Page 74 of Nuts

“It’s uhhm.” I pressed my hand against the glass. “It’s the three of us.”

Percy walked around the edge of the table, draped his arm over my shoulder, and pulled me into him.

My quest for answers was over. Everything I’d been searching for was in the photograph. I rested my head against Percy’s shoulder, tilted my head toward the picture, and stared into the eyes of my defiant father.

I love you, Dad.

I had no idea how long we stood there, but I enjoyed every moment of it. At some point, Percy released my shoulder and stepped in front of me.

Still in somewhat of a trance, I gazed blankly at him as he extended his arm between us.

He raised his hand to my chin. I lifted it slightly in response. The space between us vanished. I sucked in a choppy breath.

Our lips merged.

My eyes fell closed. The kiss was completely unexpected. Nonetheless, I draped my arms over his shoulders and kissed him in return, cherishing every element of the intimate moment we shared.

My mother had explained how my father’s kisses took her to a place that was not of this earth. Although I’d been kissed in the past, I’d never experienced what she spoke of. At least, not until that moment when Percy kissed me.

Our lips parted. I slowly descended back to earth.

My eyes opened.

He traced along the outline of my jaw with his index finger. “I think I’m done.”

“Done what?” I breathed.

“Done searching.”

That makes two of us.

Chapter Twenty-Six

P-Nut

It was the day after I had kissed Joey. It wasn’t something I’d planned, and although it seemed natural, the flood of emotion that followed wasn’t something I was used to.

Somehow, thoughts of her now consumed me. I wanted to touch her, kiss her again, hold her, and feel her body against mine.

Everything I wanted to do with her was contrary to what I’d done in the past with other women. Not only was it different, it was the complete opposite. Convinced she had peeled back a layer of my being and exposed a part of me I had no idea existed, I was eager and afraid at the same time.

I carried my mother’s lunch to the living room and placed it on the tray. “Time for lunch.”

“I’m afraid the Italian guy is a liar. He said he was in the Navy when that poor girl got pregnant. But he’s got another son that was born at the same time. It just doesn’t add up,” she said.

“Maybe he’s confused.”

“Men don’t get confused,” she said, keeping her focus on the television. “They make up excuses when they don’t want to admit things.”

“Do they really?”

“They sure do.”

I sat down across from her and let out a sigh. “Where did dad take you on your first date?”

“To the park.” She looked at me. “The one with the rollercoaster. By the beach.”

“Belmont Park?”