Read Winning Wyatt (The Billionaire Brotherhood Book 1) Online
Authors: Jacie Floyd
“She
wouldn’t have done that,” Natalie insisted. “She always said that acknowledging
rumors only gave them credence.”
“Apparently,
the gist of her response was that there was no truth to the story and the young
man should look elsewhere for his paternity.” Lawrence’s lips thinned into a
disapproving line. “He threatened to take your father’s estate to court if she
didn’t take the allegation seriously.”
Another
recent memory slipped through Dylan’s confusion and clicked into place. “That
explains why Mother asked me to promise not to let anyone dishonor Dad’s name
after her death. I thought she was concerned about the Karen Hammonds
tell-all.”
Natalie
sniffed at the reference to their father’s flamboyant ex-press secretary.
“I
guess it was
this
jerk she feared.” Just
then another possibility reared its ugly head. “Wait a minute, who’s his
mother?”
Lawrence
flipped through the document. “The woman’s name was Lana Harris.”
“Never
heard of her.” Dylan resumed his slouch against the armoire, only slightly
relieved to hear that Karen Hammond wasn’t involved in the scam. Not at first
glance, anyway.
“Does
she claim she slept with Dad before or after he married Mother?” Natalie asked.
“After,
of course.” Dylan didn’t hesitate to make the guess. “It wouldn’t be scandalous
or noteworthy otherwise.”
“Actually,
the woman hasn’t claimed anything,” Lawrence said. “She lived in East
Langden
, but she disappeared exactly one week before your
father’s death.”
“Curious
timing,” Natalie murmured.
The
hair stood up on the back of Dylan’s neck. Neither the family nor the
authorities had ever been satisfied that all the facts had been uncovered
regarding Matthew Bradford’s drowning twenty-five years earlier. Now, a new
wrinkle added to the mysterious circumstances.
“What
steps have you taken to discredit this lie?” Natalie asked.
“We
hired a detective.” Lawrence dipped his chin and looked at the trio over his
reading glasses. “The investigation has been inconclusive, I’m sorry to say.”
“Have
you asked Uncle Arthur about it?” His father’s younger brother would be the
obvious source of information.
“Your
mother wanted to hold off on that, but I’m afraid we can’t put it off much
longer. The matter has suddenly become more urgent.”
“Why?”
“With
her death, the young man is no longer prepared to wait. If there’s no word from
the Bradford family before the foundation awards ceremony on July first, he
says he’ll take his story to the press.”
“But
that’s only five weeks away.” An uncharacteristic curse escaped Natalie’s lips.
“Normally, I’d say let the jerk do his worst, but I don’t want the awards
diminished because of some disgruntled nutcase.”
Lawrence
nodded. “The negative publicity would certainly tarnish the event’s shiny
image.”
“Has
he requested DNA testing?” A slow anger at the bastard’s audacity scalded its
way through Dylan’s stomach.
“Ultimately,
I believe that’s what he’s after, but no papers have been filed.”
Lawrence blinked. “If you wish to lay the
matter to rest, the request could come from the Bradford family.”
“No.”
Dylan rejected the idea with a slash of his hand.
“Why
not?” Natalie asked. “That might be the quickest way to disprove the
accusation.”
“That
would imply we’re entertaining the possibility of a link between this man and
our father. I think it’s too soon for that. Let’s make him produce something
more substantial than a ‘rumor’ before we give him what he wants.”
“I
agree,”
Linc
offered. “If you don’t insist on hard
evidence, you’d be laying the groundwork for anyone out there with blue eyes
and big feet to claim a relationship.”
A
familiar expression of Bradford stubbornness stole across Natalie’s face.
“What could be more decisive evidence than a
DNA test?”
“Mother
asked me to protect and honor our father’s good name. I didn’t know this threat
existed, but she wouldn’t want me to allow the first schemer to come along to
muddy Dad’s reputation within a week of her death.”
“You’re
pretending to be reasonable, but you’re seething inside,” Natalie observed.
“That’s never a good sign.”
Because
she was right, Dylan ignored her. The discontent that had dogged him lately,
combined with the sorrow and helplessness over his mother’s death, now
coalesced into a plan. Propelled by his mother’s request, along with his own
desire to preserve his father’s reputation, adrenaline shot through him. He
shook off the emotional and physical lethargy that lingered after the inactive
weeks spent at his mother’s side.
“Let’s
see the detective’s report.” He loosened his tie and reached for the folder.
Natalie
studied him. “What are you cooking up?”
He
understood her dread that his restlessness would lead him into trouble, but he
also knew she’d chafe at being sidelined by her pregnancy. The two of them had
raced neck and neck in their quest for adventure most of their lives. But now,
her focus had narrowed to her own little family. Just as it should. Dylan would
take care of the bigger picture. “It might be a good idea for me to go look
over my East
Langden
property.”
Her
eyebrows flew up to her hairline. “When?”
“The
sooner the better. Apparently, we don’t have much time.”
“Tell
me what you’re planning,” she said, still skeptical.
He
owed her the truth. They weren’t children anymore, and this wasn’t a prank. He
told himself that this was something he had to do. For his parents and for
himself. For Natalie and her children. “I’m going to do my damnedest to blow
Clayton Harris’s claim sky high.
On one of the worst days of their lives and
the history of the country, three boys with nothing in common except their
privileged upbringings form a bond of friendship that lasts through years of
personal struggles and triumphs. Wyatt is the intellectual, Dylan is the
daredevil, and Ryan is the easy-going athlete.
My most
important resource is the community of writers surrounding me. This includes
all of the inspiring and talented women of The Ruby-
Slippered
Sisterhood, The Pixie Chicks, The Lucky 13s, the
Fivecorners
,
and The Golden Network. I am so grateful to have all of these talented and
supportive women in my world.
Special thanks
to my daughter Sarah. I could not have accomplished this without her technical
expertise. In 2013, she urged me to consider self-publishing my manuscripts. In
2014, she almost single-handedly made it happen. In 2015, we’re still going
strong.
Thank you to my
son Evan, for encouraging me to write and always making me laugh.
Additional
thanks to editor-extraordinaire Annie
Oortman
,
mega-talented cover designer Kim
Killion
of The
Killion
Group, and excellent Beta Readers Annie W., Sarah
P., and Denise J.
The
McNattons
and the Floyds are the people who formed me and
shaped me throughout my life. For good or bad, they made me the person I am. I’ll
always be grateful for their love and support.
Last but not
least, thank you, Goble, for making all my dreams come true. You are the love
and the light of my life.
Jacie
Floyd writes contemporary romance, romantic comedy, and emotionally-rich
stories about the kind of strong women and bold men you want to read about and
know.
From the time she read her first Nancy Drew mystery, she's
been an avid reader and writer in a variety of genres. After many years as a
wife and mother with a nine-to-five job, the desire to create her own stories
became her obsession. While polishing her craft as an unpublished author, she
was honored to be named a six-time Golden Heart Finalist and two-time Golden
Heart winner by the Romance Writers of America. Finally giving in to the
inevitable, she abandoned her day job in order to self-publish the kind of
stories she likes to read and write. She hopes you like them, too.