Two Guardians for Little May (6 page)

Caine
rocked her. "You don't sound stupid at all, darling. I can see how all of
this could be overwhelming to you. I'm sorry. Like you said, Layton and I are from
good ol' Texan stock. We were born cowboys and will die cowboys, even though
our day jobs make us wear a suit or a lab coat. Being Texas boys also means
that there are times when we are no better than a pair of bulls in a china
shop. Neither of us will ever harm you, but it was clear from the get-go that
you need some sort of structure in your life. Miss Clara and I had a nice long
talk on the phone while you were gone. She is very worried about you. She said
you spend your days daydreaming and have a hard time focusing, that you are
easily roused to some ugly temper tantrums, and that you often go for days
without sleeping."

"I
have nightmares. A lot of them, like every night. There are some worse than
others. I know they can't hurt me, but I can't stop them from coming. That's
why I hate the night," May said, her temple resting on his shoulder.
"I'm scared to go to sleep."

"Being
afraid to sleep will really mess with your health and your mind. Please don't
be afraid to come to either of us if you need us. For anything."

"You
don't even know me. Why would you do all this?"

"The
truth? We are invading your home and your life, and you deserve the chance to
learn to trust us like you trusted Pop. I would like you to consider old Layton
and me to be your self-appointed, full-time bull dogs. Pop would have wanted it
that way. In fact, he gave us a special note asking us to cherish, love and safeguard
you. If you were important enough for him, you are just as important to
us."

"My
own fairy godfathers?" May forced a smile.

"I
wouldn't go that far, but we will do what we can to help make your wishes come
true. Just understand that we Marshall boys are very protective of the things
we call ours. That includes," he tapped her nose, "your health. Push
up your sleeve and let's just do this."

"No!"
May clapped her hands over the tops of both arms.

"Really?"
Caine held her at arm's length. "Are you actually going to make me ask you
again?"

"You
are not touching me with that harpoon. I have the right to refuse
treatment."

"Maybe
in your world, but not in mine." Caine raised his eyebrow in
contemplation. He took a deep breath as he considered the situation, then sadly
shook his head. "Very well, have it your way."

May
screeched, as he easily wrapped his left arm over the top of her shoulders and
pushed her face down across his lap. He pinned her legs under his right knee
and shifted her body forward so that she had to put her hands on the floor to
keep from falling on her face. This position also prevented her from reaching
back with her hands. With her body pinned securely in place, it took no effort
for Caine to skim her skirt up to her waist and wrestle the edges of her
panties between her firm cheeks to expose the white, unmarred flesh.

"Ow!"
she yelped, as his hand smacked her squarely on the rump. "Stop it!"

"Keep
still, then," Caine said patiently, prepping her hip with an alcohol wipe.
"Do I need to give you a real spanking and turn your bottom the color of
the sunset to make you mind me?"

"This
is unbelievable," May growled. "Let me the fuck go."

"Maybelle,
being obstinate and rude in this family will only increase your chances for
frequent bun warmings. I'm sorry it had to come to this, but you asked for it,
darling."

May
arched her back and began to pound his leg with her fists as his right hand
fell rapidly across the upturned mounds of her bottom. He grasped the back of
her panties like a handle with his left hand and leaned his forearm into her
back, flattening her on his lap while he smacked away in a smart rhythm. May
protested vehemently against his comments about how quickly her pale skin
reddened, and that the stinging blotches from his fingertips would be a
reminder that he meant business. She pleaded that he release her, bawling out
apologies as he firmly swatted her bottom to turn it, as he described, the
color of a ripe apple.

He
stopped to administer the injection, put the syringe back on the night stand,
and then rested his hand on her left thigh. "Had enough, young lady?"

"I'm
sorry," May sobbed.

"Did
you learn anything?" Caine stood her up and straightened out her skirt.

"I
am so embarrassed," she hung her head.

"Next
time, the panties go down. I'm a nice guy with a lot of patience, but I only
give one warning. Got it?"

"Yeah."

Caine
squeezed her hands. "Good girl. Go get cleaned up. You can take the
antibiotic with dinner. You will finish the entire course and not miss a dose,
right?" He tilted his head and raised his eyebrow.

"Yes,
sir," May mumbled.

He
patted her hip. "Let me check the dressing and make sure it didn't come
off with all that wiggling. Okay, it's intact. I'll see you downstairs."

May
waited until after the door was closed to examine her stinging backside. It
was, indeed, the color of a sunset, and felt like she had sat down on hot
coals. She shuddered, remembering her wish the day before that it had been the
hot doctor to threaten to spank her. The phrase 'be careful what you wish for'
now took on a whole new meaning.

Layton
was sitting on the couch, again surrounded by paperwork, when she dragged
herself in. He looked up with concern. "You okay?"

"I'm
fine," she muttered. "Did Miss Clara come by?"

"Yes.
She left some home-baked bread and wanted to check on you, but you were
otherwise occupied."

"Oh,
yeah." May looked at the floor.
Great
,
she thought
, now everyone knows what
happened. How mortifying!
"Is she coming back later?"

"No,
she said it was her night off, so you get the house all to yourself." May
did not respond, other than wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "Do
you want to help me sort these documents into chronological order?" Layton
asked.

May
looked up at him in confusion. "You want me to help you with your
work?"

"Yeah.
If you're any good, I could actually use a hand in writing document reviews.
Paid, of course, and everything has to be kept confidential, so I'm trusting
you not to discuss anything you read. Why do you look so surprised?"

"I
don't get you," May answered, carefully lowering herself to the cushions.
"Just yesterday morning you were ready to kill me, and now you are being
so nice and accommodating. Do you have one of those dual personality disorders
or something?"

"No,
not at all. I'm just pretty well set in my ways and I don't like people messing
with them." He handed her a stack of papers, and lowered his voice.
"How's your bottom?"

"Seriously?"
May felt the heat rise to her face.

"Yes,
seriously. I heard everything quite clearly, and I know that if my brother is
pushed to that point, he doesn't hold back. He's no weakling, either."

"It
really hurts bad," May felt her lower lip quivering. "I've never been
spanked before. It is so humiliating. And by a stranger made it even worse. I'm
so confused about all this. I don't know how to react. I feel so pulled, like
part of me wants to give in to it, but the other part wants to run. I'm scared
of being alone, but I don't want to feel trapped either. I don't know what to
do."

"Damn,"
Layton said. He tossed his paper to the floor and patted the couch beside him.
"Come sit next to me."

"Really?"

"Really."

May
curled up her legs under her chest and closed her eyes as she pressed her head
against his body. His hard muscles flexed under her face as he leaned back and
pulled her against him.

"We
are honoring my dad's last wishes by becoming a family. This is as strange for
me as it is for you. It is going to take time to adjust to each other, but I'm
willing to give it a go."

"You
are?" May raised her eyes to look at him.

"I
am. I know I can seem like a jerk, but it's a big façade. I've had my share of
hurt, too, and this situation is going to force me to deal with it."

"I'm
sorry," May said.

"You
sound so much like a little girl," he squeezed her gently. "I bet
that is what Pop loved about you. He wanted a daughter so badly."

"I
can't help it," May said softly, "it just came out of nowhere when I
was with him. I felt safe, I guess."

"Does
that mean you are feeling safer with me?"

"Yeah,
I guess it does. I know I'm weird…"

"There
is nothing weird about you at all. I happen to like this side of you much more
than the one who pelts me in the head with pinecones."

"Sorry
about that."

"Just
don't do it again, okay?" He stroked her hair, saying nothing as she sniffled
and occasionally scratched her nose against his shirt. She felt the couch sink
on her left side and cringed as a warm hand touch her left calf.

"You
doing okay?" Caine's soft voice asked.

"I'll
live." Her tone was bitter as she hid her face in Layton's shirt.

"No
grudges, kid. They only hurt you in the end. Literally." Layton hugged her
shoulders. "We talk things out here. Tell him what's on your mind.
Politely."

May
inhaled. "I just can't believe how hard you hit me. Simply because I
didn't want a stupid shot. It wasn't fair."

"Refusing
the injection had nothing to do with it. You were spanked because of your
rudeness. I warned you, too, and you still mouthed off at me."

"But
that was no reason to spank me!"

"Are
you saying that you don't consider that the spanking you received was well
deserved?" Caine asked.

"No."
May pouted, refusing to look at him. "You were just being mean."

"Maybelle,"
Layton intervened, "I heard the whole exchange. Do you really believe that
you are being honest with yourself and Caine about this whole thing? Be
truthful, now."

May bit
her lower lip. "I guess not. It was so embarrassing and it hurt."

"That
is how spankings work, baby. Let's put this behind us. Caine and I are going to
be moving into the house and that means that we will become a full–time
family. You won't have to be alone at night anymore when Miss Clara goes home.
Look at me," Layton ordered, lifting her chin, "You are also very
cute when you pout, but don't make a habit of it. Sulking is not acceptable."

"Except
when you do it, right?" Caine said mischievously to his older brother.

"Watch
it. I'm hungry, tired and cranky. Do you really want to go there?" Layton
answered back with a crooked smile.

"Bring
it on," Caine laughed.

"No
more of this spanking shit, though," May said. "You guys need to give
me time to get to know you, and threatening me all the time is going to piss me
off."

"I
am not concerned about pissing you off, little one. You will have plenty of
time to get to know us, but I suspect that you will incur many more paddlings
if your behavior doesn't improve. You have been provoking me since the second
we met and even my fuse is growing short."

"No,
I haven't."

"Actually,
you have." Caine squeezed her ankle which was curled up under her.
"We need to understand what is driving you to act this way. You're a grown
woman, yet you respond like a kid. I don't mind that in the least bit, but I do
need to know what is going on inside your head."

"I
dunno. Your father had no problem with me the way I am."

"We
don't have a problem either," Caine explained. "We are just trying to
understand you."

"Would
you care to explain why you kept trying to start a fight with me? I'm a
stranger to you. I could have reacted in any number of ways, and not all of
them would be good," Layton stated.

"I
dunno," May said into his shirt. He smelled like pine needles and sage.
Mmm…

"Give
it some thought and let us know. We will have plenty of time to talk. Let's
grab a bowl of chili and get on our way." Layton announced, patting May's
thigh.

"You're
leaving?" May sat up straight as the blood drained from her face.

"We
weren't prepared to stay the night. We just wanted to check in and make sure
you were okay. What's wrong?" Caine asked. "You are deathly
pale."

"I
don't want to be alone tonight. The dark terrifies me. Miss Clara won't be
here, and the nightmares…" May's lip quivered as she struggled against the
onslaught of fear that ravaged her body. "Can I, well, can I go home with
you? Please? I swear, I won't be a bother. I won't even make a sound. Just
don't leave me alone. Lyle would stay until I fell asleep. I can't…"

"Breathe.
You're having a panic attack. Easy," Caine coaxed.

"Shhh,
calm down." Layton held her tightly as she went from short, shallow
breaths to full-fledged weeping. "Everything will be okay. We promised to
take care of you. Are you certain you want to go with us?"