Page 37 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

Bennett nodded with a grin.“No doubt about it.”

“So, tell me about this woman who has you thinking about giving up all your plans and exchanging Armani for…what’s a brand of work boots?”

Bennett wasn’t surprised that Duke had no idea who made work boots.Why would he know that?But it hit Bennett just how far removed from Sawyer, Josh, and Owen his friends in Georgia were.“DeWalt, Timberland.There are a few.”

“Right.Trading Armani for DeWalt,” Duke said.“Tell me about her.”

“Kennedy is…” How to describe her?It seemed that describing her physical features—her colored hair, her tattoos, her piercings, her affinity for the color black—would give Duke a picture.But that was all just not enough.There was so much more there.

Duke lifted a brow.“Wow.Hard to describe, huh?That’s something.”

Bennett nodded.“She’s something.Something unexpected and unique and fun and sexy and challenging and…she makes me want to be more real, more honest, moreraw, more hands-on.”

“I’ll bet,” Duke quipped.

But Bennett shot him a frown.“I mean it.She makes me want todothings…with my life.Things that produce something.Things that I can point to and say, ‘I did that and it matters.’”

Duke’s smile faded.“Okay.That’s…”

Bennett knew what Duke meant.It was…hard to explain.They’d grown up in a world where people made things happen more than actuallydoingthings.They influenced people and policy.They worked in the law and in government.They had meetings and came up with ideas.They invested money and time.They helped make it possible forotherpeople to do things.But it was a little removed from the actual work.It was as if Bennett knew a bunch of puppet masters who pulled all the strings but didn’t actuallydoanything.

He wanted todostuff.

“She’s very different from any of the women I’ve been with before,” Bennett finally said.That was true.It didn’t seem like a full enough description, but it was a start.“I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

He wasn’t worried about whether Duke would like her or not.That didn’t matter.He was more curious what Kennedy would think of his friends.

“Well, sounds like it’s going to be an interesting weekend,” Duke said.“But I should warn you, you’re not sitting with her at dinner.”

Bennett frowned.“Yes, I am.”

Duke shook his head.“The seating arrangement is already set.”

Bennett swung his legs over the edge of the mattress.“Why do I hate the way you said that?”

“Because you’re going to hate the reason.”

Bennett blew out a breath.“What reason?”

“Governor Ray is here tonight.And sitting right next to you.”

Bennett shoved a hand through his hair.“I don’t want to talk to the governor.I’m here for my father’s retirement party.This isn’t about me.”

“Come on, man,” Duke said.“It’s always about you.”

That was true.His mother’s life revolved around his father and him.Now that his father’s career was coming to a close, she had shifted full gear to Bennett’s.She’d always been concerned about what he was doing, especially after he’d shifted his focus his senior year of college, but he knew that she’d been confident he’d come around and follow in his father’s footsteps.Now that his father was officially retiring and Bennett was not just interested in the bayou but had invested in a business there and was spending more and more time there—and had a woman he was interested in there as well—Maria was getting nervous.Now she was going to really start pulling on the reins hard.

“I don’t need a dinner party to get me close to Governor Ray,” Bennett said.“If I wanted to talk to him, I’d just call him up.”

“Yeah, this isn’t about getting you close tohim,” Duke said.“Herequested being put next to you.”

“What?”

Duke nodded.“He always figured you’d be in elected office by now.But you’re not.So he wants to talk to you.”

Bennett sighed.

“Your parents aren’t the only ones who think you should run,” Duke said.“It’s not just because they’re biased and think their little boy can do no wrong.”

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