by Caroline Lee
Lin returned his slight smile gratefully. “That’s good,” she said in a low voice. “That’s—” Her breath burst out of her in a quiet half sob, half laugh. “That’s very good. He just needs to slow down a bit.”
Squeezing Mr. Lee’s hand, she stared down at the old man, who seemed frailer than she remembered. “Hear that, GungGung? You need to take it easy,” she whispered.
“I got the number you can call tomorrow morning to see what kinds of medications and appointments he’s going to need.”
She loved that he’d done that for her, that he’d known she would want to be the one to help Mr. Lee, since his son was so far away. But a thought occurred to her.
“How’d you get that scary-looking nurse to tell you all this?”
He smiled again. “I told her you were his granddaughter. The way you wailed ‘GungGung!’ and threw yourself across his bed really helped support that, by the way.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “And how about you? Are you supposed to be my brother? Since we’re all Chinese, I mean.”
“Nah,” he drawled with a wink. “I told them I was your fiancé.”
Lin’s eyes rounded and she sucked in a breath at the thought.
Fiancé.
Ever since Brandon had kissed her, she’d been thinking about a future with him. But now…she glanced down at Mr. Lee, then back at the man she’d fallen in love with. Could she have a future with him? Could she leave Riston to travel to California where his family and his life were?
Last week—yesterday, even—she would’ve said yes, but that was before GungGung collapsed. That was before she realized how much the old man needed her. Before she realized how much she needed him and needed him to be strong and healthy and snarky. She’d spent ten years putting her sweat and blood into The Golden Palace—well, not her actual blood, because that’d be gross and unhygienic, and the health inspector would probably have something to say about that, but…
Wait. What was it I’d been thinking about anyway? Lin shook her head slightly. I must be even more tired than I thought.
Under hers, the old man’s hand twitched. She sucked in a startled breath and dropped her gaze to his face just as his eyes opened. He looked around the room, a little confused, until he saw her. His hand twitched again.
“I am still here?” His voice sounded raspy.
Lin forced a smile and willed her own voice to stay steady. “Yes, GungGung.” She wasn’t sure if he’d been talking about the hospital room—if he remembered falling asleep there—or life in general, but she hurried to explain. “The doctor said your heart is weak. It wasn’t a real heart attack, but they’re going to keep you here for a few days so you can rest and regain your strength.”
“Rest? Bah! What I need is a nice cup of tea.”
He struggled to sit upright, and Lin jumped in horror.
He can’t be serious! She placed one hand on his shoulder and with very little effort, pushed him back against the pillows.
“GungGung, I brought you tea.” She fumbled in her purse with her free hand, and took out a little bag. “I can’t imagine they’ll let you have some tonight—it’s very late!—but maybe we can make it for you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow I have to go to Spokane.”
Lin met Brandon’s eyes, and saw the same worry she felt. Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day, and Mr. Lee had turned over the dinner plans to her so he could go pick up the supplies and food order he needed for Friday.
She squeezed his hand again. “I’m sorry,” she said gently. “But I think that’s out of the question.”
The old man scoffed. “I would not have gotten far in the restaurant business if I thought things were out of the question, girl.”
“I know, but this time…” Lin saw her argument wasn’t working, so she changed tactics. “GungGung, I think it might be best if we postponed the New Year celebration until you’re feeling better. Maybe mid-March?”
He scoffed. “Then it wouldn’t be a New Year celebration. It would be a mid-March celebration, and who wants to come to that?”
Lin was getting desperate. “You really are determined to continue? Even though Dr. Baker said you needed to rest? This is really that important to you?”
When the old man frowned and nodded at the same time, she knew he meant business. Frantically, Lin mentally cataloged everything she needed to do over the next few days, and then thought about the guilt she felt when she’d realized how hard Mr. Lee had been working. She met Brandon’s eyes, and wondered if he was thinking the same thing.
But then he smiled at her, and in that moment, Lin knew everything was going to be okay.
“We’ll take care of it, Mr. Lee,” he said.
Slowly, the old man twisted his head until he was looking at Brandon. His dark eyes—still hooded from sleep and weakness—raked over the other man, and Lin found herself holding her breath, wondering what Mr. Lee would say.
Wondering what she should say in response to Brandon’s claim.
“This is your Brandon, eh?” the old man asked Lin, without turning away from his perusal.
“Yes,” she said hoarsely. “He’s a good man.”
“And a good cook, you have said.”
Brandon smiled widely, answering for himself. “I’m a brilliant cook, thanks to my PohPo. Lin and I spent the day making char siu for the baked char siu bao for tomorrow, and custom fortune cookies with invites to the New Year dinner.”
GungGung grunted weakly, and Lin worried he was getting weaker.
“If Lin can go into Spokane tomorrow morning to get your food order, I’ll start on the bao, and she can help when she gets back. Then on Thursday I’ll take a look at your menu for Friday, and get started on that.”
The amount of work he was proposing made Lin’s pulse roar in her ears. She was already bone-weary from the prep work they did today, and taking over the New Year celebration would mean three more days of the same. She was willing to do it, because she loved Mr. Lee like a grandfather and she believed in his dream of keeping the restaurant running. But why would Brandon put so much effort into someone else’s dream?
Mr. Lee’s eyes narrowed. “You would do that? For me?”
Suddenly, Brandon didn’t look like he was teasing anymore. That spark was still in his dark eyes, but his smile had slipped. His expression was far more serious than a moment ago, and when he stood, she inhaled sharply.
But Brandon wasn’t paying attention to her. He kept his gaze on Mr. Lee and his hands by his side when he straightened to his full height. Then, without any hint of laughter, he bowed slowly at the waist, then back up again.
“I would be honored, GungGung.”
There was a moment of stillness, where all Lin heard was her own heartbeat and the steady beep of the machines, then the old man turned slowly to her.
“He is a good man. I see why you love him.”
Lin swallowed. She hadn’t told either of these men how she felt about Brandon, but she couldn’t deny it. Her eyes filled with tears and her gaze lowered to the hand resting in hers.
“If you two are willing…” Mr. Lee’s voice was weak and scratchy. “I will give you my menu. If the doctor has his way, I will be here through the Spring Festival, so I would be grateful for your help.”
“Anything, GungGung,” Lin managed to choke out past the thickness in her throat. “I want to help you.”
Only a few days ago she’d thought she could walk away from her life here in Riston, but now she saw she couldn’t. The Golden Palace wasn’t just Mr. Lee’s dream, she’d helped build it to where it was now right beside him, and she’d spent the last week trying to save it with this wild scheme. She would make sure this Valentine’s dinner and New Year celebration was a success. But most of all, she loved Mr. Lee so much, and wanted to do this for him even more than for herself.
This time, when she met Brandon’s eyes, he was smiling. She saw it through a sheen of tears, and did her best to match his grin. With his help, th
ey’d make this happen. Together, they could save The Golden Palace.
Lin looked back at Mr. Lee and said, “I know you’ve already called in the order, so I’ll go pick it up first thing tomorrow morning.” She then turned her attention to Brandon. “And I can be back by ten-thirty or eleven to help roll dough.”
“We probably can’t start the first round ‘til noon anyhow. It’ll be tight, but we want it to still be fresh by the first seating. I suppose we could let them rise and stick ‘em in the fridge until we’re ready to bake…” he trailed off, deep in thought.
“Good.” Mr. Lee nodded weakly, then yawned. “Good. You are both capable, and I trust you, girl.”
It was humbling to hear him state that. Lin squeezed his hand. “I love you, GungGung.”
“And I love you, but I won’t admit that outside of the hospital.” He yawned again. “Now, maybe I will follow the doctor’s orders and rest…”
As his eyes closed, his breathing seemed to slow too. Lin stared at him a full moment before she was satisfied this was simply a restful sleep, and not something worse.
Finally, she glanced up at Brandon, catching him mid-yawn, which triggered a yawn from her, and when he realized it, he caught himself and began to laugh. Since nothing is more irritating than an interrupted yawn, Lin coughed and scowled at him.
Grinning, he reached across the bed and offered her his hand. She took it in her free one, unwilling to drop her hold on GungGung’s hand. They were still for a moment, a silent tableau of support and love.
“He’s going to be okay, Lin,” Brandon whispered reassuringly.
“I know.” I know. But distressingly, her eyes filled with tears, despite the assurance.
He must’ve seen, because his grip tightened. “And you’re going to be okay too. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure your plans for the Valentine’s dinner and Mr. Lee’s plans for New Year go off without a hitch.”
“Thank you,” Lin said hoarsely. “I couldn’t do this without you.”
He smiled. “You don’t have to. We’re in this together.”
She wanted to ask why, why would he neglect his own job and his own life to help her with this epic project? But she wasn’t sure she had the strength to have that conversation right now. Not with the day she’d just had and the day tomorrow was shaping up to be. She’d have to be up at seven to get to the store in Spokane when it opened.
So she just sighed and smiled tiredly. “Thank you,” she whispered again.
“Come on.” He gently pulled her to her feet. “Let’s get you home.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
He’d just put aside the last round of dough to proof when Brandon heard the car door slam outside. A glance at the wall clock confirmed Lin was right on time—she must’ve driven straight from Spokane to the restaurant and unloaded the food order, then straight here to his cabin. He wondered if she’d stopped to eat breakfast…or even lunch.
Instead of letting her peel out of her outerwear, he met her at the door, pulling it open before she could even reach it. Ugh, she looked even more exhausted than he imagined. Under her wool cap, her lovely green eyes were dull, and her shoulders drooped.
He pulled her inside the warm house and into an even warmer hug. At first, she stiffened, but a second later she relaxed into his hold. He felt her exhale, felt her arms wrap around him, felt her rest her head on his shoulder…and everything was right with the world.
“That bad, huh?” he asked against the top of her head.
“Worse.” She sighed. “Even after I got home last night, I tossed and turned, worrying about today and Mr. Lee. I got to Spokane right on time though, and the food order pickup went fine.”
She rested a little more of her weight on him, and Brandon was happy to take it. He knew the last twenty-four hours had been rough on her, and the day was only getting started. Running his hands up and down her back, he tried to give her some of his strength.
“Did you talk to the hospital?”
“Yeah, and he’s doing better. Since they still think I’m his granddaughter”—Brandon heard the slight grin in her voice—“the nurse outlined his treatment program for me. He’s being moved to a different room today, and I asked Jared to stop by his apartment before work and run over some extra clothes and books for him.” She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly against Brandon’s shoulder. “I think he’s going to be okay.”
He gave her an extra little squeeze. “See? Told you so.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She pushed herself upright while she teased him. “You’re the great and all-powerful Oz.”
He found himself missing her hug already. “Just don’t look behind the curtain! I’m making this up as I go.”
He winked, and she rolled her eyes in response, making a little scoffing noise and punching his shoulder lightly.
“So are we going to get started? We’ve got a lot of bao to stuff!”
Cocking his head to the side while he studied the clock, Brandon did the math one more time. “I’m glad you came right here, but I think we’ve got another hour—maybe a little more—before we can start stuffing. I don’t want the first batch to rise too much before we bake them at the restaurant.”
“So…what should we do until then?” she asked with raised brows.
“So…” He reached around her to pull his parka off the hook by the door. “So I thought you might like to take a little walk with me over to the café for lunch. I could use a little break, and you look like you could use some sugar.”
Her lips quirked slightly. “I can’t decide if that was you offering to buy me a root beer float, or give me kisses…but I’m too exhausted to make a joke either way.”
“Well, I meant a big slice of pie, along with the Weston Burger I’m going to get Bob to make me, but kisses are nice too.”
To prove this point, he wrapped his arms around her once more and pulled her into a tight embrace. When he released her, he was pleased to see some color was back in her cheeks, and her lips were pulled into a much larger smile.
“There,” he said with a satisfied smile as he zipped up his coat, and reached for his other scarf. “You already look much better.”
“I feel much better too,” she said with a little grin. “And you’re right, I am pretty hungry.”
“Well, my lady?” He offered his arm, and when she took it, his heart leapt. “Let’s go fuel up for our big day.”
She snuggled up against him. “You know I love walks in the snow with you…and where they lead.”
“Why, Miss Dryden! Are you talking about kissing?”
“No!” she said with a giggle. “I was talking about being berated by strange women who wear fairy wings! But I suppose kissing is the next best thing.”
As they stepped onto the porch and into the cold February air, Brandon smiled underneath his scarf. “Then maybe we can practice some of your second-favorite thing on the way to lunch.”
“Maybe,” she teased with a grin.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Lin.”
Today was going to be the day he told her how he felt. He had it all planned out, but the challenge would be waiting, not blurting out “I love you!” before tonight.
She sighed happily against him. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“Last round! Lin, you’re up in five!” Stacy, the restaurant manager rushed by with her clipboard, calling out instructions and cues.
Lin had been impressed with the entire dinner. Stacy had kept everything moving perfectly, thanks to the schedule the event coordinator had set up. Having the diners come in shifts had made it easier for the various restaurants’ representatives to cook their food on time. And since every table was occupied by a couple, it was easy for Lin to know how many bao to pop in the big industrial oven during her allotted time.
In fact, everything had gone perfectly. She’d just finished brushing the sugar water over the last batch of bao and plating them with the fortune cookies, and the servers were runnin
g like clockwork. They were out delivering the eggplant stack from Mamma Mia’s, and would be delivering the bao on Stacy’s cue.
In fact, Lin realized as she slumped against a rack by the walk-in freezer, her work here was done. She’d been so full of adrenaline for the last few hours, she hadn’t had time to be tired. Besides, after that lovely walk in the snow earlier and all of the kisses Brandon had given her-- not to mention the yummy slice of pecan pie!—she’d been feeling pretty good all day.
But everything was catching up to her now—all of yesterday’s hard work, the late night last night, the worry about Mr. Lee—and she was ready to head home and fall into bed.
But first, she wanted to see Brandon. She needed to tell him all their efforts had been successful, and judging from the comments the servers heard, The Golden Palace would see a lot of business on Friday. She needed to thank him.
Maybe with kisses!
Her phone buzzed in her back pocket, and Lin scrambled to pull it out, hoping it was Brandon. She’d worn her usual uniform of dark jeans and the black t-shirt with the restaurant’s logo in gold splashed across the chest, but she’d added her favorite red boots and a white sweater shrug for warmth. She thought she looked cute.
When she finally managed to get the phone out, she was only slightly disappointed to see her sister’s name flashing in the text notifications. She opened the text window.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Have you told Mr. Dimples you love him yet?
Grinning, Lin typed back, Happy Valentine’s Day! None of your beeswax.
Ah, so no. How about the kisses? A big Valentine’s Day kiss for him?
Lin found the emoji sticking its tongue out.
Toni sent three kiss face emojis in a row, which made Lin chuckle as she typed back: