‘Stop reading something that isn’t there,’ she said, well aware that she suspected there was something there to be read. Or there could be. They’d only met a couple of days ago and had only progressed from deep suspicion and dislike to friendly twenty-four hours ago. ‘Is Libby coming over for lunch today?’ she asked, swerving the conversation away from Lorcan.

‘I’m not sure. I don’t think so. Why?’

‘Because, brother dear, I have news. Ewan McLachlan news. I was going to text her but thought it would be best to tell her face to face. I was kind of hoping she’d be here.’

‘I can get her here,’ Noah said. ‘If I told her you had Ewan McLachlan news, I’m pretty sure she’d be here in lightning-quick time. I’m guessing by your glow that it’s good news?’

‘To be honest, I’m not entirely sure if it’s good or bad news yet, but he has offered to have a chat with me tomorrow night at the reading.’

‘I’d call that bloody amazing news! Well done, Jo.’ Noah grinned and pulled her into a hug. ‘Libby will definitely want to know that. She’ll be delighted for you.’

‘Hmmm, maybe not if he slates the book,’ Jo said, as she chewed her lip. She absolutely didn’t want to pre-empt whatever it was Ewan was going to say or start popping champagne corks too early.

‘He won’t. I know it,’ Noah said. ‘I’ll call her, get her to come over.’

Jo thought of Lorcan waiting outside and considered whether or not she wanted Libby to join in the Spanish Inquisition trying to get a measure of him. ‘Actually, maybe you could just tell her for me. And tell her I’ll chat to her later?’

Noah eyed her suspiciously. ‘You just want to get back to your wee English fellah?’ he said, using the nickname given to the character of James in Derry Girl.

‘It’s not really fair to leave him sitting out there on his own. Or to put him under the microscope when he only came in here for one of Erin’s sourdough toasties.’

‘I get your point,’ Noah nodded. ‘But you know we’re all just watching out for you because we love you and because up until now we’ve always thought this Lorcan fellah sounded like an arse.’

‘I just think we might’ve misjudged him,’ Jo said. ‘I mean I’m still raging that he didn’t come and see Harry when he was sick, but I’m not sure he’s as bad as we thought.’

‘And it doesn’t hurt that he hasn’t exactly been battered by the ugly stick,’ Noah smirked.