The Divorcee's Last Ride

Renna Ives rode on the back of her husband's bike for twelve of eighteen married years. When she finally files for divorce, Pike keeps the shop, the house, and the club's respect. Renna keeps her father's old Shovelhead, which has not run since before the wedding. She drags it into the alley behind a rented duplex, buys a manual, and starts from scratch. The neighbor who helps her — a boat mechanic with an off-season and no ulterior motive — asks for nothing and gets the same in return. Over one winter the bike runs. In the same winter she finds the shop's real sales ledger in a box of holiday decorations, and the serial numbers line up with every bike the club thought was stolen. Pike has been blaming the missing inventory on her. Renna brings the list to a Sunday meeting, reads it out loud on the back of the bike she rebuilt, and rides out of the lot alone with no escort and no apologies.