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Trumped Up Charges (Big Book 1), by Joanna Wayne
PDF Ebook Trumped Up Charges (Big Book 1), by Joanna Wayne
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When a mother's love meets a father's instinct…
Ex-marine Adam Dalton once dreamed of a life with Hadley O'Sullivan, but war and a near-fatal injury cost him dearly. Now he returns to Dallas to discover the unthinkable—Hadley is the prime suspect in the disappearance of her twin baby girls…the daughters he never knew he had.
Beyond Hadley's terror of having her children kidnapped is the shock of seeing Adam. Yes, she had kept him from his daughters, but now, when he insists they work together as a united front, she knows she is still in love with him. Despite their past, finding their children is their only hope to finally becoming a family—if time doesn't run out first.
- Sales Rank: #300846 in eBooks
- Published on: 2013-06-01
- Released on: 2013-06-01
- Format: Kindle eBook
About the Author
Joanna began her professional writing career in 1994. Now, almost forty published books later, Joanna has made a name for herself as being on the cutting edge of romantic suspense. She currently resides in a small community forty miles north of Houston, Texas. Joanna loves hearing from readers and you can email her at joannawayne@hotmail.com or write her at PO Box 852, Montgomery, TX 77356.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Adam Dalton pulled up behind a line of cars, pickup trucks and the Harley that blocked the driveway in front of the rambling ranch house. Judging from the number of vehicles, he'd guess all four of his half brothers and one half sister had also shown up for the reading of the will.
He'd never met any of his half siblings. The only reason he knew most of them existed was because their names and relationship were all listed in the letter he'd gotten inviting him to the ranch for this dubious occasion.
The legacy of Reuben Jackson Dalton.
R.J., the father he hadn't seen in twenty-seven years. All he knew of his biological father had come from his mother, Jerri, wife number three. If she'd ever said anything good about R.J., Adam didn't recall it.
But she must have loved him once—before she'd put him completely out of her life. She'd even lied about his being alive for years—which was strange in its own right, since she was normally a stickler for the truth.
She'd divorced R.J. when Adam was four years old.
He didn't remember a lot about that, but he did remember crying when they'd driven away from the ranch.
His mother had married again when Adam was eleven and Doug Abbott had become Adam's father in every way that mattered until he'd been killed in an early-morning pileup in a dense fog when Adam was eighteen. In his heart and mind, his father had died that day.
Still, Adam had always wondered about R.J. But from the time he was old enough to remember asking about him, his mother had told him R.J. had died soon after their divorce. He could tell she didn't like talking about him, so he'd eventually quit bringing up the subject.
Adam was twenty-one and leaving for his first tour of duty as a U.S. Marine before she admitted that R.J. was alive. Even then it was clear she hoped Adam wouldn't get in touch with him. She cautioned him that R. J. Dalton was nothing but trouble and had never cared anything about him or anyone else.
Nonetheless, Adam had thought about visiting R.J. then. He'd even gone so far as to get into his truck and start toward the ranch. He'd changed his mind before he'd reached the turnoff at Oak Grove. If R.J. had wanted him in his life, he'd have come looking for him. Adam would have been easy to find.
That's why the letter requesting his presence for the reading of the will had come as such a shock. He hadn't even heard that R.J. had died.
Oddly, Adam felt a twinge of loss as he opened the door to his truck and planted his feet on the hard earth. He wasn't sure if it was for R.J. or just for what might have been had R.J. ever been a real father to him.
But being overlooked by R.J. was only a precursor to the rejection that had come later. Hadley O'Sullivan had seen to that.
While he'd been fighting for his life from injuries sustained in an ambush on a craggy mountainside in Afghanistan, she'd found a replacement lover. She'd married him and given birth to twins before Adam was even out of rehab. Apparently Hadley, like R.J., figured Adam was easy to forget.
All in the past, he reminded himself as he climbed the wide wooden steps to the house. The clamor of voices coming from behind the closed doors promised that this was not a friendly meeting. Dread punched him in the gut. He didn't need this.
His phone rang as he turned the doorknob. He checked the caller ID. It was his mother, no doubt wanting to know how the gathering of the clan was going. He ignored the call and turned his phone to vibrate.
Right now he just wanted to get the will reading over and done with. He'd expected nothing from R.J. while the man was alive. He didn't expect any more now, so how bad could the meeting be?
As soon as he took a seat, Attorney Conroe Phipps called the meeting to order and had the siblings introduce themselves. And then the fun started.
Phipps used his laser to point out each preposterous detail as he went over the requirements to receive a share of RJ.'s estate. The jolts came hard and fast, similar to an emotional earthquake with countless aftershocks.
Adam scanned the room, briefly studying each of his half siblings. They were clearly as stunned as he was.
Jade, the only female of the group, was kicking her crossed leg with a ferocity that made him think she was about to propel into orbit. Even Cannon, the rodeo cowboy of the group and the one person Adam thought might have been more receptive to the terms of the will, wore an expression that looked as if he'd been kicked by a bull.
No one was smiling. Adam himself swallowed a few curses along the way. He figured there would be time to vent his protests and frustrations once the long-winded attorney finished his spiel.
"To sum it up," Phipps said as he put down his laser, "in order to collect your share of the estate, you have to not only live on the ranch but take an active role in its operations for one full year."
Questions and arguments started flying with everybody talking at once. Phipps's only response to the chaos was a look of snide satisfaction, as if the uproar was exactly what he'd expected and possibly hoped for.
"I have a successful career. Do you honestly expect me to give that up to play cowboy?"
"How can we possibly all live here at once? It's a big house, but not that big."
"How much money are we talking about? Is there any oil involved?"
"If there's nothing but the ranch, why can't we just sell it and split the money? This much land so close to Dallas should be worth a small fortune."
"My mother was right. R. J. Dalton was nuts. I say we get our own attorney and prove he was mentally incompetent. There's no way I'm living out here in the middle of nowhere."
That last complaint had come from Jade who had stopped kicking and was now standing with her hands firmly planted on her hips.
Phipps clapped his hands loudly to get everyone's attention. "I know you have lots of questions, so I'm going to turn this meeting over to the man whom the money currently belongs to and whose last will and testament seem to be causing you so much distress."
He grinned and nodded toward a door that was opening behind him. "Come in, R.J., and meet your loving and appreciative family."
Mouths flew open, including Adam's, as an older, gray-haired man with ruddy, weathered skin and an eagle tattoo on his wrinkled right arm sauntered into the room.
Apparently R. J. Dalton was still very much alive. If there was any grief in the room after this, Adam figured R.J. would be the one dishing it out.
R.J. took his place at the front of the room and eyeballed each of his offspring in turn. He recognized all of them from current pictures he'd had his neighbor and former private investigator Meghan Lambert locate for him.
A few of his adult children showed a slight resemblance to him. Most didn't. But the most surprising thing was that they'd all shown up today and none had bolted and run yet even though they had no idea how much he was really worth.
"Guess you're surprised to see me here," he said, purposely exaggerating his Texas drawl. "Didn't see why I should send a corpse in my place and miss all the fun. But don't worry. According to my friendly neurosurgeon, I'll be lucky if I see the new year ring in."
To his children's credit, no one cheered at that pronouncement. But that could be because they were still in shock that he wasn't already dead as they'd been led to believe.
"I know it's only eleven in the morning, but this is Texas. There's beer, coffee and some of the best dadgum barbecue this side of the Mississippi River in the kitchen."
"The kitchen we're all supposed to share for a year," someone grumbled.
"There's nothing in the will about sharing living quarters. There's a bunkhouse, a horse barn and a drafty old foreman's cabin on the property. I have to warn you, though, the cabin's starting to lean and the bunkhouse needs a new roof."
"And I suppose the horse barn is full of dead horses?" Jade quipped.
"Wrong. I got ten of the best damn thoroughbreds in the county and eight other good riding horses. I'm sure your mothers have told you that I've got a head as hard as a frozen wheel hub. That's all true. However I'm open to questions or just to chat. But I can assure you that the rules aren't going to change. So basically all you have to do is make up your mind. Do you want to be cut in or cut out?"
"To start, I think you should at least give us a ballpark figure as to the stakes we're talking about," Adam said.
"I reckon that's fair. We're talking about four hundred acres of prime ranchland that includes the house, outbuildings, about two hundred head of cattle and the horses I've already mentioned."
"What about cash and investments?" one of the guys asked.
"I'm worth about eight million dollars—give or take a few thousand."
Someone gave a low whistle. R.J. didn't see who, but he could tell from the way they all sat up a little straighter in their chairs that he had their attention.
R.J. saw no reason to mention that most of the money had come from the one gamble in his life that had actually paid off for him—a one-dollar lottery ticket purchased from the truck stop in Oak Grove.
He winked and managed a smile. "I'm glad you all came and hopefully we might even discover we like or can at least tolerate each other. Now who wants a beer?"
The others followed R.J. to the kitchen. Adam stepped outside to clear his head.
So this is what it felt like to be bought. Was that what R.J. had done to his mother, insisted she dance to his tune or leave the party? Adam wondered how much it had been worth to the man to get rid of her and Adam.
He expected it was a sizable amount, enough to ease R.J.'s guilt if he'd had any. Even before Adam's mother had remarried, they'd lived in a nice house in an exclusive neighborhood and as far as he knew, there had never been any money worries. His mother still lived in that house.
His phone vibrated. This time he took the call. "Hello, Mom. What's the matter? Can't wait to hear about R.J.'s latest tricks?"
"Did you hear the AMBER Alert the Houston police issued a couple of hours ago?" Her voice was shaking so hard he could barely understand her.
"I haven't."
"Twin girls were kidnapped from their grandmother's home in a Dallas subdivision during the night."
"Is this someone you know?"
"The grandmother is Janice O'Sullivan, Adam. It was Hadley's children who were kidnapped."
His heart bucked and knocked against his chest wall. He fumbled for words while he tried to get his mind around the news. "How did that happen?"
"I have no idea. The only details released were a description of the girls and the area where they were kidnapped."
"Then how do you know the missing girls are Had-ley's daughters?"
"My friend Crystal just called. Her daughter's husband is on the Dallas police force and was one of the first responders to the 911 call. He talked to Hadley. She's frantic."
"I'm sure."
"I know you two had a bitter breakup, son, but her daughters are missing. I think you should go over there and see if you can help."
"She has the Dallas police and maybe even the FBI. I'm sure they don't need me."
"But you're a decorated marine."
"We didn't handle child abductions in Afghanistan, Mom. Besides there's no reason to think Hadley or her husband would appreciate my interference."
"There was no husband around when Crystal's son-in-law talked to her. She was by herself."
"Where was her mother?"
"Janice is in the hospital. She's having surgery this morning. That's why Hadley and the girls are in town. And now her girls have been kidnapped. Hadley can't face this all alone."
"She has a husband."
"But he's not with her now and who knows how long it will take him to get to Dallas. I don't even know where they live. But you're here, Adam. At least talk to her. You've always helped anyone in trouble."
But this wasn't anyone. This was the woman whose image he'd held on to through hell and back only to learn she'd married someone else and borne his children.
The woman he'd spent the past few years trying to erase from his heart and mind.
But Hadley was alone and no doubt terrified, her children in the hands of an abductor. His heart pounded as adrenaline exploded inside him.
She might kick him out when he got there, but not going to her wasn't even an option. Eight million or eighty million dollars on the line, it made no difference.
He was out of here.
Most helpful customer reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Trumped Up Charges
By NancyCinNC
In Trumped Up Charges by Joanna Wayne: We find Adam Dalton an ex Marine who was badly injured in the war in Afghanistan. He has arrived at his estranged father's ranch to attend what is suppose to be the reading of R.J. Dalton's will. But not so fast, one is suppose to dead before a will is read "right". While at the Dry Gulch Ranch, he receives a call from his mother informing him that his ex-fiancé's twin daughters have been kidnapped.
Hadley O'Sullivan never told Adam Dalton he was a father. Believing the lies that Adam had told her after he was injured. She made a life for herself and their twin daughters Lacy and Lila. She has been a loving and caring mother to her daughters. Now that their daughters have been kidnapped she tells him the truth. She is determined to find her daughters, no matter that it takes.
Now Adam and Hadley along with help from R.J. and Fred Casey have joined forces to help find the twins. But one Detective isn't sure that Hadley herself isn't behind the kidnapping.
This was my first novel by Joanna Wayne, but it will not be my last. She wrote an Amazing Intrigue story, which had me guessing for a while. This was a non-stop read for me. I was waiting not so patiently to see who had taken the girls. Besides main characters that were well written, the author wrote great secondary characters. One in particular that you just wanted to beat the pulp out out. To make a reader feel that kind of passion in my humble opinion is the sign of a really talented writer. Well done !
Any fans of Intrigue novels will not be disappointed.
5/5 stars
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Even though I was originally given a copy from NetGalley, I had issues with the download and ended up purchasing this book from Amazon.com
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Another great story
By Jo Ann Robisheaux
Joanna Wayne's newest publication is part of the Big D Dads series. This time, she's centered her story on Adam Dalton, a wounded former Marine. Adam is doing his best to get used to civilian life when he learns that his one true love needs his help. Although he cut all ties with Hadley when his wounds left him partially paralyzed, the news that her twin daughters have been kidnapped brings out the protector in him.
Being near Hadley and seeing her in such great distress is more than Adam can bear, but the load gets heavier when Hadley confesses that he's the father of her daughters. How can Adam rescue his children and protect Hadley? That's the conflict at the center of this fast-paced story that's sure to have you guessing the identity of the kidnapper.
"Trumped Up Charges" is the first story of "The Daltons". Joanna Wayne never fails to deliver a fast-paced story with a satisfying ending and I'm looking forward to the next installment in the Daltons' series.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
fun & great suspense
By Kindle Customer
Hott Synopsis:
Every mothers worst fears are realized the morning Hadley wakes up to find her twin daughters missing from their beds.
Now, the lead detective starts making noises about Hadley being a suspect. Is he even serious? Hadley can barely function from fear and she's the only person he can think to pin the blame on?
In walks the man of her dreams and her daughters' unknowing father to further place suspicion firmly on Hadley's head. Can this house of cards she's built hold up under the strain or will this kidnapping mean the end of all of Hadley's dreams.
Hott Review:
What I liked: I loved the book. It was fun, there was great suspense. I really enjoyed Hadley & Adam. I will definitely read this again. However, ...
What I didn't like: There were some very odd maybe misplaced elements in this book. First, there were times that I needed to look at the cover again to see if it was Christian Fiction. It wasn't terrible or frequent but it was noticeable. I also, thought that the story would have worked without the drama of Adam's father.
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Author: Joanna Wayne
Source: Harlequin via Netgalley
Grade: A
Steam: YA -- 16+
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