Lib Novel Page 27
A few minutes later, Sparky shows up, looking sheepish. He thrusts a thick, folded, shiny blue blanket at Jigsaw.
“Thanks,” Jigsaw growls.
“I’m sorry, Margot,” Sparky says. “I thought you knew.”
He looks so sad, I can’t be mad. Ha! I rhymed. “It’s okay. I’ve just never done it before.”
“I’ll stay with you and walk you?—”
“Nope. I’m staying with her.” Jigsaw stands, and even though he’s only a few inches taller than Sparky, he seems to tower over him. “You’ve done enough.”
Sparky fidgets and shifts back and forth on his feet. “I’ll bring some snacks.”
My stomach lurches. “I feel too queasy to eat.”
Concern draws Sparky’s eyebrows down. “Queasy? That’s?—”
“She’ll be fine.” A bit gentler, Jigsaw adds, “Some water and food would be good. She might be hungry later.”
“Got it.” Sparky salutes Jigsaw and hurries away.
Jigsaw unfolds the blanket and spreads it out under the maple tree next to us. It’s slick, and shiny, made of a sleeping bag-like material meant to keep us dry from the damp grass.
“Come on.” Jigsaw holds out his hand to me.
“You want me to just nap on a blanket?”
“You don’t have to sleep. Just close your eyes until the queasiness passes.”
Thank God for his strong, steady presence. I need his assistance more than I expected. I clutch his hand and use it as leverage to lift myself off the bench. My head might be in the clouds, but my body feels like concrete blocks in human form.
At the edge of the blanket, I toe off my heels and touch my feet to the cool, soft ground.
“Ahhh.” I close my eyes, enjoying the bliss of tiny blades of grass tickling my toes.
A low rough chuckle comes from below me.
My eyes pop open.
Jigsaw’s sitting on the blanket with his back against the tree.
I sway on my feet a little. Even relaxed and in bright daylight, he looks utterly lethal.
He pats the blanket next to him.
Exhausted and dizzy, I drop down and slide over the slick material until I’m kneeling next to him.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I nod slowly, jostling all sorts of inappropriate thoughts and questions around inside my skull.
He pats his thigh. “Use me as your pillow.”
I blink and frown at him. “Are you serious?”
“Or fold the edge of the blanket up if you want. It’s big enough.”
I drag my gaze to where the blue meets green grass. It looks so far away. And Jigsaw looks so inviting. I slide my body down, the fabric of my dress making a zzzzzzp sound against the slick blanket.