Page 16 of Chains: Unchain My Heart

His visible relief comforted her, confirming that he wasn’t the type to be irresponsible. She felt more secure, knowing they were on the same page.

9

“Got anywhere you need to be tonight?” she asked as they returned to her place.

“Yeah,” he said, then noticing the disappointment on her face he added, “with you.”

Relieved, she responded, “I have something special I’d like to show you,” leading him to the shed. Chains had been curious about what lay inside, and his eyes widened in astonishment when she opened the doors to reveal a pristine early Indian motorcycle sitting on a spotless floor.

“Wow,” he exclaimed, “that’s the second most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” Chains wasn’t just looking at the bike; he was admiring every detail, running his hands over the supple leather seat and up to the gas tank, caressing it as tenderly as he had touched her skin.

He was astounded to see that she owned this bike – an Indian that was in far better condition than the dilapidated piece of junk he had acquired from the elderly man’s estate. Now that he had seen her maw’s bike in such immaculate shape, he felt too embarrassed to tell her about his own battered version. Her motorcycle had to be worth a small fortune.

Turning to her, he asked, “Do you mind?” as he patted the seat. Understanding his request, she nodded, and he carefully swung his leg over the motorcycle, settling into the seat and gripping the handlebars. With a broad smile, he looked at her and said, “This is just so beautiful.”

“It is, isn’t it?” she agreed, and couldn’t help but ask, “You said it was the second most beautiful thing you’ve seen in your life. What’s the first?”

“You don’t really need to ask, do you?” he said, dismounting from the bike. In one swift motion, he stepped over to her, wrapped her up in his arms, lifted her off the ground, and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes and whispered, “You.”

* * *

As Chains setJuliette back down on her feet, she asked, “So, what do you think?” nodding towards the bike.

“I ride a Harley, but this is my dream bike. I’ve always loved Indians… and this model,” he said, his eyes glowing with admiration. “This is the ultimate.”

“The ultimate?” she asked. “You know about this particular model?”

“I sure do,” he replied. “If I’m not mistaken, this is a 1940 Indian Chief.”

“It certainly is,” she confirmed. “When my maw bought it, it was cheap because nobody wanted it. They told her it was too unreliable and that she should try and get something easier to ride… like a Harley. But she fell in love with it, and she used to tell me that sometimes the hardest rides are the best. I remember many times riding on the back, my arms holding onto Maw, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.” As she recounted the memory, Juliette began to sob. Chains gently pulled her in close to him and held her until she calmed down.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

She shook her head, so he decided to change the conversation and bring it back to the bike. “74 cube,” he said, admiring the engine. “I’ve only been on a bike like this once, but I found it to be smoother than a lot of people said it would be, thanks to the plunger rear suspension.” He ran his hands over every part of the bike as he talked about it. “The skirted fenders and the Indian head front fender light,” he said, resting his hand on them gently. “So…Much…Style.

“I’ve never had the desire to own many material things in my life. I love my bike because of what it gives me – life on the road. But something like this, I would own just because of what it is. Not because I need to show it off to anybody, but just to appreciate the beauty of it anytime I liked. I love beautiful things, and they’re not often the things we buy or own. This bike is something special.”

“Nobody has ridden it since my maw passed,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. “I had someone help me get it into the shed, and I’ve kept it looking like this ever since. In fact, nobody has even sat on it since then.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Chains apologized. “I shouldn’t have done that. I just thought…”

She held her hand up and said, “No, I wanted you to sit on it. I could see that you love it as much as my maw did, and me.

“I’ve only ever ridden on the back of it,” she continued. “I’ve ridden bikes before, but not this one. Nothing like yours. Just a Suzuki LS650 Savage and an Intruder 700.” Chains couldn’t help but smile. “What?” she asked.

“Suzuki is a swear word, you know,” he said.

She laughed. “It was just cheap transport, that’s all.”

“I was only joking,” he assured her. “I never judge people based on what they ride. If it gets them out on the road, it’s about the experience more than anything.”

“Yeah, I have to admit, I used to like my little bikes, but it’s hard to carry stuff on them. That’s why I got rid of the Intruder, which was the last bike I owned. I swapped it for the car.”

“Well, maybe one day you’ll ride this one too,” he suggested.

“I don’t know about that,” she replied, unsure. “Seems a bit big for me. Maybe one day…” She hesitated, sensing that he knew what she wanted to say. “You could take it for a ride with me on the back.”

“I’d like that,” he said.

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