There was a pause. ‘Jo, a lot of people are jealous of success. I always thought that’s all that was happening. People were jealous and stirring the pot. Ewan doesn’t always endear himself to people,’ he said. ‘Besides, there was always just enough of his own style to convince me he was telling me the truth. McCreadie was always there, you know. But I think he got lazy. Or arrogant. Actually, knowing Ewan, I’d say it was arrogance. But he can’t cover this up and I won’t let him.’
Even though it was still raining, Jo decided she wanted to walk home all the same. She needed the fresh air and knew that the walk would do her good.
‘I can drive you home if you want?’ Noah offered, after she and Lorcan had called into The Ivy Inn to fill him in on the phone call, but Jo shook her head.
‘Honestly, Noah. I really would prefer to walk. I’m not made of sugar and I won’t melt in this rain.’
‘I could walk with you,’ Lorcan offered. ‘I’m going at least partially in the same direction.’
‘Yes,’ Jo said, as she realised she would actually like that, ‘that would be nice.’ She felt as if they had shared a lifetime of secrets in the last few hours and while she did quite desperately want to be cosy in her bed with the duvet pulled up to her ears, she also quite liked the thought of spending just a little bit longer with this man, who made her feel safe and listened to.
‘That’s it settled then,’ Noah said. ‘And I’m happy that you’re not walking alone.’
‘I’m okay, you know,’ she said. ‘It’s very strange and all, but I am okay.’
‘I know,’ Noah replied. ‘But I still like knowing you’re being looked after.’
As she walked home a few minutes later, with Lorcan by her side and the rain thankfully having passed, she tried to harness those feelings of being okay and feeling safe.
‘It’s been quite the day,’ Lorcan said.
‘You could say that,’ Jo replied.
‘If this was a book itself, no one would believe it,’ Lorcan said with a smile.
Jo grimaced. ‘Stop,’ she teased.
‘I wonder if they would get McCreadie to investigate it all?’ Lorcan asked.
‘The Case of the Gobshite Author?’ Jo offered in response and smiled. Although, if she was honest, she still felt a little bruised by everything. She had been tricked by Ewan McLachlan and used by him. Maybe she’d been foolish to trust him so implicitly and so quickly.
‘You’re still beating yourself up over it?’ Lorcan said.
‘It’s that obvious?’
‘Yeah, well. That and I know I’d be beating myself up over it too.’
‘I’m not sure how to let go of that bit,’ she admitted.
‘Well, first of all, maybe realise that all’s well that ends well. You have an agent. A really great agent. And he loves your book.’
She nodded. ‘I suppose.’ And that was the great thing. Perhaps the thing she should really focus on. After they’d talked about Ewan and his dastardly ways, the conversation had moved on to more enjoyable grounds. He did love her work and he was ‘desperate’ (his words) to represent her. So, she was now officially agented.
‘And you pulled a proper Scooby Doo and uncovered the villain of the piece,’ Lorcan said, and Jo felt herself smiling.
‘I always fancied myself as a bit of Daphne,’ she said.
‘I’d be Shaggy,’ Lorcan remarked. ‘If it was me, you know. I think Paddy would make a great Scooby too.’
‘He would,’ Jo grinned.
‘But, seriously, Ewan won’t be able to do this to anyone again. Everyone will know what he’s really like. I’m sorry you’ve been hurt in the process. You really liked him?’ Lorcan’s voice was serious again.
‘I did,’ she said. ‘He is very charming. And he seemed very genuine.’
‘And he looks like George Clooney in ER,’ Lorcan said. ‘I imagine that doesn’t hurt.’
Jo smiled. ‘Well, that’s true, but him being an arse cancels out any good looks he might possess.’
‘Yes!’ Lorcan said. ‘There’s hope for us less aesthetically pleasing men after all.’
Jo laughed and looked at him. Did he not realise how attractive he was? She might have told him had she not been concerned with not taking advantage of his broken heart. She quickly changed the subject and, before she realised it, they had already walked on past Lorcan’s street and were in fact closer to her own home.
‘God, you didn’t need to walk me this far,’ she said. ‘We were too busy chatting to notice.’
‘I don’t mind,’ Lorcan replied. ‘I’ve enjoyed our chat.’
All Jo could do in return was smile, until she heard a small, very excited voice call her name. She turned her head to see Clara running down the street towards her. Still in her school uniform, with her backpack bouncing up and down on her shoulders as she ran, in perfect time with her bouncy curls. Clara was grinning.
Jo’s mum was following behind, and raised her hand to wave.
As she prepared for the imminent high-impact assault, Jo crouched down and opened her arms wide. Clara, absolutely delighted to see her big sister, barrelled into her and wrapped her arms tightly around Jo’s neck.
‘Jojo! Mammy and I were just having a walk-home disco and then I saw you!’
‘A walk-home disco?’ Jo asked as she stood up, lifted Clara off the ground and rained kisses onto her soft cheeks.
‘Yes!’ Clara said, with such authority it was as if everyone in the entire world should know what a walk-home disco was. ‘Mammy and me sing songs and dance while we’re walking. Put me down and I’ll show you.’
‘Okay, my wee dote,’ Jo said, and she watched while Clara launched into a Little Mix song and started to walk back towards her mum, hips wriggling and hands waving. Jo couldn’t help but be filled with joy when she saw her mum join in and sing all the words as well as Clara. It was simply gorgeous to watch the two of them act so silly together.
‘Are all your family this mad?’ Lorcan asked.
‘Afraid so,’ Jo replied and watched as a broad smile broke across Lorcan’s face.
‘Jo Campbell, I would very much like to see your walk-home disco moves.’
‘Is that a challenge?’ she asked.
‘It is,’ he replied. ‘But I’m warning you. I have some pretty crazy moves myself.’
‘Well, in that case, challenge accepted,’ Jo grinned before she set off down the path towards Clara and her mum, doing her best Soul Train moves and really trying not to think about the cars that passed. When she glanced backwards, she saw Lorcan, apparently devoid of all self-consciousness, as he followed and showcased some pretty special hip-hop moves.
By the time she reached her mum, and all four of them were dancing in the street, singing along to a pop song Jo only knew one line of, she was almost helpless with laughter.
‘I did warn you,’ Lorcan shouted as he attempted an impressive spin on one foot and wobbled a bit. Thankfully, he was able to right himself before anyone sustained an injury, but his silly stagger to a safe and upright standing position was enough to make Clara hoot with laughter.