One Little Thing Read Online Free PDF

“But at least I feel a little ashamed about it.”
    â€œI have nothing to be ashamed of. I just took my doggie to the beach.”
    Sophie crossed her arms over her chest. “I take back my apology, then.”
    He shrugged. “I didn’t want it in the first place.”
    With a sigh and an eye roll, muttering something about “show offs” and “egos,” Sophie took off again, turning onto Lister Street, where cookie-cutter houses lined both sides of the street and the street lights were farther apart. He caught up with her easily, and she huffed in his general direction.
    â€œYou know—”
    The thought was cut off as a small, furry blur shot across the sidewalk, barely missing Sophie’s exposed toes, and disappeared into the Haversons’ yard.
    Sophie squeaked and jumped out of the way, bumping into him and knocking them both off-balance as she grabbed him like she was about to climb him. He held her arm to steady her. “It’s just a mouse.”
    â€œ
Just
a mouse
?
”
    â€œOkay, not
just
a mouse. It may have been an Alabama beach mouse.”
    â€œLike that’s
better
?” She looked around as if there might be a whole horde of them headed her way. And she didn’t let go of his arm, either, not that he minded.
    â€œIt is.” At her look, he added, “They’re endangered, you know. We don’t get a lot of them this far north, and especially not this far from the beach. He must be lost.”
    â€œEndangered rodents? You’ve
got
to be kidding me.”
    â€œIt could just be a regular mouse, of course,” he offered. “But, either way, he’s long gone.”
    â€œI think I’d prefer it be an endangered mouse. That’s a little less horrible.” She shuddered slightly, but she still didn’t release him, so he tucked her hand under his arm and started walking. “I don’t like mice. Or rats. Or snakes,” she added.
    â€œIf you don’t like mice, you really should like snakes.” When she looked at him strangely, he added, “You know, because they eat mice.” She continued to stare at him. “Jeez, how much
did
you have to drink?”
    â€œFunny,” she said but she didn’t answer the question. And even though he was now walking arm-and-arm with her, she didn’t seem all that unstable on her feet. “My ex had a snake when we first started dating,” she said, apropos of nothing. “He had to give it to his nephew before I’d move in.”
    â€œYou’re a hard woman. Making a man give up his pet.”
    â€œIt’s not like it was a dog or something,” she protested. “And he was allowed ample visitation with it. At his nephew’s house,” she stressed. “Moving it back in was the first thing he did when I moved out.”
    He hadn’t been sure how—or if—to mention her divorce as she hadn’t mentioned it or her ex, even in passing, anytime this evening until now. Now that she had, though, he felt like he should say
some
thing. But what? Congratulations? Condolences? Finally he settled for, “Are you and your ex on good terms?”
    She shrugged. “Good enough. We’re not keeping in touch or anything, but it wasn’t an ugly divorce, either, so . . .”
    â€œThat’s good.”
    She cut her eyes sideways at him. “It was
easier
, that’s for sure.”
    â€œSorry, I didn’t mean to imply . . .”
    She patted his arm. “I know you didn’t. We got married while I was still in college, and it just didn’t work the same once I wasn’t.”
    â€œToo young?”
    She laughed quietly. “I was, at least.”
    â€œSurely he was, too.” At her look, he added, “I mean, if y’all met in college . . .”
    â€œWe did
meet
in college. He was one of my professors.”
    â€œOh.”
    â€œYeah. I