Two Guardians for Little May (19 page)

"She is going to hate me for
hurting her so badly. I lost control," Caine lamented.

"Now see here," Layton
gripped Caine's shoulders with both hands and forced him to look into his eyes.
"I saw absolutely no loss of control at any time. You showed her that you
are strong and determined, and that you love her enough to keep her from
harming herself. What you need to do now is to join me in 'two sips of corn
liquor, brush off your britches, and get on with shit.' Hear me?"

Caine chuckled, wiping his eyes
with the tissue Layton handed him. "Pop used to say that when we were
kids. It was his cure for everything."

"He sure did." Layton
grinned. "It didn't stop with growing up, either. That was what he told me
every time I screwed up on a test, lost a football game, and even when I got my
divorce."

"I really miss him. You would
think at my age, it wouldn't hurt as much," Caine sighed.

Layton hugged him again. "Me,
too. You know what? Let's follow his advice. Clara has some moonshine hiding in
a mason jar in the back of the freezer that she claims to be 'natural rubbing
alcohol'. We will take two sips in honor of Pop, and then you will grab some
dinner while I take care of our baby girl."

"Sounds good. Thank you."
Caine stood and hugged his brother gratefully. "You've always known how to
pick me up after I've fallen."

"That's what big brothers are
for. Don't you ever forget that, okay?"

After leaving Caine downstairs with
a 'half of cow' and a 'quarter acre of greens,' Layton made a plate for May and
took it up to her room. He tapped on the door, then opened it slowly.

"Fuck," he whispered to
himself. May was on her stomach on the bed, still crying into her pillow. Her
bottom was purple, with large dark blotches painted over its entirety. He put
the tray down on her nightstand and climbed on to the bed next to her. Without
being invited, she flung her head into his lap, and sobbed wildly.

Layton stroked her shaking back and
smoothed her hair, his eyes not leaving the well-chastised, rainbow-colored
mounds. His mouth went dry, and he fought against the arousal that threatened
to be his undoing. He had only had the privilege of marking a bottom to that
level once before, and it had left him with the same desire—to fuck that
gorgeous ass until she screamed with exhaustion.
Not now, you pervert!
he chastised himself. He slowed his
breathing, musing about how delicious those tenderized buns looked.

"I'm sorry," May
whimpered. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I swear I will never
even look at another cigarette again for as long as I live. I'm sorry I lied to
you. I'm sorry I called Caine that awful name. I'm just sorry for everything."

"I know you are. There,
now…" Layton pulled her to perch upon his lap. He brushed back her hair,
and then pressed his lips upon that tiny little spot between her eyes. He
kissed her tenderly, then lifted her face and kissed her mouth.

"Will he ever forgive
me?" May asked solemnly, tucking her head under Layton's strong chin.

"He's already forgiven you,
sweetheart. He just needs to work on forgiving himself. He's never been this
severe with anybody before. He's always left that to me."

"I'm just a despicable excuse
for a human being. After everything you two have done for me, I go and do
something so stupid. I knew somewhere inside of me that it would hurt him
somehow, but I did it anyway. I'm such an idiot. I can't believe myself,"
May said sadly.

"You are not despicable by any
means. You screwed up, got caught, and paid your dues. Don't beat yourself up
any more than your butt has endured."

"I wasn't just talking about
the smoking. I can't believe I called him a fuckfaced dickweasel."

"Yeah, well, that was rather
creative." Layton smiled, hugging her.

"I had been saving it for
you." May looked up at him with a partial grin.

"Good choice not to use it on
me. You haven't experienced a mouthful of soap yet."

"That sounds awful," May
shuddered.

"It is. He really did a number
on your bottom, didn't he?"

"Yeah," May said sadly.
"I deserve much more than this though."

"You do? Is there something
you haven't shared with us?"

"Yes, sir." Her voice was
tiny. "I've been smoking for months now. Not just since I started my
lessons."

"I see. Do you need an
incentive to stop?"

May inhaled sharply, her hesitation
obvious. "Maybe. I don't know."

"I want you to start keeping a
book, and writing down the things you have done that you know are off limits.
Since you will not be in a position to get yourself into mischief until you are
off restriction, we will initiate your book keeping in one month."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I will look
through that book, and discipline you for your transgressions, every Sunday
night. I will also reward you for positive actions. Just understand right now
that each repeated offense will result in a more severe punishment,"
Layton warned. "I will also make certain you don't have the chance to
drift into subspace. Pain is only fun when the endorphins kick in."

"I know," May whispered,
"I saw that tonight."

"I have to say that my brother
impressed me. I didn't know he had that in him."

"It was awful," May
murmured, rubbing her nose against his thigh before resting her head back down
in his lap.

"Did you learn
something?"

"I won't ever mess with him
again when it comes to serious stuff, that's for sure."

"Good girl. May? We love you
so dearly and so deeply. Please don't take advantage of that love. We've both
been burned and, honestly, are still a little gun shy."

"But she pitted you against
each other and made you jealous. I would never do that. I swear!"

"We know you won't. At least,
you won't do it intentionally. Jealousy can rear its ugly head anytime, and we
have to be so careful not to allow it to separate us."

"Do you really think I could
do it even accidentally?" May's lip started to quiver as a hurt expression
flashed across her face.

"Maybelle," he made her
rise to her knees, and held her face firmly in his hands, "None of us
would hurt each other intentionally, but it still happens. Do you remember that
day you said that fishing was for losers?"

"Yeah, so?"

"I love to fish. It is my
second happiest thing next to loving you. But your statement immediately sent
the message that you thought I was a loser, and someone not worthy of your love
or respect."

"I never thought that for a
minute! I just meant it bored me."

"I know, baby. But there was a
split second where I was injured by that false belief."

"I'm so sorry." May ran
her finger over his lips. "I never meant to hurt you."

"Do you see my point? You
didn't mean to, yet you did. We are human. It's what we do."

"I love you, Layton," she
sighed, and leaned her cheek to his chest.

"I love you too, my
love." He kissed her, and then pushed her gently away. "I need to
remind you that you are grounded for one month. If you try to seduce either of
us during that time, there will be hell to pay."

May kissed his nose, and then
fluttered her eyelashes against his. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Layton's eyes widened as her hand
touched his crotch. "I owe you for this, you little vixen. Do you want me
to warm up your dinner?" he asked, pulling himself off the bed.

She shook her head and slid under
the covers, "No, thank you. I'm not hungry. I am going to sleep. Good
night."

Layton adjust her blankets and
leaned over to kiss her temple. "Good night, baby."

"Layton?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" He
turned from the doorway.

"Please leave the light
on."

Layton nodded. "You won't have
any nightmares tonight. You will just sleep, and let tomorrow be a new
day."

"If I do, can I come into bed
with you?" Her voice trembled nervously.

"Of course you may. Grounded
or not, you will always receive my love and comfort, and as many cuddles as you
need."

"Thank you."

"Sleep well, baby girl. I love
you."

***

May stretched under the stroking of
the large, warm hand across her back. She shifted to look into bright blue
eyes, and a wrinkled forehead expressing concern.

"Caine?" she croaked, her
voice hoarse from crying.

He handed her a glass of water.
"Drink this. Your throat has got to be dry. I brought you a straw so you
don't have to sit up."

"Thanks. Sitting is not an
option for me right now," May said quietly, accepting the glass.

"I know I was harsh on you. I
had to be. I just wish…"

"I deserved every bit of it,
and more. I already confessed to Layton that I've been hiding this from you
guys for a while. I'm sorry," May said, as his expression began to change
to one depicting anger. "I know I was dishonest and deceptive. I promise
you, no more cigarettes. It's not worth the pain I caused you guys."

Caine was silent, running his hand
lightly over the bruised flesh of her backside. "No, it's not. Move over.
I need to hold you for a while."

May pulled his hand to her chest,
covering her heart, as he spooned her. She winced as his thighs pressed against
her bottom. "Ow. I am going to burn that brush the second I am allowed to
see daylight again."

Caine chuckled. "Layton told
me years ago that implements are very effective in making a lesson stick. I
disagreed. Not anymore."

"I prefer that you just stick
to your hand. You have a very potent swing without additional help."

"I'm sure you would fancy
that," Caine chuckled. "But I am changing my policy. One reason is
that my hands starts to hurt after a while. Another is that you stop feeling
it."

"That just means it's time to
stop, right?" May suggested hopefully.

"Wrong, you little brat. Damn
it, May. I love you," Caine sighed, pulling her close.

"I love you, too. Caine?"

"Yes, dear?" He kissed
the back of her neck.

"Will you stay with me
tonight? Just to hold me?"

"What did Layton tell
you?"

"He said no," May said
with a loud sigh. "He said I'm grounded which means no sex or bed sharing
unless I have a nightmare."

"Do you understand why he
would say that?"

"Yeah," May wrinkled her
nose, "because he's horny and knows that it won't take much for me to
convince him to give it up."

"And you realize that it has
nothing to do with how much he loves or wants you, right?"

"I guess not. I know he's not
rejecting me. Just trying to save himself from blue-balls."

"No, he is not rejecting you.
As for the blue-balls, I think his reasoning is more in the direction that when
you are being punished, there is no play time."

"I still get cuddles though,
right?"

"Of course. We are not locking
you in a tower and sending a food basket through your window."

"I don't wanna sleep by
myself. You guys keep me warm and snuggly."

"Just mind him. I promise to
hold you until you fall asleep, okay?"

"Thank you. I really do love
you, you know that right?"

"I never doubted that for a
minute. Now, sleep."

The month dragged on like molasses
for all three of them. Even with Clara's cheerful chattering when she came to
clean and cook, the mood was still overcast and bleak. Without having May 'to
play with', the two men grew grumpy and argumentative with one another. May,
too, grew irritable as the four walls of her bedroom seemed to close in on her.
She learned that when Layton said she was grounded, it literally meant to her
room, and out for no reason except meals.

"Maybelle?" Layton patted
the dining room table to get her attention.

"What?"

"Did you hear what I just
said?"

"No, I'm sorry. I was
drifting."

"Well, pay attention. After
you are done with breakfast, I want you to get dressed and be ready to leave by
nine."

"Leave? You're letting me out
of my prison?" May blinked dumbly.

"Your grounding is over today,
darling. We're going to take a little drive to see a friend of mine."

"For what?"

"It's a surprise."

***

May fidgeted excitedly in the back
seat of the pickup, sucking on a cherry tootsie pop. Cuddled in her arms was a
big, stuffed teddy bear, given to her by the boys as a 'welcome back into the
world of the living' present. On the seat by her side sat a picnic basket,
filled to the brim with home-made fried chicken, biscuits and bacon jelly
(immediately claimed by Layton), chocolate-chip cookies and a jug of sweet tea.
Her two high ponytails bobbed as she kept leaning forward to ask, "Are we
there yet?"