The Elaborate Parent Trap

Chapter One

It was just like any other Wednesday, beautiful weather for it being January, the kids were just getting back from holidays, and Chris had just opened her shop back up since the holidays. It was a calm day and she only had two walk in's so she presumed today was going to be a good one.

Christina finally finished putting away the last cord and stripping her gloves off. She sat back and picked up her phone to see the time. "FUCK!" Chris squeaked. "I'm late! Kate lock up please!" Chris called to her receptionist as she bolted out the door to her truck, she jumped in and bolted for the school to get her daughter.

Meanwhile, Christina was not the only one late...

"Matt! Matt man, it's almost four! You gotta pick up, River." Zacky yelled to his friend still in the booth.

"Fuck!" Matt yelled grabbing his keys and bolting out the doors.

He ran down to his truck and jumped in, quickly peeling from the lot of the recording studio and heading toward the school. Both parents arrived at the same time, Christina walked up to the doors, at the same time Matt did. Matt stopped, taken slightly aback at the small, gorgeous blonde with wickedly beautiful sea-coloured eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. Christina too stopped, looking up at the man in front of her, he was rather large with many tattoos littering his arms and his chest from what she could see peeking out beneath the neck of his black tee shirt.

Chris noticed the man was staring at her and her cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red as he reached out opening the door for her. Christina's thoughts raced as she wondered why he was staring; did she have something on her face? Was her make-up smudged? She shook her head wondering why she cared as she walks inside. "Thank you." She said kindly to the tall, tattooed man.

"You're welcome," Matt said, and Chris was slightly surprised by the sound of his soothing voice, but that beautiful, dimpled smile he gave her had her blushing again.

Inside the office, Jadelyn and River sat watching this exchange. "Daddy doesn't normally do that for people." River said surprised.

"My Mommy never goes red like that." Jade giggled. "I think they like each other." She said with a smile.

"You think?" River asked.

"Yes." Jade giggled.

"Trade me backpacks." River said with a mischievous smile.

Chris and Matt stepped inside the office moments later, apologizing profusely to the dean of the school. Matt took River's hand and led him outside as Chris did the same with Jade. Chris got Jade into her seat and climbed in, looking out her window trying to catch one last glimpse of the tattooed mystery man. The blonde sighed as she put her seat belt on and pulled away from the school. "I'm so sorry baby girl." Chris apologized to her daughter.

"It's okay Mommy." Jade smiled as they began the drive home.

When they arrived at their small two-story home, Chris parked her truck in the driveway and climbed out with Jade. She shooed the young girl inside and quickly followed, sighing. "Go start your homework, I'll make us nuggets and fries for dinner tonight?"

"Okay, Mommy!" Jade grinned running off to her room only to return five minutes later. "Mommy! I accidentally grabbed River's backpack and not mine." She said holding it up for her mom.

Christina grabbed the backpack and pulled a lost and found card from a pocket inside. "Looks like their phone number is in here. I'll call and see if we can make a switch." Chris sighed as she grabbed her phone. She dialled the number and waited for the other line to answer.

"Hello?" A deep male voice answered.

"Hi, I'm calling because this number was inside the backpack my daughter accidentally brought home, is this um, River Sanders father?" Chris asked nervously.

"Yeah, I am. One sec." The man replied. "RIV! Did you accidentally bring home someone else's backpack?" He could be heard asking, and Chris heard a small boy's voice answer him before some rustling could be heard. "I'm assuming your daughter is Jadelyn?" He laughed.

"Yes, that's her." Chris laughed. "Would I be able to swing by and switch them with you?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, that's fine." He replied before spewing out an address to her.

Christina thanked him and hung up before ushering her daughter back out to her truck. The drive was short, but they pulled up to a rather lovely house in a nice, gated community. "Wait here, I'll go exchange this for yours." Chris sighed grabbing the backpack from the passenger seat and getting out.

Christina knocked on the door and waited a few moments. When the door opened, much to her surprise it was the same man with the sweet, dimpled smile. "Um, hi." Chris squeaked, turning red from embarrassment at the sound of her voice.

"Hey, it's you." The man laughed. "I'm Matt by the way." He introduced himself as he reached inside to get the backpack.

"I'm Christina." She introduced, "Thank you for allowing me to swing by and exchange these." Chris laughed.

"It's no problem," Matt replied taking the backpack that Christina held up for him.

"It was nice to meet you, Matt." Chris smiled and nodded as she turned to walk away.

"Nice to meet you too." He answered with another dimpled smile as she got into her truck.

She watched him shut the door before blowing out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "You okay Mommy? You're all red." Jade asked from the back seat.

"I'm fine baby. Let's get home and get some supper." Chris replied, slightly hating how observant her eight-year-old daughter could be.

"You know, River is my best friend Mommy," Jade said. "He doesn't have a Mommy... Kinda like how I don't have a Daddy..." Jade said shrugging.

"Is that so?" Chris said. "Well, I'm glad you've made a friend baby, one you can relate to," Chris told her daughter.

"Me too Mommy." Jade grinned as they continued their trek home.