Wind River by Washburn L.J. & Reasoner James

Author:Washburn, L.J. & Reasoner, James [Washburn, L.J.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2011-08-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Kent stared at her in shock for a moment after that astounding claim. When he was finally able to speak again, he said, "You must be mistaken. I knew Andrew McKay. He was not the sort of man to . . . to . . ."

"Bed down with a whore?" Becky smiled. "No offense, Doc, but I reckon you didn't know him as well as you thought you did."

"But his wife is a very attractive woman—"

"I may be new to the game, but I've already learned it don't matter what you got, if you ain't willin' to use it. Andrew told me his wife didn't want him in her bed 'cept every once in a blue moon."

Taut lines of dismay appeared on Kent's face. He didn't want to hear this sort of thing about a man he had considered a friend and a woman he greatly admired. A married couple's private lives were just that—private. Unless, of course, there was a legitimate medical reason for him to be involved.

In this case, there was indeed a medical reason—Becky's pregnancy—but still Kent felt awkward and uncomfortable hearing such intimate details about the McKays.

The look of cunning on the young prostitute's face had grown more intense. As she laced her fingers together over her stomach, she said, "Andrew and his wife didn't have any kids, so this one here is his only, what you call it, heir. Ain't that right?"

"Well, the legitimacy of such a claim would be very difficult to prove," Kent hedged. "At any rate, most of Mr. McKay's business holdings went to William Durand under the terms of their partnership agreement."

"Yeah, but she got something—the wife, I mean. I reckon she's pretty well-off, and some of that money ought to go to my baby, by all rights."

Beads of sweat popped out on Kent's forehead. If this young woman came forward with her claim of having been impregnated by Andrew McKay, it would cause a great deal of embarrassment for Simone. In fact, the widow would be devastated, Kent judged. He could not allow that to happen if he could prevent it.

"Perhaps you have a case," he said to Becky, "but as I told you, it would be virtually impossible to prove in court. And you would cause a great deal of trouble for some innocent people if you pressed your claim."

"Innocent people? You mean Andrew's wife, don't you?" She gave him a sly smile. "Are you sweet on that widow woman yourself, Doc?"

Kent's bearded features hardened. "I'll thank you not to speculate on things that are none of your concern, Miss Lewis. What we have to decide is what we're going to do about this situation."

"Ain't nothin' to decide. I'm goin' to have a baby."

"Yes, indeed you are." Kent sighed.

"And I'll bet that Mrs. McKay'd be happy to pay to keep her husband's name from bein' dragged through the mud. Long as I keep quiet about it, I don't have to prove nothin' in court."

Kent had been hoping that Becky wouldn't arrive at that conclusion, but it was a futile hope, he knew.

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