“You are,” Dhara confirms. “She wants you to get to know Evelyn.”
“Look, it’s not that I don’t want to know her daughter or spend time with her, I do. The problem is—”
“That your life is there and hers is in Bailey. And you’re afraid Evelyn will get attached and you won’t be able to make it work, am I right?”
“In a nutshell.”
“Have you asked Jamie what she wants? I do believe she’ll move to be with you, if you want her. There isn’t anything holding her to Bailey.”
“Her family, friends and her job are there.”
Dhara scoffs. “But the man she loves is in California and I don’t know about you, but I think love trumps all.”
“I wish it were that easy.”
“It is. Now, listen to my plan.” Dhara starts in on her idea and while it seems farfetched, it could work. Of course, she’s thrown herself and Fletcher into the mix and has asked for tickets to the 4225 West concert at the Hollywood Bowl next week. And because Dhara doesn’t want Whiskey to know that I’m paying for everyone’s flights, she’s going to tell Whiskey that she won a contest. I, however, am supposed to play it off like I won’t be in town.
“I hope you’re right,” I tell her. “I’m not sure Whiskey will fall for this.”
“She will,” Dhara says. “I am a die-hard fan and before you stormed into town, we had tickets to see you guys in concert.”
“Wait, Whiskey was going to go to my concert?”
“What, no,” she scoffs. “Logan, Fletcher and I were there, sort of. Jamie would’ve never agreed to go, but now that she wants to bang the drummer, she’d probably change her mind.” Dhara giggles and I can’t help but grin like a fucking fool.
“Are you in?” she asks. I tell her I am, and that I’ll be in touch with travel arrangements for them. She squeals and tells me I’m the best. I have a feeling it has nothing to do with me and Whiskey, but rather Dhara’s desire to meet Liam Page. As soon as we hang up, I send an email to Elle asking her if she can pull this together for me, and then send one to Harrison asking for the tickets. I haven’t told anyone about Whiskey’s daughter.
Back upstairs, Nola’s out on the deck reading. “Hey,” I say, interrupting her. “Can I talk to you for a second.”
She closes her book and sets it down on the table in front of her. “What’s up?”
“Is it okay if Jamie stays here for a few days?”
“Yeah, of course.”
I nod and think about how to ask the next part of my question. I have no idea whether she and Quinn even like kids or if they want one running around the house.
“Thing is, Whiskey has a five-year-old daughter who will come with her. If you’d rather they stay in a hotel, I completely understand.”
Nola’s eyes go wide as she grins widely. “How come you didn’t tell us she had a daughter? She could’ve come to the beach with us.”
I run my hand over my hair and half smile. “I didn’t know until my last night in Bailey. I sort of had an idea, but Whiskey was so evasive with her answers about her life that I didn’t come out and ask her.”
“Have you met her?”
“Briefly.”
“Does this complicate things for you?”
I nod. “It’s easy to ask Whiskey to move here, but to ask her to uproot her child, that’s a whole other situation.”
“Yeah, and I’m sure the girl’s dad might have an issue it.”
“The Dad isn’t in the picture. Whiskey says he’s married with a family and wants nothing to do with Evelyn.”
“Evelyn? That’s her name?”
I nod.