She showed them plans for a new golf course, housing projects and reviewed the excellent test scores at the local schools. Then she showed a projected schedule of fundraisers to help with special projects at the hospital.
“As for the community support,” she said. “I believe the citizens of Fool’s Gold have already spoken for themselves.”
The crowd rose and applauded loudly. There were whistles and shouts.
Dr. Daniels looked stunned. “If you’ll give us a few minutes to talk this over,” he said, his eyes slightly glazed.
Charity nodded and turned off the mike. People in the gym started talking. She saw Josh hurrying toward her, weaving through the rows of chairs. After going down the stairs, she met him in front of the podium. He grabbed her hand and pulled her through a side door, into a quiet hallway.
“You did good,” he told her.
“We all did. Everyone came through. The information I had was great, but having so many people show up to express their support is invaluable.” She felt a growing warmth inside, a sense of being home. If the hospital moved here, she wouldn’t have done it all by herself, and that made the victory even sweeter.
This town, these people, it was all that she’d been searching for her whole life. A place to call home. A place to belong.
She’d been lost for so long, she thought, staring into Josh’s beautiful eyes. Doing her best to make the right choice so she wouldn’t get hurt. Wouldn’t be left. But living that way meant missing so much. It meant missing the best parts.
“Whatever happens,” she whispered. “With the race, with the baby, with the future, I want you to know I don’t regret any of it. I love you.”
Josh put his hands on her shoulders, then kissed her. “I love you, too,” he said when he straightened.
The floor seemed to lurch a little, then still. She felt every muscle freeze in shock. “W-what?”
He grinned. “I love you, Charity. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. I love being with you, how I feel when I’m around you. I want to be the man in your life. The person you can depend on. I want us to be a family. For always. I want you to marry me.”
The words bounced around in her brain like a dozen pinballs. Individually they made sense but together they were impossible to believe.
“You love me?”
“Yeah.” He kissed her again. “As soon as the race is over, we’ll work out the details. Where we’ll live, when’s the wedding.”
His lips continued to move, so she would guess he was still talking. But she wasn’t listening.
The race. How could she have forgotten? This was all about the race. About being famous and important. About being the guy on the poster.
“I haven’t said I’ll marry you,” she pointed out.
“I know. When I win—”
“That’s what’s important, isn’t it? Winning. I don’t want to be with someone who has to be worshiped by millions, Josh. I want to be with a guy who wants me. Just me and our kids and maybe a dog.”
“I do want you. I’m not staying on the circuit. I just need to prove I’m worthy.”
What crap, she thought bitterly. “That’s just an excuse to be fawned over. Winning the race doesn’t matter to me.”
“It matters to me,” he told her. His jaw was set, his expression determined. “My mother left me because I was broken. She didn’t want to bother. Angelique left when I couldn’t race anymore.”
“I’m not either of them.”
“I want you to be proud of me.”
“I already am.”
“I need to be proud of myself.”
Which was the truth. This was about him and how he felt. She knew that. But would it end with one race? Could he hear the crowd and then walk away? No.
“I’ll win and then we can be together,” he said.
He was everything she’d ever wanted. The man she loved, the father of her unborn child. But he asked for the impossible.
“I won’t be with you if you race,” she said. “I don’t want to be with someone who needs to win to feel whole.”
The door next to them burst open. Pia stuck her head out. “Oh my God! They said yes. We’re getting the hospital. Isn’t that the best?”
“The best,” Charity whispered, knowing she had won and lost in equal measures that morning.
CHAPTER TWENTY
JOSH SAT AT THE BAR, sipping from his glass of water. It was three days before the race and he was in the best shape of his life. His carefully choreographed workouts had honed every muscle, tightened every reflex. He’d done the work—now all he needed was a little luck.
“For a guy on the verge of being a hero, you don’t look happy,” Jo said. “Want to talk about it?”
He shook his head and continued to stare at the bar.
Jo glanced around, as if making sure no one could hear, then leaned close. “You’ll do it, Josh. I’ve seen you practicing. You’ve been right in the middle of the pack and there hasn’t been a problem. You’re fine. You have to believe that.”
He slowly raised his head to stare at the woman across from him. Her eyes were soft with understanding.