Page 88 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

“You?”he asked.Then dialed back the disbelief in his tone.He still felt it, but he was a smart guy and the tightening of her lips meant she wasn’t loving his reaction.“You want to run for office?”

“I’m going to start off on Charles’ task force for tourism.I’m going to help with his reelection.But yes, I’m thinking about it.Being a state representative from our parish could be really fun and rewarding.”

Bennett took all of that in, holding back his initial reaction.He was sure that showing his shock was not appropriate.But Kennedy Landry?The sassy, tough, bayou girl was going to run for public office?He had not seen that coming.

“I had no idea that you would be into all of this,” he finally said.“I’m just a little surprised.”

And worried.Because public office would take her away from Autre.

Baton Rouge was only a couple of hours away, and state representatives, of course, spent a lot time back home, but they also spent a lot of time in the state capitol.She wouldn’t be at the Boys of the Bayou.Even when she was home, she wouldn’t be in the office answering phones and scheduling tours.She wouldn’t be hanging out at Ellie’s bar or relaxing on Ellie’s front porch swing or lounging around a bonfire at a crawfish boil.She’d do some of that here and there probably, but it would be part of her bigger role as a representative, not just the girl he was in love with and wanted to drink beer and flirt and dance with before taking her home to make love all night.

Fuck.

He’d wanted her here this weekend to show his family that he was serious about giving all of this up and going down to the bayou to lead a simpler, happier, quieter life.

Now Kennedy was all wrapped up and talking about a lifestyle opposite of all of that.

“Why are you surprised?”she asked.

Her arms were crossed again, and Bennett knew that was a sign that he’d best tread lightly.“Because you’re…”

“What?”she pressed when he trailed off.“I’m what?”

He let out a breath.“Bayou.”He had to be honest with her.

“And what does that mean?”she asked, her spine straightening.“Simple?Poor?Uneducated?Because I’m kind of all of that.I like things straightforward.I like when people say what they mean and mean what they say.I didn’t go to college.I don’t have yachts and diamonds.”

Bennett straightened, too.The thing he loved best about Kennedy, and the Landrys in general, was their honesty.It was the fact that he knew if he asked them a question, they’d tell him the truth.If they made him a promise, they’d follow through.If he was screwing something up, they’d let him know.He owed that to Kennedy, too.

“Yes,” he said.“Yes, that’s what I mean.But in every possible good way, Kennedy.You aren’t like the politicians and businessmen and women.You’re not trying to always make a buck, to make a deal, to make yourself more important.When you meet people, you want to know them and listen to them because you’re sincerely interested.”

He took a deep breath.“You’re not trying to figure out what they can do for you, how they can helpyou, how you can sell them something, or talk them into something.When you go to work in the morning, it’s with the goal of making the people you encounter happy and comfortable and helping your family be successful, but you’re never thinking about pushing or selling or manipulating.”

He shook his head, amazed by her all over again as he said these things out loud.“You know that what you have is enough.When you go home at the end of the day, it’s to enjoy your family and to help take care of them.They all know that you’re there for whatever they need and you take care of a bunch of stuff they don’t even know they need.”

Kennedy just looked at him for a long moment.Then she took a deep breath and nodded.“Yeah.You’re absolutely right.”

Thank God, she understood.

She grabbed her purse off the dresser.“And all of that is why I would be a great state representative.”

Then she turned and headed out the door.

“You could only handleher for three days?”

Bennett sighed as Sawyer, Owen, and Josh Landry pulled out chairs at his table at Ellie’s and sat.He’d been expecting this.

“You cost me twenty bucks,” Owen said.“I really thought you’d be able to handle Ken for four days.”

“No one handles Kennedy,” Bennett said.

“Just so you know, I really thought you’d make it all five days,” Sawyer said.

Bennett looked at Josh.“You were the big winner then?”

Josh nodded.“I’m forty bucks richer because you came home early.”

Bennett rolled his eyes.

---