Page 46 of A Fowl Match

Chapter 31

Dustin

“HeyFarmerDustin!It’sbeen ages. You look the part now,” Nolan yells at me from the baked goods stand. He approaches me with a whoopie pie in one hand and a coffee in the other.

I clap him on the back. “It’s good to see you man. How’d the trip here treat you?”

“Once I got out of New York—the trip was—a breeze,” he says in between bites of whoopie pie. “Holy shit these are to die for. Give me a hundred more to take home.”

“You can buy the whole lot. They have a good 200 more on the table.”

“I think I might.”

“So did you just come here to watch me lose miserably and rub it in my face.”

“Yes and no. While it gives me great pleasure to see you fall on your ass, I have an ulterior motive.”

I assumed as much; he never does something without a plan. Most of the time it involves anything business related. The man puts his career above everything, including himself.

Something I used to do too.

“I’m starting my own company. I’m leaving the firm. And I want you to be a partner.”

“Are you serious? Why me?”

“I need someone with financial and accounting experience. Someone I trust. We worked together, I know how seriously you take your job. You have years on your belt, and you’re in the perfect position where you have nothing holding you back anymore.”

“What kind of firm are you starting?”

“One that solely focuses on helping small businesses. I haven’t come up with a name for it yet. I want to help them with multiple services: bookkeeping, payroll, taxes, advisory. The focus will be on building connections. Working closely with them, so that I can help the community, not large corporations. I want to make a difference. Seeing shops struggle and you moving here gave me the inspiration I needed.”

“I’ll have to think about it, but I really appreciate the offer.”

“No problem, you deserve it. I have to get back to the city, but I wanted to ask you in person. Now I gotta grab some whoopie pies to go. Nice seeing you brother.”

You have nothing holding you back anymore.His words ring through my mind. Is that true? I didn’t when I first moved back, but now? I have a lot holding me back. The farm, the town, Violet, my grandparents. Everything in me is screaming to stay, but should I give up the career I worked to achieve? On the other hand, should I give up my happiness for a successful career? I think I know the answer to that one.

But I still have to think about it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Chapter 32

Violet

“It’sbeenaninsanefour weeks.”

“You’re telling me! I’m so tired.” Olive shoves a handful of snacks into her mouth.

A girls’ night has been long overdue. A movie night is infinitely better. We’re watchingWhite Chicksand lounging on my couch eating snacks. Loads of snacks. Funyuns, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate bunnies (since The Valley Harvest is selling them already in preparation for Easter), Cheetos, Doritos. Every unhealthy snack is on the table. I have no regrets. Tomorrow I might, but not tonight. “You could call this a girl dinner.”

“What’s a girl dinner?” I say in between bites of a chocolate bunny.

“Only a dinner made up of a bunch of random things that have no rhyme or reason to go together. Just a bunch of snacks that make a meal.”

“So what’s a boy dinner?”

“No clue, probably something boring.” We both shake with laughter.

I could have snacks every night instead of a regular meal. Snacks are the key to my heart and now I guess agirl dinneris too. “Do you ever feel bad for biting their little chocolate bunny heads off? I kind of feel guilty when eating them.”

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