Chapter 38
When Ben arrived that afternoon, he found Kim in her bedroom, packing.
‘You’re leaving?’ He paused. ‘Not because of last night?’
‘Oh, Ben, I don’t know. Because of last night, because of today . . . because of a lot of things.’
‘Are those tears?’ He took her hand and led her into the kitchen. ‘What, you’re leaving for good? You sit. I’ll make a cuppa.’ He handed her a wad of tissues from the box on the bench.
She blew her sandpaper nose. Her whole face hurt, dry and salty from crying.
‘I reckon we can get past last night.’
‘Thank you, Ben, you’re very sweet. But the truth is, I don’t want to. I thought I did, but apparently I’m not ready. I’m just as surprised as you are.’
Ben’s laugh was hollow. ‘I doubt that.’
‘There’s something else, something terrible – Dusty was sh
