Two Guardians for Little May (3 page)

"Fine,
damn it. I apologize," Layton said stiffly. "Will you kindly apprise
me of what the hell is going on here?"

"That
is better, but not by much," the old woman said with disapproval.
"Before we start, would you care for something to drink?"

"We're
fine, Miss Clara, but thank you." Caine offered her his dimpled smile.
"We do have some questions, though. A lot has happened since Pop passed
away, including the discovery of this place. There seems to be quite a mystery
here. I have to confess, I did not sleep much last night thinking about
it."

"Very
well," Clara said, crossing her ankles in a ladylike manner as she
smoothed out her apron over the pale blue dress. "We can't have you boys
losing sleep over a mystery. What would you like to know?"

"Like
Caine mentioned, we didn't know anything about this property until last night,
when Caine discovered the original deed to this property in one of Pop's old
trunks with a hand-drawn map. Hell, it wasn't even mentioned in Pop's will, so
we immediately assumed that he had forgotten about it. We then retrieved a
rather unusual letter from a safety deposit box here in town," Layton
explained, nodding for Caine to hand it to her.

"Of
course, we drove right on over and met your little Miss May at the
groundskeeper's shack. That is when the trouble started," Caine chuckled.

"It's
a long story. Are you certain I can't get you some iced tea? No?" Clara
asked. When both men shook their head, she sighed and placed her hands in her
lap. "Your father was a very giving man, as I am sure you are aware. He
would stop at nothing to help the less fortunate or the hurting. He was born
and raised in this house and, when his daddy didn't come back from the war, he
found the deed to this property in his father's personal belongings. Like you,
he was given a note to make good use of the gift in a way that would make his
family proud. When your father was old enough, he learned how to make repairs
and eventually prepared it for the children he planned to have one day. As you
know," Clara cleared her throat, "your mother was very much a city
gal. The thought of living in the country was not appealing to her, so your
daddy decided to please his new bride and stay in Dallas."

"I
don't know why he didn't just take her in hand and let her know that she
married a cattle rancher, not a business tycoon," Layton commented
grumpily.

"Not
everyone can be forced to do what someone else wants of them," Caine
commented. "Mama was never too big on camping, and hated the smell of
manure, but Pop loved her more than his business."

"I
loved both of them, but Pop let her cut off his balls. Ow!" Layton rubbed
the top of his thigh, which had been struck by a wooden spoon.

"Mind
your tongue, young man," Clara scolded, wagging it at him. "There
will be no disrespect in this house. It would do you good to remember that I
always keep something in reach to use when I need to."

Caine
bit back a smile as he surveyed his brother's scowl. "Did she know about
this place?"

"She
was aware of its existence, thinking it was an old farmstead. In order to keep
the peace, and his family's home, Lyle told her that he had sold it to buy the
Dallas property."

"That
explains why she was unaware of the debt the big house put them into,"
Caine sighed.

"Continue.
Please," Layton said, lifting his chin to watch May dart pass the doorway.
Did she just stick her tongue out at him? What the hell was her problem?

"Before
all that, your daddy invested his entire inheritance into an account to
maintain this house, in the hopes that your mama would one day change her mind.
Instead of letting it fall by the wayside, he kept me on as housekeeper and
opened it as a temporary shelter to homeless women. He simply wanted to give
them a chance to get back on their feet. He's always had a soft spot for the
ladies, as you know."

"Yes,
he used to tell us that he wanted a little girl after Caine was born, but
Mother cut him short. We got him a female cat to appease his need to coddle
something," Layton said.

"He
loved you both dearly, and raised you to be men that he was proud of. We've
housed over two hundred ladies over your daddy's lifetime. May is our latest
guest. She has also been the most challenging. Lyle wanted to focus his
attention on helping her, and requested that she be the only resident at this
time to avoid distractions. She's had a lot of family trouble prior to her
incident, and he felt that she needed a chance to discover herself."

 
"What was he doing? Running an
animal shelter? Ow! Cut that out!"

"Next
time, I will use the mixing spoon. I'm sure you are familiar with one."

Layton
frowned, his memory returning to the day when Pop had used the bowl of the
thick wooden spoon across his backend after he stayed out after curfew. It
broke after five swats, and Layton was never late for another thing again.

He
cleared his throat. "There was a clause about caring for squatters in the
original deed, with an amendment that covered current residents. This letter
was the one in the box. Do you know anything about either?" Layton asked,
his eyes pinned to the doorway, waiting to catch a glimpse of the obstinate
young woman who was clearly eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Only
that he wanted to be certain that no one was thrown out into the street. This
letter," Clara wiped a tear from her cheek, "is about May. She was
like a daughter to him. He was the only one she trusted since her arrival. When
he was around, she was like a mischievous little girl, and he adored her."

"Excuse
me," Layton said, standing. He quickly traversed the room and peeked
around the corner, catching May with her ear pressed to the edge of the
doorframe. She yelped and raced away, gripping her thigh. He followed her down
the hall and cornered her near a closet door.

"Why
are you following me? Leave me alone," she demanded, trying to push past
him.

He
snatched her elbow. "You need to let Caine look at that leg." Layton
softened his voice, uncertain if the look in her eyes was from fear or anger.

"I
don't need to do anything," May snapped, jerking away from him.

"You
need to use some common sense and stop acting like an idiot," Layton
snapped back.

"What
is going on in there?" Clara called, sticking her head out the door with
Caine next to her.

"This
stupid girl won't listen to reason."

"I'm
not stupid, you idiot!"

"That's
enough, you two," Caine said, edging between his brother and May.
"Please let me take a look at that. If it gets infected, it's going to be
pretty bad for you."

"I
loathe doctors."

"I'll
be gentle."

"No."
May turned on her heel and stomped out of the room.

"Okay!
So, pray tell, what is her story?" Caine asked Clara.

"Besides
being a spoiled, little brat." Layton crossed his arms, his eyes glued to
the direction she had fled.

"May
arrived about six months ago," Clara said. "She had gone to celebrate
her twentieth birthday, and was coerced by some low life scumbags to drink.
They hurt her. Badly."

"She
was raped?" Layton's face tightened with anger.

Clara
nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "The poor child was traumatized,
needless to say. We got word of the situation through the hospital during the
time your mother was readmitted. Apparently, they had brought the child in, and
your father overheard the nurses discussing her situation. That was when he
offered to open up the house for her. He met with Dr. Adul, the directing
psychologist, and requested assistance in expediting the transfer and issuing a
safe house judgment for her. Lyle then personally met with May while she was
still in the hospital and made his offer. The girl resisted at first, because
her distrust of men was so severe, but then Dr. Adul spoke with her about the
house and the wonderful opportunities she would have here—her own room, a
television, access to a computer, home-cooked meals and, most importantly,
protection from anyone who would hurt her."

"Sri
Adul knew about this place?" Caine asked.

"Of
course! She's been our primary contact and referral source for over fifteen
years."

"I
had no idea," Caine said, shaking his head. "I could have helped. Why
didn't he tell us?"

"You
two had your own conflicts going on, and your father did not want you to be
distracted from your own goals for your life."

"What
else about the kid?" Layton asked, ignoring his brother's sulk.

"One
look at May just broke his heart. She had been beaten up pretty badly and had
no one that cared for her. His parental instincts kicked in, and he promised
that she would be protected and cared for until she found her own way. He
specifically said that it didn't matter how long it would take, and that she
could remain here as long as she liked, on the condition she stay out of
trouble. Of course, he didn't specify what type of trouble." Clara
chuckled. "She could do no wrong in his eyes. Her innocence and childlike
trust touched him in the deepest of ways."

"I
gather that this was unusual," Layton observed.

"It
was. He had never had personal contact with any of the other girls before.
Those two, Lyle and May, well, they developed an instant bond. She was a huge
support for him when your mama passed on and he did not want to burden you boys
with his grief. He loved your mama, but also resented her inability to
understand his need to help people. I mean no insult, but she was somewhat
demanding and he did not want you to be distracted from her."

"Mother
helped people on her own terms, and never if it meant causing herself any
inconvenience. There is no way she would have either understood, or approved
of, any of this," Layton said.

"I
hate to be forced to agree, but you're right. Miss Clara? We will honor Pop's
promise to May. We just need to find a way to keep those two from killing each
other," Caine commented, kicking his brother's foot.

"Lay
off," Layton growled, trying to avoid the desire to look towards the
doorway.

"I
also know he would love for you to come live here. That was his dream since the
day each of you were born." Clara touched each of their knees.
"Please consider it. There are two master suites on the top floor that
have never been used. You get me six days a week to cook and clean."

"We'll
need to think about it a bit. I like having space to myself," Layton said.

"I
make award winning pies…"

"I
don't like a lot of noise."

"And
home-churned ice cream," Clara smiled.

"I
have to work out of home a lot."

"I've
won country fair jam tasting contests for fifty years straight."

"What
kind?" Layton raised an eyebrow.

"Strawberry,
of course. I'll get you some." She was gone before either man could
protest.

"I
am sorry that we never had the opportunity to meet you. Why did he keep you a
secret?" Caine asked, biting into a hot biscuit covered with fresh
strawberry preserves. "Oh, this is ambrosia."

"Pop
was always a bit on the paranoid side. That's probably why he lied about
selling the place. He needed to convince Mother that it would resolve their
financial problems." Layton wiped his mouth and reached for a second
piece.

"The
only financial problems they had was that she loved to shop. They were fine
until they bought the new place five years ago. He sunk every penny he had in
it for her."

"Both
of you are correct," Clara sighed. "The house you're currently living
in was her dream home. He sold his cattle ranch to get the down payment for the
place because he wanted to give your mother her dream before she died. Lyle was
a good man, very simple in how he liked to live, and very clear in how he
believed people should be treated. He was one of the best, and he would have
wanted both his sons to follow his footsteps. That is why he wrote this
letter." Clara dabbed her eyes. "I'm going to miss him."

Silence
filled the room, broken only by an occasional sound of a bird tweeting outside
the picture window.

"So,
what is the plan here?" Layton asked softly, as he turned to his brother.
"Still interested in moving in? I can get an agent to list the other place
tomorrow. I have no desire to stay there any longer than I have to."

"Me
neither. This place feel like Pop and I like it. We promise you this,"
Caine touched Clara's hand, "you all still have a home. This place looks
plenty big for all of us."

"You
don't have to worry about me. I have my own place out in town that I share with
my sister. May lives here alone."

"Well,
we can't have that. How is she going to learn to trust again if she stays in
hiding?" Caine asked. "I have a friend of mine who works with victims
of sex crimes. She might be around to help."