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"What about a charity event? To raise money for kids?"
"I don’t ride anyht he would continue to circle the large lake, but instead he made a few turns and before she realized where they were, he’d pulled up in front of City Hall Their ti wrong
When he didn’t turn off the engine, she got the hint
"Thanks for the tour," she said, feeling aard "I appreciate you taking the time"
"No problem"
She hesitated, wanting to say soot out of the SUV He drove off without a word
She stood on the sidewalk, staring after hiuilty and wasn’t sure why
"Because the horh of a coh
THE NIGHT WAS COOL, the sky clear There wasn’t any ht to illuminate the road, but that didn’t bother Josh He knew every buer from other riders because he rode alone He had to It was the only way to work through his issues
As he headed up the incline, he pedaled harder, faster, wanting to increase his heart rate, wanting to feel the blood pu to exhaust himself so maybe, just maybe, he would sleep
The darkness surrounded him At this speed the only sound was the wind in his ears and the tires on the paveles protected his eyes, the hel on his head He sped over the top of the hill and onto the straight five-mile stretch that led back to town
This was the only part of his ride he didn’t like There was nothing to distract hi to keep his mind busy, so he had ti to, he was back in Italy, at the Milan–San Remo, or as the Italians referred to it, la Classica di Pri Classic
A sprinter’s dream race, but deadly for the sprinter asn’t prepared for the hills It was one of the longest single-day races Two hundred and ninety-eight kilohty-five miles That year Josh had been in the best shape of his life He couldn’t lose
Maybe that’s what had gone wrong, he thought griods had decided such arrogance had to be punished Only he hadn’t been the one struck down
A bike race was all about sensation The sound of the crowd, of the peloton--the pack of racers--and of the bike The feel of the road The burn ofin air A racer was either ready or not It came down to talent, skill, determination and luck
He’d always been lucky In life, in love--or at least in lust--and in racing That day he’d been luckiest of all
That’s what the photographs showed As fate, or luck, would have it, so a series of pictures of the race just as the crash had occurred There, in single-frao down, the second
Josh hadn’t been in the lead He’d been holding back deliberately, letting the others exhaust the, early twenties, his first year racing professionally Josh had done his best to mentor the kid, to help him out Their coach had told Frank to do whatever Josh did and he wouldn’t get into trouble
Their coach had been wrong
The still photographs didn’t capture the sound of the o down had been on Josh’s right Josh had felt more than heard what had happened He’d sensed the uneasiness in the pack and had reacted instinctively, going left then right in an effort to break away He’d only thought about hiotten about Frank About the inexperienced kid ould do what he did Or die trying
They’d been going around forty-two miles an hour At that speed, any mistake was a disaster The pictures showed the bike next to Frank’s sla into the air He’d hit the pave fortyblood through ripped arteries, and he’d died in seconds
Josh didn’t re one of the firo flying with an unexpected grace, had--for a single second--seen the fear in his eyes Then the body of his friend had hit the ground
There had been silence then Josh was sure the crowd had screamed, that the other riders had made noise, but all he’d heard was the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears He’d turned back, breaking the second rule of racing He’d ju so very still But it was already too late
Josh hadn’t raced since He couldn’t He’d been unable to train with his tea in the peloton ot on his bike, he saw Frank’s body lying there Every time he started to pedal, he kneould be next, that the crash was co any second He’d been forced to take a leave of absence, then retire He gave the excuse that he was er team members, but he suspected everyone knew the truth That he didn’t have the balls for it anymore
Even now, he only rode alone, in the dark Where no one could see Where no one would be hurt but hi the coward’s way out
Now, as the lights of town grew closer and brighter, he slowed Bit by bit, the ghosts of the past faded until he was able to draw in breath again The workout was coain: ride in the gloom, wait for the final stretch, then relive what had happened To that if he’d only been in front that day, Frank would still be alive
He pulled off the oods store he owned He went inside and drank deeply froht Then he re his cycling shoes with boots
He eaty and flushed as he made his way back to the hotel If anyone saw hi rendezvous, which was fine with hi with a woman…he hadn’t Not in nearly a year After his divorce, he’d slept around some, but there’d been no pleasure in it Not for hiood Penance for what had happened to Frank
He walked back to the hotel He would order rooht he could sleep
Once in the lobby, he avoidedeye contact as he made his way to the stairs
"Hey, Josh Anyone I know?"
Josh glanced toward the speaker and waved, but kept on walking He didn’t want to have a conversation with anyone right now
He sensed solanced to his left and saw Charity For once she wasn’t in one of her old lady dresses and boxy jackets She’d topped jeans with a pink sweater He had a brief is, a narroaist and iher to meet her frosty stare
He liked Charity--found her attractive, smart and funny Under other circumstances, if he were soht He did want her If things were different, he would do so about it, but he couldn’t She deserved better