Page 99 of Crazy Rich Cajuns

All Kennedy really heard was “my throat close up.”“You’rethatallergic to bananas?”she demanded.“Your throat could seriously close up?”

He swallowed hard.And she noticed some hives start to appear on his neck.

“I was cutting the bananas quickly and I might have touched my face or something.”

She stepped close and unbuttoned his top three buttons.Sure enough, hives were spreading over his chest as well.“Did you sample the bananas?”she asked.

“Just the sauce.”

“The sauce that’s been in contact with the bananas?”

He nodded.

“Bennett, this wasn’t crazy,” she told him.“This was stupid.”

“Yeah…maybe it was.”

“Are you okay?”He didn’t look okay.

“I don’t usually handle them this much.I stay away.Worst case, I accidentally get a piece of banana in something I didn’t know had it.I—” He swallowed hard again.“I don’t normally handle them—peeling and cutting them up and stuff.”

“Oh, my God.”She took his arm and started for the door.She glanced back at Charles.“Closest ER?”

Bennett tugged on her arm, stopping her.“Hey, you didn’t say you love me too.”

She frowned at him.“Now?You’re about to die!”

“Don’t let me die without hearing it.”

Her eyes went wide.“You’re supposed to say you’re not going to die!”

He swallowed hard again.“The longer it takes for you to say it, the bigger the risk, Ken.”

“Oh for God’s sake!”She turned to face him, gripping both his hands.“Yes, I love you.I love you so fucking much.Pleasedon’t die.I’m not even close to done with you.”

He grinned, even as the red blotches seemed to grow.“That’s better.”Then he swallowed.“We should probably head to the ER now.”

Ten minutes later, Bennett had been given a shot and was resting in one of the bays in the emergency room.

Kennedy stood next to the bed.“Wow.”

He gave her a grin.“I know Maddie went to jail for Owen, but the hospital is pretty good, right?”

“Maddie went and had coffee with the local cop for about an hour one day for Owen,” Kennedy said with an eye-roll.

“But she had a close encounter with a gator, too, right?”

“Who is telling you these stories?”Kennedy asked, leaning onto the railing of his bed.“She shotnearan alligator that was absolutely no threat whatsoever.”

“Juliet almost drowned for Sawyer, right?”

Kennedy shook her head.“Leo’s telling these, isn’t he?You should know by now to take whatever Leo tells you and dial it back thirty to fifty percent.”

“So ending up in the ER reallyisa big deal.”

Kennedy leveled him a serious look.“Don’t youeverput yourself at risk like that again.”

“But—”

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