Epilogue
CONFESSIONAL 1298.5
Yang, Dal (Head Chef, Serenade: Juniper Ridge)
I like to think I’m growing. Trying to grow, anyway.
Every chef has specials that are the go-to thing. An apricot glazed tenderloin you can’t take off the menu without howls of protest from the regulars and that’s fine. You play to your strengths, right?
But sometimes you find new strengths.
That’s when you hit the motherfucking homerun of the culinary century.
* * *
“You may now kiss the bride.”
My heart swells so big it nearly bursts from my chest. Lana’s perfume fills my lungs as her golden blond hair glows with candlelight. As she squeezes my hand, I bend and brush her lips with mine.
“Don’t block my view.” She squeezes my hand and leans back. “This is my favorite part.”
I look just in time to see Rosa settle on Ji-Hoon’s lap. Her wedding dress drapes down the side of his chair as the two share a passionate kiss.
“Aw, man.” I stick two fingers in my mouth and whistle. “They did it. They really did it.”
Mouse responds to my whistled cue, bounding down the aisle with her shaggy ears flopping. She skids to a halt beside the bride and groom, ducking her head so Ji-Hoon can unhook the bag from her collar.
I already know what’s inside, but Lana doesn’t. It’s a surprise, and not the last of the evening.
“What is it?” she whispers as Ji-Hoon reaches into the bag. “Not a ring.”
“Nope.” They already exchanged those. “Joenanyrye.”
“Say what now?”
We watch as Ji-Hoon whispers something to Rosa, then tucks something in her palm. I know the shape of them, tiny wooden figures worn smooth by my parents’ hands.
“Joenanyrye,” I repeat as Rosa gasps and claps a hand to her mouth with delight. “Literally translated, it means ‘presentation of the wild goose.’” A Korean tradition we don’t often uphold these days. “A long time ago, the groom would present geese to his new mother-in-law to symbolize his commitment.”
“Because geese mate for life,” Lana whispers, smiling as Rosa hugs my brother again.
“Exactly.” They’re kissing now, more exuberantly than before. The love my brother has for his new bride steals my breath away. “These days, most couples use wooden ducks. Those ones belonged to my parents.”
“That’s so sweet,” she says. “Her last name means ‘duck,’ right?”
“Exactly.” I love that she and Rosa have grown close these past few months. They even did a girls’ getaway to Cherry Blossom Lake for Rosa’s bachelorette party.
Lana applauds with the crowd as their officiant wraps up explaining what’s happened. Why this moment means something to my family.
I glance at Korain as my uncle wipes a tear. “Beautiful,” he says as we get to our feet. “Your parents would be proud.”
It’s not just the tradition that’s important. It’s every detail of this wedding. The dress Rosa wears was designed by a woman who lost both legs to a landmine in Cambodia. My brother’s tie came from our dad’s collection. Both bride and groom chose to skip attendants, keeping things intimate for just the two of them.
Except Mouse, obviously. She’s wagging and barking as my brother wheels down the aisle with his new wife on his lap. “Congrats, you two!” Lana waves after them and Ji-Hoon winks.
As his eyes lock with mine, he points and mouths a few words.
Neon hal su iss-eo.
“What was that?” Lana whispers. “I couldn’t make out what he said.”
“I’ll tell you later.” Good thing she knows just a few words of Korean. Not those ones, either, though maybe it wouldn’t matter.
Ji-Hoon mouthing, “you can do it,” might not tip her off for what’s to come.
I put an arm around Lana as we start down the aisle. “Should we hustle to the reception?”
“I’m starving,” she says as we fall in step with the crowd. It’s a short walk to the ballroom just down the hall. Ji-Hoon chose to get hitched right here at Juniper Ridge, in the lodge where we first signed on to do the show. He wanted a hat tip to the place we call home. That he and his wife will make their home.
Not gonna lie, it’s been hard to adjust to not living with my brother. Moving in with Lana helps a lot. I never get tired of making breakfast in bed, being sure her plate stays piled with hash browns and bacon.
We make our way into the reception hall, and I try to recall what Rosa said last night. “We’re not doing assigned tables, so pick the one close to the buffet,” she urged. “It’ll have purple flowers.”
My brother chimed in, too. “Choose seats facing the string quartet,” he added. “That way, the videographer can film you.”
The plan sounded nuts to me. “You’re sure about this?” I scanned their faces, not wanting to break any etiquette rules. “This is your big day. It seems wrong to steal your thunder.”
“Are you kidding me?” Rosa looked at Ji-Hoon. “How cute your brother thinks he could possibly steal any weather from us.”
“Hail, lightning, tornadoes…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Nope. I’m sorry to say, we’ve kept it all to ourselves.”
“Go get your sunshine.” Rosa held up a hand for a fist bump. “We’ll have a front-row seat.”
That’s how it’s looking as we move through the bustling room. Lana smiles as we wave to her brothers and sisters.
“Hey, guys.” I focus on Nick, who’s texting while walking. “Everything okay with Lauren?”
“She’s great.” He looks up and grins. “Want to see a pic?”
I smile as he holds out his phone. His wife stayed home with their new baby, since newborn vaccines made little Lola woozy. Nick tried to stay home with his girls, but Lauren wouldn’t hear of it. “One of us is seeing that damn wedding,” she commanded last night at the rehearsal. “And unless you learn to breastfeed, it’s gonna be you.”
His grin makes it clear he’s a man in love. “I’m slipping out with an extra piece of cake for her as soon as I can,” Nick says.
“Good man.” I always knew Nick would make a great dad.
Cooper claps him on the back, his free hand pushing a stroller. “I know you’re new to fatherhood, but they shouldn’t have cake until they’re at least three months old.”
Amy rolls her eyes, then bends to tuck the blanket tighter around their daughter. She’s eleven months old and looks just like her mom, feathered blond wisps like a halo over bright blue eyes.
“It’s baby central around here,” I murmur to Lana. “You think it’s contagious?”
“Might be,” she muses. “Should we socially distance at dinner, just in case?”
“You can’t be too careful.” I guide us to the table Ji-Hoon’s pointing out, weaving through waiters passing out apps. There’s a tray of stuffed mushrooms and caprese skewers glistening with olive oil.
My brother and I had a blast choosing the menu. “There.” I point out a platter to Lana. “There’s the guy with the deviled potato bites.”
“Yes!” She plucks one off a passing tray, popping it in her mouth as I pull out her chair.
“Is this seat okay?
She glances around, and I cross my fingers she won’t object. “As long as Korain’s okay with it.” She turns to my uncle and smiles. “Can you see well enough from there?”
“See what?” He looks at me and I pray he won’t spoil the surprise.
Who am I kidding? The man knows how to keep a secret.
“I have a perfect view,” he says as he pulls out a chair. “Of the bride and groom, and of all the special toasts.”
“Oooh, toast!” Lana grabs a tiny shrimp toast with scallion-chile sauce off a passing tray. “Yum.”
My uncle smiles as he watches us sit. “Seeing the two of you together warms my heart.”
“Aww, thanks.” Lana settles into her chair with a smile. “I love that you decided to stay. Family’s important.” She looks at me. “Did I tell you my parents plan to settle full time at their Cherry Blossom Lake house?”
“No kidding?”
Lana looks bemused. “Dad says it’s the perfect spot to co-write their marriage self-help book.”
Christ on a cracker. “I wish them well with that.”
“I’m sure you do.” Lana grins, but she’s not snarky about it. It’s true I’ll never be besties with Laurence and Shirleen.
But her dad and I golf together sometimes, and Shirleen pulled me aside at the last family gathering. “I’d like to apologize again for what I did that day. On Jamila’s show?”
“It’s okay.” I knew what she meant without spelling it out. “I wasn’t my best self that day, either.”
“Guess that’s something else we have in common.” Shirleen’s eyes misted as she watched her husband across the room. He stood laughing with Lana, a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “That, and loving Lana.”
It’s a good place to start, finding common ground with the Judsons. With my possible future in-laws.
The chair right beside me scoots out, and I look up to see Mari. “Are these three seats taken?”
“Join us,” Lana says, and they do.
Korain lifts his beer stein at Mari’s husband. “Is this one of yours?”
“You bet.” Griff points to his daughter’s drink. “Also brewed the pink lemonade soda.”
“Which is delish.” Soph takes a big gulp of hers and then sighs. “Can I go see Sawyer?”
“Sure.” Mari points toward the room at the end of the hall, which serves as the wedding daycare. “Give him a kiss and then hurry back. Dinner’s being served soon.”
Not for another ten minutes. I glance at my watch, wanting to time this right. To have everything go perfectly tonight.
“You got a hot date?” Lana leans close, hair tickling my nose. “You keep checking your watch.”
Busted. “Just confirming the timeline on the meal service.”
“Once a chef, always a chef.” She kisses my cheek, blond hair tickling my chin. “What are you most excited to taste?”
I give her a meaningful look as pink stains her cheeks. “Besides that,” she adds, and I smile.
“Maybe the potato gratin with tart apples and herb-infused cream.” That’s nowhere near the most exciting thing this evening. “How about you?”
“The chowder parade looks appealing.” She points to the table in the corner, where all five of my first-choice chowders sit waiting in big black kettles. The chefs came from around the state to serve their starred creations, which was Ji-Hoon’s idea. “If I hadn’t already tried all of them, I’m not sure where I’d start.”
Accepting champagne from a passing waitress, I hand Lana a flute. “To weddings,” I say, ignoring my brother’s big grin at the table behind us. “Can’t beat a good party with sex at the end.”
She rolls her eyes mid glass-clink. “Such a romantic.”
“I try.” And I’m about to try even harder. Setting my flute down, I feel flutters of nerves in my stomach. It’s not like we haven’t discussed this, but still.
A guy only gets one shot at popping the question to the girl of his dreams.
With a nod to Ji-Hoon, I fish one hand in my pocket. At the table behind us, my brother taps his glass with a spoon. “Could I get everyone’s attention? There’s only one thing that would make this happy day even happier.” He gives me a wink as Korain folds his hands on the table. “Dal? You want to take it from here?”
Lana blinks as I stand up and grab the mic from my brother. “Hey, everyone! Let’s start with a toast for our bride and groom.” I hold up my glass, watching the crowd follow suit. “My whole life, I’ve looked up to Ji-Hoon. He’s funny and wise and way smarter than me.” With a glance at my brother, I continue. “And I couldn’t have picked a better match for him than Rosa. A round of applause for the bride?”
Glasses clink and I swallow hard. Love shines in Lana’s eyes as I tip the mic to my mouth. “When you’ve got a big brother like Ji-Hoon, you grow up chasing greatness. Be kinder, be braver, be a better human and hope to achieve even half of his awesomeness.” My throat feels dry and I long for a big sip of water. “So when Ji-Hoon tells me to do something, I listen.”
I look down at Lana and she tilts her head. I haven’t prepared her for any of this, so as far as she knows, this is just a wedding toast.
It’s about to get better. “In Korean culture, we have a tradition of hahm. It’s a special gift exchange from the groom’s family to the bride. Now I’m sure most of you have gathered that this isn’t a traditional Korean wedding. We’ve got mostly Western traditions here, which Ji-Hoon and Rosa wanted. But we wanted to add this one little gift from our family.”
Fishing in my pocket, I pull out the ring. Lana gasps and brings her hands to her mouth. “As most of you heard in the ceremony, our late mother’s ring is the one on Rosa’s hand now.”
The bride flashes her jewelry, beaming as she kisses my brother.
I keep going in spite of the lump in my throat. “It was always our mother’s wish for her eldest son to someday give her mother’s ring to his wife, and Rosa wears it beautifully.” I roll the other ring in my hand, holding it up to the light. “This is not that ring.”
I look to Korain, who smiles and bows his head. “This ring I’m holding belonged to our father’s mother. It was passed to my uncle Korain, who passed it along to me.”
Now’s the moment. My heart thuds in my chest as I turn to face Lana and drop down on one knee. “My whole life, I’ve hoped for a woman who’s smart and lively and kind and beautiful and selfless. Someone who lit me up from the inside the way my parents did for each other.” Swallowing hard, I hold out the ring. “And I knew when I met her, when I someday asked her to be my wife, the right ring would come along. Lana Judson—” I swallow hard as her eyes fill with tears. “Will you make this wedding day more amazing by agreeing to take part in another?”
My uncle guffaws at the end of the table. “Ask her for real, you idiot,” he mumbles.
So I do. “Lana, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. You keep me humble and keep me working to be the best possible partner and friend to you. Your kind heart is something I’ll never take for granted. I love your passion for potatoes and Nutter Butters. I love the sound of your voice and the freckles on the bridge of your nose. I love every last thing about you, and I’m in awe that you’ve chosen to spend time with me. And if I’m very, very lucky, you’ll agree to spend the rest of your days as my wife.” I swallow hard, watching the light in her eyes. “Lana Judson. Will you marry me?”
“Yes.” With a sob, she throws both arms around me. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Kissing her softly, I find her hand and slip the ring on her finger. A perfect fit. I knew it would be.
“Congratulations.” Ji-Hoon speaks low in the mic. “I know that’s kind of a weird way of doing it, but my brother and I, we’ve been through a lot together. When he asked what I wanted for a wedding gift, this was it.” He smiles and waits for applause to die down. “To know someone as cool as Lana would be daft enough to shackle herself to this loser.”
A ripple of laughter rolls through the hall as Lana admires the ring. Sliding my hand into her hair, I kiss her softly to more applause.
“Wow,” she says, rolling her hand to watch the ring sparkle. “So beautiful.”
“You are,” I agree, kissing her again. “And you’re mine.”
“You think so, huh?” She pretends to consider that. “I don’t know, Dal. Maybe I need more persuading.”
I know what she wants, and I’m glad to oblige. Leaning in close, I let my lips brush her ear. “Good girl,” I whisper, and she shivers. “The very best girl in the whole world.”
She shudders again, then laughs. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
* * *
Thanksso much for reading Lana and Dal’s story! For now, that’s the end of the Juniper Ridge rom-com series (though I don’t rule out bringing Tia back for her own HEA someday!)
This book gave you glimpses of my Cherry Blossom Lake world, and I’d love to give you another taste. Read on for the first chapter of Try Me, which is Cassidy and Jake’s story. It’s book #1 in my Cherry Blossom Lake series, and here’s a peek…