Ride Free

by Debra Kayn

  She placed the apartment key on the kitchen counter. No sense locking the door to a bare apartment. After calling Bill, she ran out to the vehicle, locked the doors, and placed the key in the muffler where he suggested she hide it. He’d come by later to pick it up.

  She gazed up and down the street, but no sight or sound came to indicate Reefer’s arrival. She ran back up the steps to her almost empty apartment and sat on the couch. What if Reefer changed his mind and skipped town?

  Riddled with worry, she chewed her thumbnail. He did leave her yesterday in a rush. Should she go look for him?

  She’d hurried around this morning in a trumped-up frenzy in hope that she’d have nothing left to do by the time he showed up. The last twenty-four hours were spent rushing around to close out her apartment; she’d barely had time to worry about Reefer changing his mind. Please come to me, Reefer.

  She paced the living room for hours—or so it seemed. The longer she waited, the more her heart raced, until finally she heard the loud idle of Reefer’s bike filter through the walls of the apartment. She opened the door. Her indecision over whether or not Reefer might show up dissolved in a sigh of relief.

  She picked up her bag, shut the door, and hurried down the steps. She waved and jogged over to the curb.

  “I’m all ready.” She held up her bag.

  Reefer climbed off the bike, opened a saddlebag, and removed a couple of plastic shopping bags. “Not yet, you’re not.”

  She tilted her head.

  He handed over the bags. “Is your apartment unlocked?”

  She nodded.

  “Run upstairs and get dressed. I’ll wait down here.” He motioned toward the building.

  She hesitated. She peeked in one of the bags and screamed. “Oh. My. God. You didn’t!” She opened the other bag. “You did! I’ll be right back.” She ran off, stopped, and bounced on her toes. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”

  She returned to Reefer sporting black leather pants with fringe down each side, and a matching jacket. The tassels hanging along her arm and across her back swayed whenever she moved.

  “Do you like?” She threw her arms out to her sides and twirled in a circle.

  “Come here, Kitten.” Reefer held out his hand.

  Sarah ignored his hand and fell into his arms. She loved the way her leathers rubbed against his, and kissed him. She broke away, laughing and full of energy.

  “We almost match, except you don’t have danglies.” She flapped her arms.

  The side of his mouth rose. “Yeah, well…I’ll leave you with the danglies and stick to my gear.”

  Reefer made room in the saddlebag for her extra clothes, and handed her a new, black half-helmet of her very own. Sarah bounced from one foot to the other in her eagerness to hit the road. She had to remind herself that this was really happening.

  “Before we go to wherever we’re going, can you stop at the house of one of my patients? Do you remember where you first met me? I promised I would say goodbye.” She climbed onto the back of the Harley.

  “Okay. No problem.” He leaned over in front of her. “Last chance to change your mind. You can still go back and get your apartment—”

  She grabbed his cheeks and pulled him closer. “Never. I’m ready.” She kissed him with a solid smack. “Let’s hit the road, Tiger.”

  Reefer stood, his eyebrows drawn down and his upper lip curled. “Tiger?”

  “You call me Kitten. No reason I can’t call you Tiger.” Sarah laughed at the way Reefer scowled.

  “Well, that ends here and now. No way am I taking you back to the family with you calling me Tiger in front of everyone.” He crossed his arms.

  She laughed so hard tears came out of the corner of her eyes. She swiped them with the back of her hand. “Okay, okay, I’ll have to come up with something different.”

  “I like Reefer just fine.” He humpfed and got on the bike.

  She slipped on her helmet, and then wrapped her arms around his waist. “How did you get the name Reefer?”

  “Long story for another time.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Let’s roll.”

  Sarah hid her face behind Reefer’s back to keep the bugs from flying in her mouth, the smile on her lips a permanent feature she was sure wouldn’t disappear anytime soon. Riding in the daytime brought a new sensation, and she enjoyed how fast the world flew by.

  Before she knew it, they pulled up in front of Ellen’s house. Sarah hopped off the bike.

  “I’ll be right back.” She hurried up the sidewalk.

  She knocked on the door and waved over to Reefer, who remained on his bike. The door opened, and she jumped.

  “Gosh, Ellen, you scared me to death. I wasn’t expecting you to open the door.” Sarah hugged her friend. “How are you today? I worried about you after I left yesterday.”

  “I’m fine. Just fine.” She gazed out at the street. “Why don’t you get your young man and come inside for a minute. I won’t keep you.”

  Sarah waved Reefer over. He shook his head and continued to sit on the bike. She clasped her hands together under her chin and smiled. He glanced up and down the street and got off the bike.

  Ellen’s grip on the side of the door became more pronounced, and Sarah lent her arm to help support her. “Where’s your walker?”

  “Please, just walk me back to my chair. I think I overdid it.” Ellen’s legs moved slow, and her speech became softer and drawn out.

  Sarah glanced behind her to make sure Reefer followed and guided Ellen to the living room. She helped her sit and found the walker. Ellen needed to start using the walker. Sarah kneeled and checked the braces on Ellen’s legs.

  “Now, I’ve already called the agency, and Denise will take over for me. You remember her, she helped out a couple times when I had the flu last year?” Sarah remained on her knees and gathered Ellen’s hand in hers. “Can you believe this is happening? Finally, after all those days we spent talking about riding the highway.”

  Sarah turned to Reefer, who stood off to the side, gazing out the picture window at the street. “Reefer, this is my good friend, Ellen.” She turned back to Ellen and winked. “She’s the one who told me my idea of joining a motorcycle gang wasn’t foolish.”

  Reefer stepped over and offered his hand. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

  Ellen placed her hand in his and cleared her throat. “Sarah told me that you were beautiful, but I never imagined…”

  He lifted the corner of his mouth. “Thank you.” He stepped back and returned to his position at the window.

  Ellen’s gaze followed him. Her smile remained, but her eyes grew misty. Sarah ran her hand along Ellen’s arm, confused as to why she appeared sad. Maybe she missed being with her own family out on the road, and Reefer reminded her of times gone past.

  “Sarah, I’m going outside.” Reefer nodded at the older woman. “Nice to meet a friend of Sarah’s. She’ll be in good hands.”

  “I know she will.” Ellen wiped the corner of her eye. “Come back anytime.”

  He nodded. Anxious to get on the road, Sarah knew the time for goodbye had come.

  “Ellen, I need to get going.” Sarah continued to rub Ellen’s arm. “You’ll make sure you let the nurse do her job, and call the agency if things don’t work out with Denise, won’t you?”

  Sarah glanced over her shoulder. Ellen’s gaze remained fixed on the entryway where Reefer had walked out.

  “Okay, I’m going to leave now.” She stood, and Ellen finally brought her attention back. “I’ll never forget you, and I promise if we are in the area, I’ll come back to visit. I’ll send postcards too.”

  “Yes, yes, dear.” She reached over on the end table beside the chair and brought her hand back to Sarah. “I wanted to give you this. It was one of the first pins my husband gave me when I took to the road. I want you to have it.”

  A round pin, no bigger than a nickel, with the words RIDE FREE scrawled around the circle lay in the palm of Ellen’s hand.
Sarah’s vision blurred, and she blinked away the tears that were quickly forming. Sarah accepted the gift and leaned over to hug her older friend.

  “Thank you. This means a lot to me.” She worked the pin into the leather above her heart. “How does it look?”

  “Beautiful.” Ellen nodded.

  Sarah gathered both of Ellen’s hands and gave them a squeeze. “Goodbye, Ellen.”

  “Goodbye, Sarah.” Ellen’s eyes shone bright. “Take care of Reefy.”

  Sarah shut the door behind her and hurried down the sidewalk to the motorcycle. She got on the bike and gazed back at the house.

  “I’m sorry about Ellen. Sometimes, with her disease, she becomes overtired and gets emotional.” She sighed. “Although today she seemed so lost. She even called you Reefy when I told her goodbye.”

  He threw his leg over the bike, sat in front of Sarah, and grunted. “Don’t even think about it. That one and Tiger should never leave your lips.”

  Reefer gunned the throttle, and roared them away. Her laughter floated behind her, and she held on tighter to Reefer. With no idea where they headed, or how far they’d travel, her head thought up all the many experiences she would share with the one she loved. Their whole journey was set out in front of them, and for once in her life she cast her worries about her da, keeping a roof over her head, and all her patients that she cared for out of her mind.

  The buildings she viewed every day, from the local grocery store to the post office, moved past her in slow motion. Reefer kept his speed within the twenty-five mile an hour limit required in the town, and she gazed about wide-eyed, not wanting to miss anything. She wanted everything to remain in her memory, for today her life began.

  The bike slowed, and Sarah leaned to the right. She froze at the flock of motorcycles that packed the motel parking lot. Her stomach clenched. Would his family accept her?

  She’d never given a thought to what they must think of her and the rash decision to ride with them. Sarah wrapped her arms tighter around Reefer’s waist. No matter if they liked her or not, she didn’t plan on ever leaving.

  The few who stood out at their bikes stared, unsmiling, just a curt nod of their heads to acknowledge her. She swallowed hard, and refused to let them see how insecure she felt. Please, let it be okay that I’m here, that I want to become one of them.

  The bike slowed to a stop. Reefer hopped off and held his hand out. She studied his face and slipped her fingers between his. The way the muscle in his jaw jumped didn’t lessen her nervousness.

  “What happens now?” she asked. Her feet did double time to keep up with his long strides.

  He slowed his pace. “I take you up to talk with Knuckles and Sunflower. They have the final say in who joins.”

  Chapter Ten

  “What!” Sarah tugged him to a stop. “My fate lies with someone else, but what about you? Don’t you have a say in this?”

  Reefer smoothed her hair back over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. They’ll love you. You’ll see.”

  “But—”

  “Stop. Everything will be fine.” He led her up the stairs.

  Sarah gazed down at her new clothes. What if these people looked at her and thought her a fake? Brand new clothes, and the fact she’d only met Remy three days ago stacked the deck against her chances of winning over anyone’s family, much less a biker family.

  Reefer lifted his hand to knock, but Sarah stopped him. “Give me a second.”

  She inhaled, exhaled, and gave her head a little shake. “I’m nervous.”

  Reefer lowered his head and laid his lips on hers. Her body leaned in, and her lips softened. Her hands found the front of his jacket and held on. She moaned, and his lips twitched. His chest trembled under his jacket.

  She broke away and glared. “This isn’t funny.”

  “Made you forget how nervous you are though, didn’t I?” He quirked his lips.

  He knocked on the door, and she never got a chance to get him back. A gruff voice from the other side yelled to come in.

  Oh, please tell me I can stay…

  Reefer swung the door open and revealed a big, older man with mottled brown and gray hair down past his elbows, and a woman on his lap who smiled up at them. Sarah stepped in the room, but stayed glued to Reefer’s side.

  “What brings your ugly ass here? Matter of fact, what the hell are you doing out of bed already? I thought you were out with the guys last night.” The man lifted the woman off his lap and stepped closer.

  The woman hurried over and pushed the man back. “Leave him alone. Are you blind? He has a woman with him.” She smiled at Sarah. “A very pretty woman who looks scared to death with your rough talking.”

  Sarah forced a smile through her anxiety. “Hello.”

  “Knuckles, Sunflower…this is Sarah Lightfeather.” Reefer drew circles on her back. “These two raised me after my dad died.”

  Sarah’s eyebrows rose, and she wanted to tell him she didn’t know about his dad, but Sunflower encircled her with her arms and gave her a hug that matched the ferocity of a mother bear. Sarah hugged her back and smiled over Sunflower’s shoulder at Knuckles.

  Maybe things will work out all right.

  Knuckles stood apart from them, his arms crossed over his barrel of a chest, and a frown marked his face. “You have something to ask me, Reef? Because I’ll tell you right now, if you don’t, you’re going to disappoint me, Son.”

  Sunflower kept her arm around Sarah’s shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Give these two a few moments to throw their weight around, and afterward we can talk.”

  “Have I ever disappointed you?” Reefer tilted his head, his eyes narrowed.

  Knuckles stared silently.

  The chuckle that came from Reefer surprised Sarah. It almost qualified for a real laugh, except only one side of his mouth raised, and he quickly turned the sound off. She wondered if he ever let loose and barked out a laugh.

  “Alright, you win. You were right when you said I’d find someone to ride with one day. I’m taking Sarah with us, if it’s okay with you?” His words came out light, but his eyes never lost the seriousness of the situation.

  “You serious, son?” Knuckles asked.

  Reefer nodded. “She’s the one.”

  Knuckles grinned and slapped his leg. Sarah’s gaze flew between him and Reefer. She didn’t understand what transpired between the two men.

  “Welcome to the family, Sarah Lightfeather.” Knuckles crossed the space dividing them.

  She found herself wrapped in the biggest hug she’d ever received. Lifted off her feet, swung around, and finally set back on the floor, she stood still, and Knuckles kissed both of her cheeks. It all happened so fast she only stared in wide-eyed wonderment.

  “Th–thank you.” Her heart beat fast, and the rush of relief brought her back to the conversation going on in the room. “I’ve always wanted to take to the road. This is wonderful!”

  Sunflower led Sarah away from the men, and the two women sat at the dinette in the corner of the motel kitchen. Her attention drifted from the other woman to the men who appeared deep in conversation.

  “It will be so nice to have another woman on board.” Sunflower smiled across the table. “Tell me, how does your family feel about you taking off? Am I understanding this right that you’re prepared to stay with Reefer forever?”

  “Yes, I am. I love him. I knew it the moment I met him.” Sarah laughed. “Doesn’t that sound crazy? I’m not even sure Reefer understands how much I believe in us. I keep telling myself that I need to give him time and he’ll feel more confident that we’re doing the right thing.”

  Sunflower leaned forward. “What about your family? Won’t you miss them? Sometimes we don’t come back to places we visit.”

  “I know. I only have my da. He lives on the reservation.” She sighed. “He’s an alcoholic and can get abusive. Been that way my whole life, and now that my ma is gone, I only trigger his problems.”

  “Oh,
my dear.” She patted Sarah’s hand. “You’ll find that a lot of us have similar stories, or no family left to come home to. From now on, you’re part of a huge family and we look out for each other. Besides, you picked the end man to fall in love with. He’s our most important member.” She gazed over at Reefer. A smile lit up her face.

  Sarah nodded. “That’s what my friend Ellen told me. Actually, those were her exact words. She used to ride with a motorcycle gang too.”

  “What made her stop?”

  “She developed multiple sclerosis.” Sarah clicked her tongue. “The sad thing is, I don’t think she ever wanted to stop riding. She pines her days away remembering the times she rode and belonged to a biker family.”

  “Hm.” Sunflower turned towards the men. Her brows drew together, and she tilted her head. “That is so sad.”

  “Hey, you two. Plans have been made.” Knuckles nodded toward the women and elbowed Reefer. “How about a trip to the city to visit my grandbaby?”

  Sunflower let out a whoop to wake the whole motel and leaped from her chair. She sprang across the room and hurled herself at her husband. Sarah laughed at the excitement the news created.

  “It’s about time, Grandpa. My hands are itching to get a hold of that baby.” She moved over to include Reefer in a hug. “I bet you’ve wanted to see Margarine too.”

  Reefer opened up his arms and invited Sarah to join him. He placed his arm around her.

  “Which city are we going to?” Sarah asked.

  “Portland.” Reefer gave her a smooch. “Looks like we’ll be staying a night here and leaving in the morning. How does that sound?”

  Excited over spending their first whole night together, Sarah smiled. “Sounds fantastic.”

  The older couple settled back down in the one chair they’d cuddled in before Sarah and Reefer had invaded their room. Reefer gazed at them. He squeezed her shoulders. His love of the people who took responsibility of raising him was apparent in the way his body relaxed and his mouth softened.