Two Guardians for Little May Page 5

  "Yes, please. I'm begging you. I can't be left here alone anymore. I just can't!" May sobbed.

  Caine glanced at his brother, who nodded. "Sure, sweetie. Just be certain that you are positive about this. Like you said, you barely know us and we have both been very forward with you today. I don't want to risk scaring you any more than we have. Trust takes time."

  May tried to compose herself, hiccupping as she blew her nose into the tissue Caine handed her. "I knew Lyle. I told you that he was the closest thing to a dad that I've ever had. He would never have hurt me and I couldn't fathom his sons being any different. I'll be quiet as a mouse. You won't even know I'm there. I swear!"

  "You can make as much noise as you want, as long as it isn't a temper tantrum. I don't go for those," Layton warned her, offering his hand to help her to her feet.

  May looked at him and gave him a spontaneous hug, and then did the same to Caine. "Thank you, both. I'll try not to be a bother."

  "You are not a bother. Don't forget to bring your meds," Caine ordered. "There are no gray areas when it comes to your health, and you already have an infection started."

  "I'll be fine." May pulled away, composing herself.

  "Maybelle Corinne, you will do as I say," Caine said firmly. "Go up and pack some clothes, and don't you dare forget those meds. Are you rolling your eyes at me?"

  "Maybelle? Did you hear what Caine told you to do?" Layton asked.

  "Oh! Both of you are such bullies!" May stomped her foot and crossed her arms, reaching once to wipe her face with the back of her hand.

  "We work hard at it. Now go get your stuff." Layton suppressed a smile as he winked at his brother. "And keep your tongue in your mouth."

  ***

  The ride home was quiet after Caine drilled May once again, waiting for her to assure him that she had everything she needed to stay a day or two, including her medication. May drifted off to sleep with her head on Caine's shoulder as Layton drove over the pitch black road. She was carried into the house, and gently tucked into the cozy bed in what their mother used to call 'the country room'. Caine pulled the hand-made quilt over her sleeping shoulders and smoothed out her hair as he sat on the edge of the bed.

  "We have our work cut out for us, Layton," he said quietly. "She's broken."

  "I know. There is definitely something special about this young lady. Pop saw it. We just have to figure it all out. Her reversion to a younger nature is so natural that it's eerie. Do you think it's her character or part of her trauma?"

  "I don't know. I suspect it's her personality. She responds to loving authority in a very innocent and childlike manner. You know the draw that is for me. It was so, well, unforced."

  "I saw that. She did the same with me. She has a really sweet, vulnerable side that I find appealing as well. She is also very aware of her feelings and communicates them fairly well," Layton said, crossing his arms as he gazed down on the girl's sleeping form. "May told me that she takes on this quality when she feels safe, and that Pop brought out this little-girl side of her instantly. If she is, indeed, an age-player, then that would explain why she did not want to speak to a therapist. They would not have understood her inclination towards the lifestyle."

  "That would also explain Pop's letter to us. He knew of our preferences. It is almost like he found her for us. Layton?"

  "What?" Layton asked, sitting opposite him on May's bed.

  "I think I could fall in love with this one. I have never felt so in tune with anyone before. It was instantaneous."

  Layton was silent. He was thinking the same thing. He cleared his throat. "Let's see how things progress and focus on helping her get on her own two feet. She's been through a lot, and we need to concentrate on her needs, not ours."

  "I hate that you're always right about stuff. I'm going to bed. Night."

  "Good night. Sleep well."

  Layton moved to the rocking chair located in the corner of the room, and sat for a while to make sure May was settled comfortably. He struggled with the feelings he was experiencing. Always practical and never much one for nurturing, his instinct to take care of this woman made him uncomfortable. Her responses to scolding, and even her behavior after Caine had spanked her, were childlike; not childish. He admitted that the concept of having the opportunity to care for her as an adult child was intriguing. He knew Caine was strongly drawn to a lifestyle fetish called age-play, which explained his brother's attraction to the girl, but was that lifestyle something he, Layton Marshall, would fit into? He had tried before, but, as a hardcore BDSMer, it had been an effort. Nothing natural like what he felt with May.

  He drummed his fingers on the rocking chair arm as he considered the future. Prior to his marriage, he and Caine had shared everything, including girlfriends. Caine had always taken on the role of the doting uncle or loving daddy, while he was the strict disciplinarian and headmaster. It had been fun, but they always encountered drama when it came to sharing their lovers—especially the last one. Her age-play persona was a role she assumed, believing that it made her look 'cute'. However, she did not know where to draw the line, and pitted the two men against each other using jealousy as her weapon. Layton never quite understood her agenda, but he and Caine ended up not talking for several years because of how she had played them both against one another. Devastated following the loss of his relationship with both the woman and his brother, Layton had left his home in Texas and headed to Baltimore to work as a corporate counselor.

  It was there that he'd met Christy. Outward appearances led him to believe that she was kind, stable, and utterly vanilla. He fell in love with her, married her on a whim, and then discovered her to be insanely jealous, verbally abusive, and sexually frigid. She was also appalled at—and resistant to—any of the 'kinky' adventures that Layton enjoyed in the arena of BDSM, except spanking parties. She enjoyed these events to no end, and frequently attended them without him. Given her assumed interest in spanking, he never quite understood her refusal to 'play' at home when it was just the two of them, especially with the additional opportunity for intimacy afterwards. He had even tried to lighten up and not be so forceful, but she'd still pushed him away. It took him a long time to accept her desperate need for attention, and that her insecurities required that she be the center of attention in a roomful of strangers. Her nagging and insulting behavior grew worse as time went on, and Layton began to withdraw as he watched his marriage disintegrate before his eyes.

  Given the subject matter, and having no one else with whom to discuss the intimate issues, Layton had called upon his father for advice. Lyle, snatching the opportunity to heal the rift between his beloved boys, told him to take 'two sips of corn liquor, brush off your britches, and get on with shit,' and then wisely advised him to seek out Caine's guidance. Lyle knew of their lifestyle preferences, and had always supported them, and reminded Layton that if anyone could help him, it was Caine. Swallowing his pride, and pushing aside his shame regarding his failing marriage, Layton made the call. The reunion was instant, and the past forgotten, as the two brothers reconnected. Caine had suggested that perhaps Christy wanted Layton to force his kinks upon her to eliminate the shame and guilt that often came with the BDSM lifestyle. Layton took his brother's counsel under consideration and, on one rainy day, took his errant wife in hand.

  The spanking was not a serious one by any means, and the lovemaking afterwards was phenomenal, but after that, Christy adamantly refused any more advances. She filed for divorce a month later. She offered no explanation or reason, other than 'irreconcilable differences.' Caine, however, gave his professional medical opinion—that the woman was crazier than bat shit and an absolute fool, and urged his brother to come home to Dallas. Layton left the following morning.

  Layton closed his eyes. He felt like his life had been a series of irreconcilable differences. Instinctively, he knew this change would be good for both Caine and himself. He was just afraid that this unexpected addition to their family would be a repeat
of the past. Another concern was that the little hellion sleeping so peacefully before him would feel that they were trying to trap her into their lifestyle. He wished Caine had not reacted so soon by spanking her, regardless of how much she deserved it. Layton trusted his brother's experience and instincts, but his granddaddy's words haunted him: 'Never use a trap to catch a gal,' Old Ben Marshall used to say. 'They just as soon bite off your head and then work their way on down.'

  He would just have to wait and see how it played out. Satisfied that May was comfortable, Layton exited the room. Halfway down the hall, he returned to turn on a dim desk light for her.

  "We will scare the dark away for you, princess," he whispered.

  ***

  Layton looked up from his ever-present stack of papers as May scuffled grumpily into the kitchen.

  "Coffee," she rumbled, plopping down in a chair.

  "Well, good morning to you, too. Help yourself. Sleep well?"

  "Like the dead. No nightmares, either. I think that was the first time in six months that I've slept through the night. Where's the doctor dude?" May asked, pouring herself a cup from the carafe sitting on the table.

  "He got dragged out of bed to deliver a baby at around five this morning."

  "How inconsiderate. Couldn't it wait to be born after the sun rose?" May asked, closing her eyes as she sipped the steaming beverage.

  "I guess the baby was eager to start his or her day. There is no use in wasting a perfectly good morning."

  "I hate mornings. They're evil. They are meant for crazy dudes like runners and fishermen, and I don't do either."

  "I do both," Layton laughed lightly. "Have you ever gone fishing?"

  "Once, when I was about twelve. I was bored to tears. I tried my hand at canoodling, too. I'm not gonna do that again." May shuddered. "I had this picture in my head that instead of finding a catfish hiding back in an old mud-hole, I'd get me a snapping turtle."

  "That is exactly why I've never tried it. I like having my fingers, and don't trust the mesh gloves that a bunch of folks use. Maybe I'll take you fishing with me one morning. Would you like that?"

  "Before or after coffee?" May looked at him with tired eyes.

  "I bring a thermos with me," Layton promised. "You certainly are not a morning person, are you?"

  "Nope. If God wanted me to be up before the butt crack of dawn, He would have made the cock crow sooner."

  "That's one way to look at it. Would you like some breakfast? I can throw some pancakes on the griddle and make you a couple of eggs."

  May twisted her face. "You'd cook for me?"

  "Yeah. We need to put some meat on your bones. You need to get used to this, Maybelle. Caine and I take good care of our own."

  "I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around it. Your dad mentioned he had a family, but he never really talked about you guys too much. I think he wanted to protect you from me in case he thought I would go postal or something."

  "Did you give him a reason to think that?"

  "Hell, yeah. More times than I can count," May admitted. "Can I ask you a question?"

  "Shoot," Layton said, taking down a mixing bowl from the cabinet.

  "I don't mean to offend, but are you guys, you know, gay?"

  "No offense taken. Why do you ask that?"

  "You both are super nice looking, in good shape, and single. Why hasn't anyone snatched you up?"

  "I'm divorced and Caine just hasn't found the right partner yet."

  "Is it because of his spanking thing?"

  Layton paused before answering her question. "That isn't the issue. He has some very special ways of doing things that most gals are not quite comfortable with."

  "Like what?"

  Layton hesitated. How much should he reveal about his brother's private life? "Caine is a nurturer. He enjoys taking care of his girl in a very intimate way. Not all women are appreciative of his style."

  May sipped her coffee. "I saw that last night. He is very parental."

  "Yes. There is actually a type of lifestyle called age-play, although for Caine, it has nothing to do with role-playing. It's very real and very special. Ever heard of it?" he asked cautiously.

  "Yeah, Dr. Adul mentioned it to me after she saw how Lyle and I acted with each other. You already know that your dad brought out that side of me, but it was strictly how we communicated. It felt different, though, than with Caine. Of course, Lyle never spanked me," May said with a shudder.

  "Pop had a pretty powerful arm. That would have been one spanking you would never have forgotten."

  "I'm sure. I have to confess that, coming from a fucked up home where I had no parental modeling, the concept was rather appealing. Last night, when Caine, you know…"

  "Spanked you?"

  "Yeah," May reddened, "he spoke to me in a way that made me feel like a little girl. Not in a demeaning way, though. It was kind of nice and I felt safe. I told you that."

  "So it really didn't bother you in how he acted towards you?" Layton asked, flipping the pancake on the griddle and then turning the bacon.

  "No. In fact, that was what made me feel so secure with him. I also liked it when you had me sit next to you to cuddle afterwards. And the talk we had made me feel like I was okay and not a total wacko," May admitted. "Dr. Adul said I was starving for male attention and that I would seek it out however I could get it, but then my attitude would drive them away. She said my Little personality helps me break down my walls, but not in a psycho mental way."

  Layton chuckled. "I know all about the psycho mental personality. An unpleasant attitude gives a person a false sense of control. Pop used to tell me that a bad attitude is 90% of what makes a successful court attorney."

  "That explains a lot about you." May wrinkled her nose. "The problem is that my need for male attention has gotten me into a lot of trouble. I could have been killed that night, instead of just injured," May said in a flat voice.

  "What they did was not your fault, sweetheart."

  "I could have refused to go with them. If I hadn't let them convince me to drink, I would have had the brains to say no," May said, with a casual shrug.

  "Honey, they were predators. They had their hunt planned the minute they saw you. They hurt you by their own volition, May. Nothing you said or did will ever justify or excuse their actions against you."

  "Tell that to my brain. It keeps blaming me for the whole mess."

  "We will work on that, okay? Were they prosecuted?"

  "Yeah. Two of them are in for ten to twenty, and the other one is trying to get an appeal. Lyle brought me to the lake house to get away from the area. He wanted me to have a whole new beginning."

  "You sound rather disconnected about that." Layton observed. "Have you ever talked with anyone about it?"

  "Just Lyle. He knew how to calm me down when I got panicky. He was an amazing man. He made me feel like I had value and worth," her voice choked. "I tried to be mad at him for dying, but I can't. I really miss him."

  "Me, too." Layton placed the plate of food in front of her and sat down. "He was a great father. I consider myself very fortunate to have been raised by him. Eat."

  May stared at it and then looked up at him with confusion. "Seriously? A happy bacon smile, scrambled egg hair, and butter-ball eyes?"

  "There weren't any blueberries," Layton laughed.

  "I thought you said Caine was the age-player."

  "He used to beg me to make happy cakes for breakfast when he was little."

  "I like your laugh. It's like your dad's."

  "I don't laugh very often anymore. I really haven't had a lot to laugh about in a long time. Pop used to laugh all the time, too, although I hadn't heard it much over the last five years."

  "You should laugh more. It makes you more approachable. You are somewhat of a grouch, you know."

  "So, I've been told. May I ask you what your nightmares are about?"

  "I don't want to talk about them. This is really good. Thank you," Ma
y said, stuffing the pancake into her mouth.

  "Slow down before you choke yourself. Maybelle! Do I have to feed you?" Layton scolded.

  "Only if you want to."

  Layton raised his eyebrow, and made a decision. He moved next to her and took away her plate. "Table manners, young lady, start with putting that napkin in your lap. What are you doing?"

  "Making an origami penis," May giggled, folding the napkin to resemble an erection.

  "Little girls do not do things like that." Layton took the napkin from her, his eyes twinkling with delight. This was actually pretty fun, he admitted to himself, and Little Maybelle was a natural.

  "Open your mouth," he ordered, cutting a piece of pancake and holding it out to her.

  May obeyed, giggling again as he held up a second forkful of food. Syrup dripped down her chin and he quickly wiped it off. "You're pretty good at feeding people," she said, accepting another helping.

  "My mom got to the point where she couldn't feed herself, so we learned how to do it. Open."

  "It's kind of silly, but I like it."

  "Don't talk with your mouth full. Oh, no you don't." He took her coffee from her hand and replaced it with a glass of milk. "Little girls don't get coffee."

  "Hey! I'm just pretending to be a little girl. I want my coffee."

  "I said no," Layton announced, finding it easy to immerse himself into the role. "Drink your milk. If you finish all your breakfast and mind your manners, I have somewhere I can take you that you will enjoy."

  "Yeah? Where?"

  "It's a secret."

  "I don't know you well enough to be bribed with secrets."

  "The stable."

  "You have horses?" Her eyes widened with excitement.

  "Only for well-behaved young ladies who finish their breakfast."

  "Gimme that," May said, scarfing down the remainder of her food and gulping away at her milk. She belched and reddened, covering her mouth. "Oops. Sorry."

  Layton smiled cheerfully. "They say that is a compliment in Japan. Toss the dishes into the dishwasher, throw on some jeans and let's vamoose."