Page 19 of A Fowl Match

I’m hopelessly trying to come up with something to change the topic.

A few moments of silence pass and I am panicking. My skin is itchy all over, my palms are sweating, and I feel like I’m going to pass out from the anxiety.

“Wait, what is the next challenge?” he asks while Daisy sets our drinks on the table. I smile shakily at her, and she smiles back.

I’m grateful for the change in subject. I can tell by his furrowed brows and facial expressions that he doesn’t want to push me. Something about the way he changed the subject and trusted that I wasn’t ready to talk about it made my walls unfreeze a tiny bit.

Do I trust him? I don’t know yet. It’s too soon to tell. And definitely too soon to release the floodgates holding back my deepest secrets.

“Here’s your food, let me know if I can get you anything else. And congrats, that was one heck of a win!”

“Thanks Daisy, that means a lot,” I say.

Dustin shoves a huge slice of the cheesy dough in his mouth and moans.

“This is the best pepperoni roll I’ve ever had in my life. No wonder it’s your favorite food,” he mumbles, still chewing.

“See I told you, nothing beats it.” I laugh while taking another bite. Not even caring about the grease all over my face. Something about him is starting to make me feel at ease. I don’t have to pretend to be anything but myself around him. My thoughts are so conflicting, one minute I feel at ease, the next I can’t stand him. “The next challenge is to solve a 1,000-piece puzzle. We are each given the same puzzle. They pick a new one every year to keep it fair.”

He chews and then looks concerned. “I’m horrible at puzzles, what about you?”

“I am the worst. So we better spend some time practicing.”

“Lunch. Wednesday. It’s a date.” He holds out his hand for me to shake.

My brows quirk up and my eyes widen. It's at this moment when his blue eyes widen as well, realizing his slip up. I shrug it off and say, “It’s a strictly strategizing, acquaintance date.” And I shake his hand. The touch sends a warm zap through my fingers, and I pull away quickly.

Did he feel that too? This month is going to test me.

Chapter 12

Dustin

“Woah,didyouneedto bring that many puzzles?”

“Shut up and help me!” Violet's muffled shout is blocked by the leaning tower of puzzles in her arms. There are at least eight of them stacked on top of each other. I swear she’s always carrying stacks of things that are way too hard for one person to balance. At least this time I’m here to help, because we don’t need another incident to happen.

“Sheesh you’re the grouchy one today.” I grab four puzzles off the mountain, and I finally see her face. Violet’s hair flows across her eyes, pieces of hair that came loose from the messy bun all contained in a large clip on the back of her head. I reach out and swipe a strand, tucking it behind her ear so she can see.

And that’s the only reason I’m finding an excuse to touch her.

I set the stack I grabbed on the kitchen table. Then I grab the remaining ones from her and set them on top. She stands there still, mouth agape. Her hazel eyes glisten with curiosity while she surveys the interior of my A-frame house.

“This place is—breathtaking.”

She spins around, taking in the open concept. Hardwood floors and wood beaded ceilings. A dark butcher block counter adorns the wall with a fridge and stove. Stairs lead to the open loft with a queen bed. Everything is in neutral shades. I knew she would love this place. After seeing the inside of the flower shop, I can tell she appreciates woodwork.

“My grandfather and I built this place together during a few summers when I stayed. This was always my favorite place to escape everything when I was young.”

“I can see why; it’s quaint and cozy.” She does another spin, taking in everything. “And warm and inviting.”

“So, did you buy every puzzle?”

“I had a feeling they would get the puzzle from Cat’s & Novel’s.So, I bought every one in stock.” She shrugs like it was no big deal.

“You do know by participating we get the same benefits as every other team. So we technically don’t even have to win any of the challenges.” I thought about this last night and realized we are trying so hard to win, but for what? We don’t really have to put in any extra time. We could skate by and lose this next challenge so that we don’t have to take part in any more.

“First off, Constance said there will be prizes for the winners because of the anniversary. Second off, I want that plaque for the front of my shop.” Her eyes squint and she crosses her arms. I think I hit a nerve.

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