She heaved a huge sigh. ‘I – am relieved. I mean, it’s awful for you, but it could have been so much worse.’
‘Me too.’ He smiled and the room seemed to fill with sunshine. ‘Thank you for coming. I – can’t believe you’re here. It’s – like a miracle.’
‘I came the moment I heard. I – um – can’t think what to say. It’s so weird to see you in the flesh. I mean, in person.’
‘It is – surreal, and not quite the circumstances I had hoped ...’
‘I um, bet your family are worried about you. Have you spoken to them?’ Jenna asked, not knowing if he was aware they were staying not that far away and might arrive at any minute.
‘Not yet. They’ve messaged. Obviously they’re worried but I played it down because I don’t want to worry them, especially Lachlan.’
‘Or Iona?’ Jenna prompted.
‘She’s made of tough stuff,’ Cam said wryly. ‘She won’t worry.’
‘Oh ...’ It seemed a strange thing to say but he knew Iona best, so Jenna let it slip.
‘The main thing that bothers me is letting people down.’ His smile vanished. ‘I can’t do that. Not when I’ve come so far.’
‘Oh, you mustn’t worry!’ Jenna said, reaching out to touch his hand then withdrawing. ‘I’m sure the sponsors will still donate the money. No one will think you let them down.’
‘I’m not going to,’ he said. ‘Because I’m going to finish.’
‘You can’t ... Look at you.’
‘There’s nothing major and anyway, I’m only fifteen miles away. I’ll have to return to the spot where I fell off but that’s fine. Nothing will stop me from crossing the finish line.’
‘You can’t – at least, not until you’ve had a couple of days’ rest.’
‘No way,’ said Cam, defiantly swinging his legs off the bed. ‘Everything’s in place for today. You, the support team, the media, it’s all planned to end today and that’s what I’m going to do.’ He grimaced. ‘Can you please find that bloody kilt?’
Jenna knew it was fruitless to try and stop him and that she shouldn’t, but she did know one thing. He wasn’t going to be alone.
One mile to go
‘Come on, Jenna, you can do it!’
Cam called back to her from his bike and let out a whoop. ‘This is the hardest bit! Once we’re up this hill, it’s downhill all the way to the finish! Come on!’
Riding Cam’s spare bike with the saddle set to the lowest, Jenna toiled her way up the long slope to Sennen, the village closest to Land’s End. She hadn’t been on a bike since she was a teenager and the fifteen miles from the scene of Cam’s accident were a hell of a challenge.
The sea was on three sides of them now, the peninsula narrowing towards the toe of the UK. Ahead of them, the sun was sinking lower towards the western horizon. There was nothing beyond it until America.
Cam waited for her by the Codfather fish and chip shop, where hundreds of locals and tourists had emerged from their cottages and caravans to cheer them on.
Jenna wobbled up to him, red in the face. ‘I can’t stop or I’ll fall off!’ she shouted, cycling past. ‘Got to keep going!’
The final mile was as flat as a pancake and, having found her second wind, Jenna was off like a Tour de France winner.
‘Wait!’ he called, catching her up until they rode side by side towards the finishing arch. ‘Let’s cross the line together!’
Together they heard the cheers, saw the faces of the people Cam loved. As their bikes came to a stop, he reached over to grasp her hand. And time seemed to stop.
Jenna would have fallen over the line and on to the signpost, had Kerry not caught the bike. Her jellyfish legs made it impossible to stand, then Cam was suddenly beside her, holding her upright. Immediately, they were mobbed by scores of familiar faces: her parents, her colleagues, her friends, Cam’s parents, his sister and Lachlan – and Sholto, on crutches, with his own parents.
They were hugged and congratulated and Cam disappeared under a dozen ecstatic people weeping for joy.
Carly and her crew were filming everything and someone pushed a mic in front of Jenna.
