Page 82 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

“Okay,” Duke agreed.“But it definitely makes it all easier if she likes the mother of her grandchildren.”

Bennett felt everything in him react to that and couldn’t reply immediately.He had no idea if Kennedy wanted to have kids, and it wouldn’t matter if she didn’t.He wantedher.Everything that came with that was just icing on the cake.But, yes, he did care a little about how his mother felt about her.Not just because it would make his life easier if the two main women in it got along, but because he’d like to think that his mom would trust him to know what was right for him.In the woman he spent his life with.In the career he spent his life on.

“If my mom doesn’t like Kennedy, that’s on her.Not Kennedy,” Bennett told his oldest friend.“She’s the most genuine, warm, funny, sure of herself woman I know.”She got it from her grandmother.Bennett had heard everything Kennedy had said about feeling bad about how Leo had stuck around and put up with a lot from Ellie.But Bennett got it.Women like them were rare and once you had one, letting go was impossible.

“Kennedy’s awesome,” Duke agreed.“And Maria might be imposing and particular, but she’s also smart.She won’t want to lose you over this.Not now.”

“Notnow?What’s that mean?”

“Now that she’s seen that Kennedy really does have your back and will do whatever she can to make things work for you.”

Bennett nodded.“Yeah.She will have my back.”Kennedy definitely seemed to have his back.She was downright enthusiastic about the politics and his foundation.She wanted him to do even more than he was doing.And with her there pushing, encouraging, and being turned on by it all, he might just find himself with a political campaign after all.

Kennedy Landry was a little imposing, too.

Everything had turned out perfectly.

Well, perfect was in the eye of the beholder, Kennedy knew.But this was a damned good crawfish boil.The people attending might not think that dinner table centerpieces should be metal buckets with crawfish painted on the sides or that the air should smell like cayenne, garlic, and lemon.

But they’d be wrong.

Kennedy stood to the side of the serving table where people could help themselves to salads and bread before taking their seats at the picnic tables laden with crawfish, sausage, corn, and potatoes.

Of course, she’d had to tell them all that they were to serve themselves before sitting.Apparently this crowd didn’t do buffets.

Whileherusual crowd would have died seeing the actual glass plates being used in the yard and the rolled-up, lemon scented hand towels for washing up.The Landrys and their guests used paper plates and a garden hose.

But the point of the evening was truly the same as all the parties at Ellie’s.Great food, good friends, laughter, and memories.

Kennedy had definitely rolled her eyes at the group she was feeding tonight, but she had to grin watching them.Several of them were trying to use their forks for the crawfish, and she’d had to open the tops of the beer bottles for two of the women, but three of the men had realized they needed to get rid of their jackets and their ties, and two of the women had gone to find ponytail holders to hold their hair back while they ate.They were catching on quickly.They’d all donned their bibs without complaint, and it had only taken one bite for them to all be enthusiastically digging in.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”

Kennedy swung around as Maria Baxter rose from the head of the table.

“You all are ridiculous,” she told her guests.

Then she kicked her shoes off.The expensive Louis Vuittons fell into the grass, the white bright against the deep green.Sure, the grass was expensive, too—at least the landscaping and upkeep of it—but it was still grass.

Kennedy’s eyebrows rose as everyone stopped eating and sat up straighter, focusing on their hostess.

“You don’t eat crawfish with a fork,” Maria informed them.“And this isn’t lobster.”She shot a look at William Ray, Georgia’s Governor, who was sitting just to her right.

“You gonna show them how to twist and suck, honey?”

This came from Preston Baxter and Kennedy felt her eyes widen.Teasing?Flirting with his wife?In front of esteemed guests?And acting laid-back and happy about eating crawfish in his backyard?

Damn, it was possible that she’d underestimated Bennett’s father as well.He was, after all, one of the men who’d tossed his jacket and tie onto the patio furniture before grabbing his plate.

“You know it,” Maria said, giving him a grin.

Kennedy found Bennett.He was standing a few feet away, also observing the party rather than partaking just yet.She’d learned from Ellie and Cora that you always made sure your guests were served and happy before sitting down yourself.It looked like Bennett was doing the same thing.She loved the idea that he felt like this wastheirparty.She gave him a smile and he gave her a wink.

He looked so hot tonight.He was wearing a black button-down dress shirt, open at the collar and no tie, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.With that, he had on black dress pants and black shoes.That were shiny, even in the dusky evening illuminated by the setting sun, candles, and twinkle lights.He was also wearing his glasses.Kennedy could only assume he’d put those on and given his shoes an extra few buffs to torment her.

It was working.

But her attention was quickly pulled back to the hot science nerd’s mother.

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