The Love Potion

Parking his ride on the lawn of Sam McGuire's house, Joshua Barnes lit a cigarette then sat back to rest his left leg. It never failed, let him ride for more then a couple hours and the damn thing began to throb and lock up on him. Well, they had warned him, the muscle and nerve damage on the left side of his body had been extensive and ten years later he was still paying for his foolishness. Of course most doctors considered it a miracle that he was even still alive. By rights, he should have died that night. The fact he hadn't had not been a blessing as some might think it, not only had he broken almost every bone in his body, but he had scars on the left side of his body that would never go away, not even the most skilled plastic surgeon would be a fool to try.

Joshua knew he had no one to blame but himself. He had been a punk kid of seventeen, off on a joy ride on his uncle's Harley when he had hit something in the middle of the road. A flight of thirty feet in the air and the impact of body hitting the pavement were still etched in his head. He had almost preferred to die then face his uncle when the old man sobered up and came to see him in the hospital. And he might have if his uncle had given in to the anger that Joshua had seen in his uncle's eyes. Not over his injuries but the damage he had done to a completely customized machine his uncle had built for a friend. Cash value aside, the love and detail his uncle had put into that machine had been priceless.

Well, he had paid his uncle back every dime then bought this old machine off him and headed out eight years ago. In the process he had met Sam and his wife Annie. Annie was a nurse at the local hospital where Joshua went for his rehab twice a week. It had been Annie who talked him into leaving that run down old house he called home and come for a barbeque. "Just a few friends Joshua, no one you don't know."

He felt his leg ease up and grabbed the walking stick he carried when he couldn't ride. It was better then that damn wheel chair they had thought he would spend the rest of his life in. It was only on the days that the rehab made him hurt so bad he could barely move that he used it. Otherwise it stayed in his garage and he tried to forget it was there. And he damn well never let any of his few friends see him in the damn thing.

From the sounds of voices and music, he guessed the party was already starting. He could smell barbeque ribs and chicken and other good things. His stomach growled and he was glad he had passed on breakfast. Limping his way to the back gate, he was just opening it when he felt something brush by his leg, knocking him temporarily off balance. Not that he fell. Instead, he hit something incredibly soft. Strong hands held his arms and a soft voice caught his ear. "Whoa, you okay?"

He wasn't, not from the minute he looked into a pair of eyes that matched Annie's amber colored ones perfectly. But the face they sat in wasn't Annie's and it wasn't surrounded by long, flowing black hair like his. Instead, it was a mixture of colors all looking more like a rainbow then actually hair. At first he thought it might be his eye screwing up, but as she moved a fraction to his right, he saw it had been just the way the sun hit it. Her hair was actually a soft golden brown with red highlights. She wasn't as pretty as Annie, but she didn't look at him like he was a one man freak show the way most women did either.

"Doni, come get this hound and put him in the basement." Annie walked up to the gate, and smiled as she saw them standing by the gate. "Well, that didn't take long...see you two have met."

Joshua saw the girl called Doni blush. "Actually Rufus almost knocked him down." She reached out and took the leash of the ugliest dog Joshua had ever seen. "Come on Rufus, we'll take a run to the park later."

He watched her walk off then looked at Annie. "Who is she Annie, and who would I have to kill to get her to like me?" Why deny that he liked the view of her walking away? Even if she was a little broader across the butt then a lot of gals and taller then most too, she was still one fine looking woman. He always had known he liked bigger women and since Annie was married to the meanest man Joshua knew, he would settle for the girl with her eyes.

"Sam might consider you a little old for her, of course, he's always had a soft spot for Doni." She smiled softly. "She's my kid sister Doni; she's the one who got me and Sam together. After he damn near run her over with that Harley of his."

Joshua chuckled. "This I got to hear." They started walking into the back yard where Sam and the others were congregated.

"Not much to it really, she was about five or six and out playing in our front yard. I had just graduated from high school. She threw a ball and it hit Sam in the head as he was riding by. He saw her and decided to scare her. Only problem was, I happen to come outside just as he was about to do it. And that Doni considered him funnier then she did scary just pissed him off more. She was laughing and giggling the whole time Sam was tearing up the grass and pulling his big bad biker stunts."

"I bet he loved that..."

"Made him mad as hell, here was this kid and she was laughing at him. I really thought he was going to hurt her from the look in his eyes. So I went out and started yelling at him to knock it off and get the hell away from my sister. Next thing I know he's looking at me and I am looking back. Doni just laughed and ran back in the house. Little brat..."

Doni reappeared. "But you love me. You'd have to put up with me and Rufus for the whole damn summer." She lit a cigarette and handed Joshua a beer, "Looked like you could use one."

She was right, he could. Going with Annie and Doni into the back yard, he found a place to sit down and stretched out his leg, "Your leg bothering you again Joshua?" Annie gave him her nurse look.

"Hell, if it didn't bother me, I would think there was something wrong. I got rehab on Monday; it bothers me too much I'll go to the ER." He knew she would give him hell if he didn't. Not that he would take the damn pills they gave him. He hated the way they knocked him out for hours on end.

Doni looked at him as she took a drink of her soda. "You ever try massaging therapy?"

Annie laughed. "Oh, in Joshua's case he would love some massage therapy. Doni is into natural healing. Herbs, candles, scents, all that stuff."

"Hey, you do things your way, I'll do them mine." She pretended to be insulted but burst out laughing. "Been a nut about it since I was a kid and spent a month down in New Orleans with our aunt. She's a certified, card carrying Wicca. Runs a shop down in the French quarter, sells all kinds of great stuff. And she knows some wicked curses and cures."

Joke chuckled. "I'd be willing to give massage therapy a shot." He didn't add that he could think of one part of his body he would love her to massage, it was already trying to come to life inside his pants.

"Cool, I can practice my technique." She gave him a suspicious look. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged. "If it will get this leg of mine to quit aching, I will try anything."

They went in the house and into the back bedroom. She motioned to the bed. "Take off your jeans, and lay back."

That stopped him. "I don't know if that is such a good idea. I don't do underwear."

She got a towel from the bathroom next door. "I promise not to peek."

He grinned as she turned her back and he quickly took off his jeans and laid back with the towel over him. Not that it hid a lot. "Okay, let's give this a shot."

Her hands were soft but strong and the oil she used on his leg did smell relaxing. It also heated his skin and seemed to go into the very depth of his leg. Like the scars on his face, his leg was mainly scar tissue and yet it didn't seem to bother her a bit. When he found himself feeling more relaxed then he had in months, he looked at her.

"Damn that feels good. How long you been doing this?"

"Since I was about twelve, dad is a construction worker and he always comes home stiff and sore. When mom broke her hand she showed me how to rub his back and ease the muscles. She's a licensed masseuse. I have been taking some classes at night too. And I just use the herbs and candles to help you relax."

He smiled. "Hmm, you have done that."

Her laughter was soft. "Not all of you."

Joshua had to agree with her there. "Well, been a while since I had a woman touch me. I don't suppose you have a cure for him."

"Maybe, if I knew you better." Her eyes were teasing and he licked his lips without thinking.

"So that's it, you just like doing this so you can get your hands on a man's half naked body." He had to tease back.

"Depends on the body, you have a pretty good one. Sam is okay to work on, but a little too hairy to get a good grip on. Dad is the same way. I prefer guys who have just the right amount." She was not only a tease; she was a damn flirt as well. Which was fine with him, he liked a woman who wasn't afraid to tell a man she liked what he saw.

"You flirt with all the guys you do this to?"

"Not usually, don't know what's up with me today."

She might not, but Joshua did. He was attracted and his body told her so. A woman reacted to a guy in one of two ways, either she liked him or she didn't. "Maybe you like me."

That made her blush again. "Maybe I do."

It was his turn to look at her. "Are you serious?"

"Well, Annie's been telling me about you since I got here, and I have to admit I admire your courage. Most guys would have just curled up and died after going through what you did. And you are cuter than I expected." Her blush deepened. "That's it; I am going to stop talking before I get myself in real trouble." She went back to massaging his leg.

Joshua noticed that she did have a look to her, and he liked what he saw. And the idea that she might be interested in him as he was a damn powerful lure to his senses as well. Finally he looked at her and smiled. "I think you should stop Doni..."

"Am I hurting you?" She looked worried as she did as he asked.

He shook his head. "No, but you sure as hell are turning me on even more then I was. My leg feels great, the problem is, the rest of me is throbbing, but not with pain. And like I told you darlin', it has been one hell of a long time since a woman touched me so nicely."

She nodded. "Maybe I better let you get dressed. The food will be ready soon." She started to go and he grabbed her wrist.

"What do I owe you?"

"Nothing, I'm not licensed yet."

Ignoring the towel, he sat up and drew her back to him. "Then this will have to do for payment for now." Joshua groaned as he realized how sweet she tasted. Like a peach when it was ripe and juicy, or a sweet red strawberry. She was tense at first, but as he deepened the kiss, he felt her relax and he put his arms around her, running his hand over her back as he did. "Put your arms around me Doni, hold me the way I'm holding you."

She did as he asked and he heard her moan as she let him slip his tongue between a pair of the softest lips he had kissed in a long time. When he slid his lips to her throat, she swallowed hard. "Joshua..." Her voice was like the wind in the trees and he knew she could feel him against her belly.

"Oh sweetheart, tell me you don't have a boyfriend I will have to kill to do this again." He couldn't believe how good she tasted or felt, "Because I do want to do this again."

"No, no boyfriend."

"Good, because you got one now, me." He claimed her mouth and wanted to lay her back on this bed and never let her up. When he let her go finally, her face was burned from his beard stubble and her lips were swollen. She turned her back so he could pull on his jeans and together they went out to the back yard. Annie gave him a curious look after seeing her sister's face and he smiled. "She has great hands..."

"Hmm, and what the hell did you have her massage?"

"My leg Annie, just my leg," He looked at Doni and she handed him a fresh beer. Reaching out, he used his free hand to capture hers. She didn't try to stop him as their fingers entwined or look as if she wanted to crawl under a rock some place. Instead she gave him a sideways glance and looked a little dazed that he would do it in public.

After they all ate and the mood had mellowed a little Sam looked at Doni. "You better go take Rufus for his walk, I hear him howling." Joshua thought that was an understatement, it was more like they could hear him all over the neighborhood.

She nodded and went to get the huge dog. "What is he?" He asked when she came back.

"A mutt, found him after some one had thrown him out of a car when he was just a puppy." She sat back down by him, and Rufus laid his head on her leg looking at him as well. "He thinks he's human."

Sam laughed. "Doni has a bad habit of bringing home strays. Two legged kind included. Her mom and dad drew the line when she found a bear cub when they went camping once."

"It was alone, no one should be alone." She spoke softly. "Being lonely is the worse thing a being can experience."

Annie smiled. "There are times I think you should be a nurse kid, you have what it takes."

Joshua watched as Doni shook her head. "I'd quit the first time someone died on me. I may be a little off the wall, but I love life too damn much, the good and the bad."

Reaching out, Joshua stroked Rufus's head. "I got competition..." He gave her a teasing look. He wanted to see her smile again, she was like Annie, and she took on a sad, serious look when the word death was mentioned. "So where is the park?"

"Just up the street a couple blocks, we won't be gone too long."

He shook his head. "My leg feels pretty good; I'll walk up with you. You can fix me up again if you need to after we get back."

The walk did hurt his leg but he found a park bench to settle back on while she played catch with the dog and a plastic ring. When she ran out of steam, she came over and sat down beside him. "He has too much energy." Pulling a cigarette from her pocket she lit it. "Is your leg okay?"

"Hmm, just a couple twinges. So you collect strays huh?" He watched as the dog continued chewing the plastic ring to pieces.

"Sam made it sound worse then it is. And I never brought home a stay human." She stretched out her long legs and crossed her ankles.

"Until now..." Turning his body, he reached out and drew her tight against him as he claimed her mouth. "Even human stays need love too."

She smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, we do."

"So how come you're with Sam and Annie for the summer?"

"Mom and dad are remodeling the house, and they decided Rufus and I were better off not being around constantly under foot. I can't change a light bulb let alone pound a nail in the wall without hitting my hand." She showed him several scars on her hand. "My attempts to work construction, and cooking. I'm the kind that would burn water."

Joshua grinned. "It's a good thing I can cook then, our kids won't starve when mom sets fire to the kitchen."

A groan escaped her. "Oh lord, don't remind me, the kitchen is my immortal downfall. I have set fire to it at least three times in the last two years. I am good at salads though and I can dish up ice cream. Not that I can eat it."

"Not cool, how come?" He loved a big dish of chocolate ice cream smothered in whipped cream.

"I am Lactose intolerant. So I eat a lot of fruit and such. Did you know Annie is allergic to strawberries? She eats on and she starts to look like one." She giggled as Rufus brought what remained of the ring to her. "No Rufus, no more play." Grabbing his leash she looked at Joshua. "We better get back." As he stood up, she looked up at him. "How tall are you?"

"Six two now, I lost three inches when I was in the accident." He took her hand again and they started to walk back to Sams. "You know how I said I might need you to work my leg over again?"

"Yeah..." Doni gave him a worried look. "You weren't kidding were you?"

He shook his head. "No, I was then, but now I don't think I am..."

It hurt to the point of being barely able to walk by the time they got back to the house and both Annie and Doni helped him back into the bedroom so she could work on his leg again. "You going to be able to ride home Joshua?" Annie had that look again, one that came from being both a nurse and a big sister.

He nodded. "Yeah, just need to take it easy. Unless Doni is willing to let me just stay here for the next twenty years." Joshua couldn't resist the urge to tease her. As it was he was feeling self conscious about the fact he was hard as steel again and there was no hiding it from Annie or Doni. The damn towel had taken on the shape of a tent. "I will admit what she did earlier to it did keep it from hurting more then it might have on a regular day."

"You been taking the pain pills doctor Scranton prescribed?"

"Yeah, but only at night when I want to sleep, they knock me out so bad that I hate to take them any other time." The pain in his leg was easing up. "You want to live with me Doni and be my personal masseuse? It feels better now."

She gave him a smile. "Should I stop?"

"No, just keep on rubbing, only a little higher and to the right a bit, there is this really hard muscle that needs some TLC."

Annie groaned and Doni laughed. "Not with my sister watching thank you very much."

In a stage whisper, Joshua gave an answer to that. "Just tell her to go away, that this is a private session with no sightseers." He didn't know which he preferred, to hear her laugh and see her smile, or see that gorgeous red her face turned when she blushed. "So Annie, how come you never told me how pretty your sister is?"

"Because Doni doesn't think she's very pretty. She gets mad when she hears some one describe her as pretty. Don't you sis?" Annie teased her.

Doni shrugged. "I don't think I'm pretty, not like you or Sherry are, I admit it."

"No, but you're no dog either, and I wish you would get that through your stubborn head. Mom says you turned down three guys in one weekend for dates, before school ended."

"I did. Two of them were guys I know from school. And the reason I turned them down is the plain simple fact that I wasn't good enough to go out with in school, what makes me so special now? The other guy is twice my age and divorced with three kids. He doesn't want a girlfriend; he wants a live in baby sitter."

Joshua frowned. "And you got a boyfriend now, remember?"

"I remember." She stopped massaging his leg. "That's enough for now; I get the muscles too relaxed they won't let you stand up for a while. The main object is just to let them relax enough to kill the pain."

"You succeeded. Thank you Doni..." He told the truth, he was thankful.

Her smile was soft. "Glad I could help."

"You did great. I like the oil you use. What is it?"

"Something my aunt in New Orleans makes for me, it's an old recipe. She got it out of a book about middle east medicine." While he pulled on his jeans, she went to a box and pulled out several bottles. "Smell these..."

They all distinctive scents and he listened with a real interest as she explained what each scent was used for. When he noticed another bottle, he pointed to it. "What is that for?"

Her blush surprised him. "It's a special scent. One that aunt Zelda made just for me. Annie has one too; so you might want to ask Sam what it is used for."

Annie tried to stop him but Sam was glad to share the secret. "It's a scent that increases the response of men to them. Annie smells extra good after she adds it to her bath and then puts dabs of it behind certain parts of her body. Zelda swears it's like an aphrodisiac. All I know is when she uses it, I go crazy." He laughed as Annie danced around him, trying to put her hand over his mouth. "She made up scents for each girl, and since Annie's is the only one I've ever smelled, I don't know how well the other ones work." As if she were wearing it now, Sam reached out and grabbed Annie and hauled her to him. "Speaking of which, I hope you got enough for tonight, been a while darlin'."