Page 96 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

“In Autre,” she added.

“Okay.”

“And in Baton Rouge.”

He looked a little relieved.“Okay.”

“And no one else.”

“Okay.”

She looked at him for a long moment.Then she nodded.“Okay.”She turned on her heel, determined to go home, get some sleep, go to Baton Rouge tomorrow, and deal with everything else after that.

“Kennedy.”

She stopped at the sound of Bennett’s voice.Slowly she turned back.

He was standing and holding something out to her.She took the few steps back.

“Are those…my combat boots?”she asked.

“They are.”

She looked from the boots to meet his gaze.“Did you shine my boots, Baxter?”

“I did.”

It took a second for that to sink in, but when it did, she covered her mouth to keep from laughing.Or crying.She wasn’t sure which.

“They don’t shine as well as my shoes,” he said.“The leather is treated differently or something.We can get you somegoodleather boots.”

“If you replace my combat boots with some high-end, hoity-toity brand, you better just never eat the gumbo around here again.It won’t be safe for you.”

He grinned at her answer.He looked relieved and, if she wasn’t mistaken, in love with her.

She swallowed and then said, her voice softer, “I wasn’t going to wear combat boots to my meetings.”

“But you should.They’re you.”

And they were shiny.Very fucking shiny.

She felt her heart flip over in her chest.She might not be a Leo, but she was stuck hard to this guy.

Finally she nodded and reached out, taking the boots from him.“Okay.I’ll wear them.Thanks.”

“And if you need to re-shine them, I remember there was a guy who set up in front of the capitol building—”

“I won’t,” she cut him off.But she gave him a little grin.“They can wait until you get there.”

Bennett gave her a single nod.“Sounds good.”

She didn’t confirm that he would come or askwhen.She didn’t ask how this was going to work.

He would be there.She knew that.That was all that mattered.

Two days later,Kennedy stood up from the conference table in the Louisiana State Capitol building, having never felt more tired in her life.

She’d scrubbed airboats—once,before refusing to do it ever again.She’d helped repair air-conditioning units.She’d refinished her grandmother’s dining room table.She knew how to work.

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