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Charity ran up to a deputy and s woman as she showed her official ID "Hi I’rinned "I knoho you are You got the hospital to co My cousin has cancer Not having to drive so far all the tireat Uh?"

"Sure"

The deputy pulled back the barricade Charity slipped through the opening and ran to the starting line

There was an actual line on the street, along with TV caraphers, and the athletes

Charity saw Josh at once She called his name, but the sound was lost in the crowd She looked at all the racers, and knew she couldn’t simply walk into the middle of them and have a personal conversation

The loudspeakers crackled, then she heard Marsha being introduced There wasn’t much time

She took a step onto the street At that lasses, so she couldn’t tell what he was thinking Before she could decide what to do, he was already weaving his bike through the other co toward her She hurried toward hi quickly "I know I’ I rong to tell you not to race, wrong to tell you I wouldn’t be with you if you did I love you, Josh This is who you are If you really love me and want to be with me, then I’lasses and she saw the love burning in his eyes "Youas we can be together" She glanced toward the start line "You’d better get ready to race"

"What if I don’t win?" he asked

"Then you’ll keep trying until you do"

He bent down and kissed her "I do love you, Charity"

"I love you, too"

He returned to the pack She stepped back and seconds later a gun went off The race had begun

PIA JOINED CHARITY AS they watched as much of the race as they could The sun rose in the sky, the day got war enough?" she asked her friend "It’s really hot"

"He’s fine He’s a trained athlete Come have a taco You’ll feel better"

"I can’t eat while Josh is racing"

"You think going hungry will help hi in love It rinned "It’s worth it," she promised

"Like I believe that"

When the course took the riders up the mountain, Charity and Pia went back toward the park to wait for the final leg of the race Her ID got the to kno Josh was doing, hoping he was kicking butt

He needed this win, she thought, seeing the truth of it now Not to have another trophy, but because he had soasp from the crowd told her that the lead riders had been spotted Charity ran down to the edge of the street She leaned as far forward as she could and watched

A loneas fast as the wind, pedaling easily, as if nothing about the race had bothered him As if this hat he was born to do

Even with hinized him and screa, waiting for hi past her Instead he slowed, then ca?" she demanded, as he put his foot on the asphalt She pointed to the finish line, a scant hundred yards away "Go"

People around thenored the?"

"Josh! This isn’t funny Move" She glanced over his shoulder, knowing the other racers would appear at any second "Just finish You can win Then we’ll talk"

"We can talk now"