 15 minutes of mixing, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 1 hour.
In the meantime, make the filling:
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots or red onion
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 ½ tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
¾ cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups diced Chinese roast pork (char siu) (Follow the link to find instructions on how to roast the pork properly, and which spices to use)
Dice the onions, and cook in the oil. Add the sauces and sugar and stir until it begins to bubble, then add in the chicken stock and flour. Stir until thickened, then remove from heat and add in the pork.
OR, alternatively, do what I do: I buy a super-easy jar of Lee Kum Kee Char Siu sauce and I dump it over cooked diced pork and onions. Easy-peasy, and tastes very authentic! Bam! Filling made with little effort!
