The Parent Trap

“My mom’s taking the night off from the restaurant, and I’ve already got the romantic music picked out.

“Plan B, we fight in school. Both parents will have to meet to take care of that.

“Plan C, is the Girl Scout field trip to the beach next weekend. I’ve already fixed it with the troop leader so your dad and my mom will have to be in the same car and spend the whole day together chaperoning. And remember, our whole plan will be ruined if my mom finds out what your dad’s job is, so we have to keep quiet about that, okay?”

“I don’t want to do Plan X, Zoe.”

“It’s last-ditch, only if nothing else works. And it’s not gonna happen anyway.”

Zoe was right as usual.

It was time to invent a family however they could.

Dear Reader,

After looking at winter’s bleak landscape and feeling her icy cold breezes, I found nothing to be more rewarding than savoring the warm ocean breezes from a poolside lounge chair as I read a soon-to-be favorite book or two! Of course, as I choose my books for this long-anticipated outing, this month’s Silhouette Romance offerings will be on the top of my pile.

Cara Colter begins the month with Chasing Dreams (#1818), part of her A FATHER’s WISH trilogy. In this poignant title, a beautiful academic moves outside her comfort zone and feels alive for the first time in the arms of a brawny man who would seem her polar opposite. When an unexpected night of passion results in a pregnancy, the hero and heroine learn that duty can bring its own sweet rewards, in Wishing and Hoping (#1819), the debut book in beloved series author Susan Meier’s THE CUPID CAMPAIGN miniseries. Elizabeth Harbison sets out to discover whether bustling New York City will prove the setting for a modern-day fairy tale when an ordinary woman comes face-to-face with one of the world’s most eligible royals, in If the Slipper Fits (#1820). Finally, Lissa Manley rounds out the month with The Parent Trap (#1821), in which two matchmaking girls set out to invent a family.

Be sure to return next month when Cara Colter concludes her heartwarming trilogy.

Happy reading!

Ann Leslie Tuttle

Associate Senior Editor

The Parent Trap

Lissa Manley

Books by Lissa Manley

Silhouette Romance

The Bachelor Chronicles #1665

The Bridal Chronicles #1689

The Baby Chronicles #1705

Love Chronicles #1749

In a Cowboy’s Arms #1769

The Parent Trap #1821

LISSA MANLEY

has been an avid reader of romance since her teens and firmly believes that writing romances with happy endings is her dream job. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her college-sweetheart husband of nineteen years, Kevin, two children, Laura and Sean, and two feisty toy poodles named Lexi and Angel, who run the household and get away with it. She has a degree in business from the University of Oregon, having discovered the joys of writing well after her college years. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, crafting, attending her children’s sporting events and relaxing at the family vacation home on the Oregon coast.

Lissa loves to hear from her readers. She can be reached at P.O. Box 91336, Portland, OR 97291-0336, or at http://lissamanley.com.

This book is dedicated to my two writing consultants, Lexi and Angel, who were there by my side as I wrote every word. And also to Jade, my consultant-in-training, who will join them on the couch as I write the next book. Thanks for the company, girls.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Prologue

“Are you sure this is going to work, Zoe?” Kristy Clark asked, chewing on her thumbnail. Kristy desperately wanted to believe her new best friend’s plan to invent a family would work, but wondered if she was stupid to try to get her dad to fall in love. He never even went out on any dates or anything.

Zoe Lindstrom rolled her blue eyes as she yanked a frilly white wedding dress onto her Malibu Barbie. “Sure it’s going to work. We’re inventors, just like my grandpa.”

“But do you really think we can make a family?” Kristy shifted on the porch stairs as she tried to pull a plastic comb through her Skipper doll’s tangled brown hair so Skipper would look good in her flower-girl outfit. “Isn’t it kind of…well, impossible?” To Kristy, an instant family, complete with built-in sister, seemed like a little too much to hope for. And having a mom…well, that was just a dream, a beautiful fantasy, really.

But, oh, the thought of having a mom she could talk to about girl stuff and go shopping with! Sure, her dad was great. But he was a man. What did he know about the coolest nail polish colors?

Zoe sifted through the shoe box full of Barbie clothes on the porch stairs, pulling out a Barbie-sized wedding veil and tiny white satin shoes. “I don’t have a dad, you don’t have a mom. Your dad is so funny, and my mom likes to laugh, and they both like to work out and they both own restaurants. They’re perfect for each other. How hard can it be?” She plopped the veil on Barbie’s head, then shoved the shoes on her feet.

“But what if they don’t fall in love?” Kristy wanted a whole family more than anything, but her dad had to love the woman he married, if he ever did manage to find someone he was interested in. That seemed pretty impossible right now. She was only eight, but it wasn’t hard to see that he still really missed her mom, even though it’d been seven years since she died and went to heaven.

Zoe flipped her blond hair over her shoulders and gave her an exasperated look. “Would you relax? Everything’ll work out fine as long as we follow my grandpa’s formula. Make a plan. Go over the plan again. Ex…um…oh, yeah, execute. Execute again if we have to.” She smiled and held up her Barbie, who was decked out for a wedding. “As long as we don’t blow anything up like my grandpa usually does, everything will be okay.”

Kristy wished she could be as sure about all of this as Zoe was. Zoe was so cool, so confident, so much fun. All the things Kristy longed to be.

Maybe going over The Plan would help. “So Plan A comes first, right?” Kristy asked.

Zoe nodded. “Right. Plan A, dinner at my house tomorrow night. Use any excuse you have to, just get your dad there. My mom’s taking the night off from the restaurant, and I’ve already got the romantic music picked out.”

“Gotcha.” Kristy fiddled with the end of her braid, admiring how well Zoe had planned all of this. “Then Plan B, right?” She wasn’t hot on Plan B, but would do it if it helped invent her a family.

“Right again. Plan B, we fight at school. Both parents will have to meet to take care of that.”

“Plan C after that.”

“Yup. Plan C, Girl Scout field trip to the beach next weekend. I’ve already fixed it with the troop leader so your dad and my mom will have to be in the same car and spend the whole day together chaperoning. My grandpa told my mom he needs her car that day, so she can’t offer to drive herself. And remember, our whole plan will probably be ruined if my mom finds out what your dad’s job is and if your dad finds out what my mom’s job is, so we have to be quiet about that, okay?”

“Okay.” Kristy swallowed hard. “And then…Plan X.”

Zoe gazed at her, suddenly looking serious. “Plan X is last-ditch, only executed if nothing else works.”

“I don’t want to do Plan X,” Kristy said, biting her lip. Her dad would ground her for life if she actually went through with it.

Zoe put her hand on Kristy’s arm and squeezed. “Don’t worry about Plan X. It’s not gonna happen.” She picked up her Ken doll and adjusted his black tuxedo. “But if it does, it’ll be okay. We’ll be safe the whole time, Kris. No one will get hurt.”

Kristy hoped so. She wanted to invent a family a lot, but Plan X made her kind of nervous.

Too bad. She was determined to be more like Zoe. Confident. Fearless. Sure of herself and their plan.

“This is my mom, and this is your dad,” Zoe said, picking up Bride Barbie and Groom Ken. Then she gently pressed them together as if they were kissing, her mouth curling into a huge smile. “We can do this, Kris. If we want to be a family, we have to.”

Zoe was right, as usual.

It was time to invent a family however they could.

Chapter One

“Here, Mom, put this on.”

Jill Lindstrom put down the lasagna she’d just taken out of the oven, then swung around and met her nine-year-old daughter Zoe’s excited gaze. Zoe had a bottle of Jill’s favorite perfume held high, her finger on the spray button, ready to blast Jill in the face with the scent.

Jill quickly danced back a step, out of spray range, then raised an eyebrow, dubiously regarding the bottle of perfume. “Geez, Zoe, watch where you point that stuff.”

Zoe rolled her eyes. “Just put some on.”

“I already put perfume on this morning,” Jill said, moving to the fridge to take out the Caesar salad she’d made earlier. “I don’t need any more.”

“C’mon, Mom—”

Jill held up a hand. “Look, I already wore the jeans and sweater you set out, and I left my hair down as you so forcefully demanded.” She put the salad down and went in search of the salad tongs. “I’m drawing the line at excessive amounts of perfume. We want to welcome Kristy and her dad, not knock them out with loads of Ralph Lauren.”

Zoe huffed, flicked her blond hair over her shoulder and spun around to leave the kitchen. “Okay, Mom. I’ll be waiting in the living room.”

Jill watched her go, shaking her head, one side of her mouth quirked. It certainly didn’t take a genius to figure out that Zoe was very, very concerned that Jill look—and apparently smell—her best. Similarly, she suspected it was no coincidence that Kristy’s father was single, just as Jill was.

Looked as if Zoe and her new best friend were up to a little matchmaking. Was that thanks to the influence of Zoe’s grandpa? Zoe absolutely adored her grandpa, and he had made no secret of his desire to see Jill married again.

Jill rolled her eyes. No matter who was involved, any matchmaking was a waste of time. Even though it had been six years since her ex-husband, Doug, had left her for another woman, she still wasn’t ready to put her heart, and self-respect, on the line again. She might never be.

Jill returned to the fridge and dug out the salad dressing and Parmesan cheese. As she gathered up the salad plates, she reiterated to herself how important it was that she not get sucked into any sort of relationship. And not just because she wasn’t ready to open herself up to again being ditched when someone better came along. Although that was a darn good reason all on its own.

No, she also needed to focus on her restaurant, The Wildflower Grill, and make it a success, an elusive dream she was determined to catch and hold on to.

Jill took the salad fixings to the dining-room table, her mind going over familiar territory, fueling her desire to become a successful, well-respected businesswoman.

She was so tired of being known only as the daughter of “Wacky” Winters, Elm Corners, Oregon’s resident inventor. The goofy guy with wild hair and thick, horn-rimmed glasses who ran around wearing a soot-stained apron and bright red hiking boots. Being the only relative of a man who blew up new inventions—and everything else he touched—on a regular basis wasn’t easy.

Jill returned to the kitchen, a flash of guilt sizzling through her. She wasn’t proud of the way she felt about her dad’s status in town, but there it was.

He wasn’t a bad man. He’d single-handedly raised Jill since her mother had died when Jill was three—not an easy task—and had always been there when she’d needed him. But there was no getting around the fact that he was the town joke, and she’d always lived in that shadow. Doug leaving her hadn’t helped. It was past time to step out into the light, make something of herself and gain the respect she’d never had. Owning a successful restaurant, being a valued member of Elm Corners’ business community was just the way to do that.

She bit her lip, well-known worries running through her like a dark tide. She’d slid back in her efforts to step up to the next level of success and finally expand her restaurant as she’d been wanting to do for the past few months.

Last week, the recently vacated space next door to her restaurant had been snapped up by someone before Jill could negotiate a lease. Just her luck that someone else would not only be opening another restaurant a mere two doors down, but also that they had been able to snatch the coveted lease out from under her nose. She had a mind to march right over to The Steak Place and give the new owner a piece of her mind.

Just as she picked up the lasagna to take it to the table, the doorbell rang. Following Zoe’s specific instruction that Jill be the one to answer the door—boy, she’d raised a bossy kid—Jill dropped the lasagna off in the dining room, then headed to the front door, meeting an excited-looking Zoe there. Jill calmed the flurry of butterflies that had taken up residence in her tummy. It had been a long time—forever, actually—since a man other than her father had come to dinner.

She was being ridiculous worrying, though. She had no reason to be nervous. This was dinner with her daughter’s best friend and her dad, nothing more.

Jill had agreed to the dinner because it was important that she become acquainted with the people her daughter spent time with. Maybe it was overprotective, but besides her dad, Zoe was Jill’s only family, the single most important person in her life. She’d protect her no matter what, even if it meant agreeing to invite to dinner a man she’d never met. They’d enjoy a nice meal, and that would be that.

Besides, Kristy’s dad—what had Zoe said his name was?—might be a short, middle-aged balding guy with bad breath and a paunch. Suited her just fine.

Putting on a smile, she opened the door to greet Kristy and her dad, vaguely noticing that Zoe had jumped forward to pull Kristy into the house.

Jill momentarily lost the ability to speak when she saw the tall, well-built, attractive man standing next to Kristy, the setting sun at his back.

Not balding. Not short. No paunch in sight. Early thirties, if her guess was right. And while she couldn’t possibly tell from this distance, she was pretty sure a guy who looked as good as Kristy’s dad did—all brown, wavy hair, dark, seductive eyes and broad shoulders—wouldn’t have bad breath.

Okey-dokey. So he was her fantasy man come true in the looks department, and she’d always been a sucker for a handsome guy. Didn’t matter.

She couldn’t let it.

A bottle of red wine in one hand, Brandon Clark stared at the tall, breathtakingly pretty blonde in the doorway, waiting for her to speak. She stared back, her blue eyes wide and unblinking in the light of the setting, early-autumn sun.

“You must be Zoe’s mom.” He extended his free hand, initiating the introductions, since she wasn’t saying anything. “I’m Brandon Clark.”

The woman—Jill, if he remembered correctly—blinked rapidly several times, her smooth, creamy complexion coloring the tiniest bit.

Brandon drew his eyebrows together. Why was she acting so surprised? He resisted the urge to check if he had something disgusting stuck to his face.

Before he could confirm or deny that fear, she smoothed her cream-colored sweater down and spoke. “Uh…yes, yes, of course. I’m Jill Lindstrom, Zoe’s mother.” She took his proffered hand in her much smaller, smoother one, sending tiny streaks of warmth up his arm, taking him off guard. When was the last time that had happened?

“Please, come in,” she said, quickly pulling her hand from his and gesturing him into the house. She turned to Kristy, standing with Zoe in the foyer.

Both girls were looking back and forth between him and Jill, expectant looks on their faces. Oh, man…

“Hey, Kristy,” Jill said, waving. “Glad you two could make it.”

Kristy smiled eagerly. “Hi, Mrs. Lindstrom.” She looked at Zoe and let out a silly laugh, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

Brandon raised one brow. Kristy definitely looked as if she had a big, juicy secret. The suspicions he’d had about Kristy and Zoe’s motives for this dinner flared again, setting him on a slight edge. Even though Kristy had sworn she and Zoe just wanted him to meet Jill for no particular reason at all, he smelled a major setup. Especially now that he’d seen her.

He tried not to let that unfortunate information bother him, even though anything remotely romantic coming of tonight’s dinner was impossible. No way was he going to start down a road that might set him up to lose someone he loved again. Not after Sandy had been taken away from him in such a lingering, heart-ripping way. Not even a gorgeous, family sort of woman like Jill could sway him from that vow.

Zoe gestured in the direction of a small hallway to the rear of the entryway. “You two go on into the kitchen and talk,” Zoe said as if she were an adult talking to kids instead of vice versa. “We’ll be upstairs.” She and Kristy took off up the stairs, giggling the whole way.

Brandon watched them go, shaking his head. “I think we have a couple of matchmakers on our hands,” he said to Jill, following her down the hallway. The smell of either lasagna or spaghetti and what he pegged as garlic bread filled the air, making his mouth water.

And yearn for what he used to have. Dinners in a warm kitchen with a woman he loved. Cleaning up together afterward. Cuddling on the couch later and watching TV. Heading upstairs to bed…

Jill turned around when she hit the quaint kitchen, which had oak cabinets and blue-and-white checked curtains. She spread her glossy-looking lips into a big smile. “You figured that out, too?”

He nodded, shoving thoughts of another time, another life far away where they wouldn’t bother him quite so much. “Hope you like red.” He handed Jill the wine, relieved that it didn’t seem as if she was in on the whole matchmaking scheme.

“Love it, and it will go perfectly with the lasagna.” She set the wine on the counter, then moved to the cupboard. “Good choice.”

“But not exactly lucky,” he said, noting how Jill’s wavy, shoulder-length hair color was an unusual combination of honey-gold and wheat-colored blond he really liked. Was it as soft as it looked? “Kristy has been talking of nothing but this dinner for days. I was constantly updated about the menu possibilities, so red wine was a no-brainer.”

“Ah, I see. I’ll just get a couple of wineglasses out, along with the garlic bread in the oven, and then we can eat.” She gestured to a wooden stool at a small eating bar on the other side of the Formica counter. “Have a seat for a minute.”

Brandon sat, propping his forearms on the edge of the counter. “So you suspected the girls’ motives, too?”

“It didn’t take too much to figure it out,” Jill said, setting two wineglasses on the counter. She then moved to the oven, picking up an oven mitt along the way. “Zoe was pretty obvious and very persistent.” Bending, she opened the oven and checked the foil-covered loaf of garlic bread.

Brandon rubbed his jaw, doing his best not to stare at the nice view of Jill’s rear end, but failing. Man, she looked good in those jeans. “Hmm. Must have been planned down to a T. Kristy told me what to wear and asked me if I’d brushed my teeth before we left.” He let out a rueful laugh, impressed by the girls’ planning. “I’m sure she would have hit me with some aftershave if she’d thought of it.”

Jill straightened, the bread in her hand. “I agree they’ve manipulated us into this evening for their own ridiculous purposes.” She looked at him, a hint of regret shining in her pretty eyes. “I hope you don’t mind too much.”

He shook his head. “Nope. I agreed to this because I wanted to spend more time with Kristy and because Zoe is the only friend Kristy has made since we moved to Elm Corners two months ago. I’m not about to squash her enthusiasm for their friendship.”

He didn’t add that he was ecstatic that Kristy seemed to be happy for the first time in forever. He prayed she settled into small-town life and that their relationship would grow stronger now that he’d ditched his job as a corporate attorney with killer hours in favor of opening a restaurant so he could spend more time with Kristy. Being a restaurateur was in his blood; he’d grown up in the business in Seattle, watching his father run two successful fine dining establishments with his brother.

Brandon loved his daughter more than life itself, and was determined to raise her right, despite having to do it alone. Even though he would still be working a lot of hours, especially until he hired a manager, Kristy could spend time with him at the restaurant after school. He was his own boss now, a blessing he planned to take advantage of to build a closer relationship with his daughter.

“Well, Zoe seems fond of Kristy, too,” Jill said, putting the bread on a cutting board. “It’s like they’ve been friends forever.” She made quick work of the bread, cutting it into thick slices and setting it in a cloth-lined wicker basket.

“Anything I can do?” Brandon asked, feeling as if he needed to do something besides just show up and eat.

“You could pour the wine. I’ll have Zoe pour her and Kristy’s drinks.”

Brandon opened the wine and poured it, then took both glasses and the bottle to the dining-room table, set with casual stoneware and utensils with chunky metal handles. Jill brought the bread in and called the girls.

A few minutes later Zoe and Kristy bounded into the dining room, their faces awash in speculative looks. Zoe poured them their drinks—grape soda pop, a special treat—and then all four of them sat down to eat.

Jill served everyone lasagna, which looked delicious, and Caesar salad covered in Parmesan cheese and croutons. Kristy started the bread around the table, and Brandon served himself a big slice.

Before he could dig in to his meal, Zoe piped up with, “Hey, Mr. Clark, did you know my mom belongs to The Health Hut?” She gave him an eager grin. “Don’t you work out all the time?”

Brandon gave her an indulgent smile. Nine-year-old girls certainly weren’t very subtle. “Actually, Zoe, I do. I’ve been running since we moved here because I haven’t had time to join a gym.” He turned his attention to Jill. “What do you think of The Health Hut?”

She lifted one slim shoulder. “I think it’s the only gym in Elm Corners, so I like it.”

“Maybe you should join, Mr. Clark,” Zoe suggested, her eyes alight with enthusiasm. “You two could work out together.”

While the thought of Jill Lindstrom in workout gear sounded great—he was pretty sure she’d have great legs—Brandon wouldn’t ever spend any personal time with her; dating definitely wasn’t on his to-do list. “I don’t know,” he said, attempting to sound noncommittal. It wouldn’t be fair to get the girls’ hopes up.

His tactic rolled right off Zoe, who looked at her mom and said, “Mom, you should take him to the gym with you tomorrow and help him find out about a membership.”