“This is my attempt at doing something big and out of my comfort zone and crazy like a Landry.”
Oh boy.Crazy like a Landry could be downright dangerous.There had been feuds with neighboring towns, pseudo-kidnapping, and sheds burned to the ground when Landrys had been crazy in love in the past.Kennedy’s eyes widened.“What are you talking about?”
He lifted the lid off of the pan to reveal bananas in the rum sauce that made Bananas Foster.
“Bennett…” She had no idea what else she was going to say.
He pulled a bowl from under the cart and set it on top.There was a scoop of slightly melted ice cream in it.Then he turned the dial on the burner, picked up a glass of clear liquid, and toasted her.“I love you, Kennedy.And I want to be your Leo.I want to be there for you, to encourage you and listen to you and push you.And since you’re going to be way too busy to be making the desserts, I’m going to learn to make them.”
Before she could say a word, he dumped what was clearly rum into the pan.Flames shot up.
The people around them ooh-ed, but the security guard who came running was not impressed.
“Hey!”
Kennedy lunged forward, covering the pan and putting the flames out while turning the burner off.
“You can’t do that in here,” the guard said.His hand was on the gun in his holster.
“Whoa!”Kennedy said, stepping between the guard and Bennett.“Calm down.It’s okay.”
“You can’t just come in here and set shit on fire!”the guy said.
“I cleared this with security ahead of time,” Bennett said, moving next to Kennedy.“It’s just a little rum.”
“And fire.”
“Matt, he’s with me,” Charles spoke up.
The guard looked from Bennett to Charles.He frowned.“Governor Arnaud.”
“I promise this is fine,” Charles said.“I take full responsibility.”
Matt nodded.“Okay.”But he gave Bennett one last glare.“No more fire.”
“You got it,” Bennett said, holding up his hands in surrender.
Kennedy frowned and looked closer at Bennett’s palms.“What’s wrong with your hands?”There were red splotches all over.
Bennett looked down, then turned his hands over.Then sighed.“Hives.”
“Hives?From what?”
“The bananas.”
She stared at him.“Oh my God.You’reallergicto bananas!”
How had she not realized what all of this meant immediately?Maybe because she was still so damned happy to see him.And maybe a little stunned that he’d set something on fire for her.That wasveryLeo-like.
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug.
“But you still decided to make Bananas Foster for me?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I thought maybe it was Landry-like to risk having my throat close up to tell you I love you and want to be with you, no matter how many trips between Autre and Baton Rouge we have to take.And to tell you that I rented us an apartment here so that there’s a place we can stay when we’re in town rather than a hotel.”