Two Guardians for Little May (23 page)

"You want to be my auntie. That's what Bigs
do. They are bossy and demanding and mean."

"I can show you bossy, demanding and mean if
you want it, little girl. It's fun," Layton said, crossing his arms and
mimicking May's scowl. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Just because I'm a Big doesn't mean that I
will be mean to my Little. May? Look at me," Sri said kindly, touching
May's hand. "I made a promise to Lyle to watch out for you. I'm the one
who got things set up so you could go to the lake house, remember? I knew all
about what these boys were into, and had a long talk with Lyle way before he
passed away. He wanted you to be with them, and asked me to recommend the
transfer. He also knew that I wanted you, too."

"Why did you do that? You could have
convinced him to give me to you instead."

"I knew it would be better for you to be
part of his family. He hadn't planned on leaving us, you know." Sri
stroked May's hair. "But he wanted you, and his boys, to be happy. He had
planned to introduce all of you to each other after you had settled in, but
then things at home took over."

"That must have been when Mom's condition
really deteriorated and required round the clock help," Caine added
gently. "It really broke him when he lost her. Putting aside her love of
shopping, aversion to ranching, and her tendency to be a little spoiled…"

"That was Pop's fault," Layton grunted.

"She was a really good woman, and loved us
dearly. Knowing Pop, he would have wanted you to have a mother-figure in your
life."

"I've never had one of those," May
whispered. "My mother bailed on us when I was three. My father was an
alcoholic and couldn't even hold down a job. I spent my whole life just finding
a way to survive. I had an aunt. She, well, she wasn't a pleasant person to be
around, so I avoided her at all cost. School was my escape, but I was picked on
because of my size, and for being poor. I really related to that story you shared
about that girl you rescued from the bitch cheerleader slut."

"Watch your language, please. Is there a
reason why you've never shared any of this before?" Caine asked softly.

"Yeah, May," Layton leaned forward with
a concerned frown, "Why haven't you said anything? I mean, the only thing
you've ever said was that your father sold your horse to buy liquor, and that
you've always gotten your clothes from places like Goodwill."

"It's not something I wanted to talk about.
Some things are best forgotten. When I was raped," May's voice dropped,
"the cops went to my house to question my father. The men who hurt me
claimed that I was known in the community as being easy, and that I had an open
door policy at my house. The police report indicates that my father called me a
whore, amongst other things, and said I deserved everything I got. That opened
up an investigation on him."

"Oh baby, I am so sorry," Caine
whispered.

"Damn it, May," Layton looked away to
hide the emotion on his face. "I must have embarrassed the living hell out
of you when I made you buy new clothes. I am so sorry."

"You didn't know. And you were trying to be
nice. There are just some things best forgotten, you know?" May shrugged.

"I knew about the exchange between her
father and the police," Sri said with a sigh. "In fact, one of the
officers came directly to me to tell me what had occurred. That was what
allowed me to get her placed in the lake house under a protection clause. I
deemed her home life dangerous for her physically, emotionally and mentally,
and kept her from having to face her attackers during the trial. The judge did
not even blink when he approved it, and promised to do whatever he could to
help her. You know him, Layton. Larry Clemmons."

"Isn't he the bench for Wichita Falls County?
I thought he just did family court."

"He presides over anything involving sexual
offenses, too. He knew you. Intimately."

"Yeah, well he and I have had some head
banging in the past. The old man called me stubborn, pig-headed and full of hot
air."

"It sounds like he was being nice,"
Caine chuckled.

"He was not the one who pronounced sentence,
although he does handle the Court of Appeals. The third assailant is scheduled
to present before him in three weeks. I made the 'professional suggestion' that
May needed to have the opportunity to testify in order to experience closure. I
did not have her attend the original trial because she was so distraught,"
Sri added. "That was one reason I wanted to get together with her. I
needed to see how she is doing psychologically with her new lifestyle."

"Are you shitting me? That son of a bitch is
trying to get out of this?" Layton fumed.

May paled. "That would mean I'd have to see
him again."

"Yes, sweetheart, it does. You need to let
the court know how much his actions affected your life. If you don't," Sri
squeezed her hand, "he could get out on a warning."

"But he raped me!" May felt tears
filling her eyes. "How could they just ignore that?"

"I'll take care of this," Layton
announced. "Maybelle, I swear to you that he will never touch another
woman again. You have my word."

"Layton, you can't make a promise like that
unless you intend to shoot the bastard through the head," Caine said, his
own anger seeping through.

"I'm good at my profession for a reason.
May, finish your dinner," Layton stood up. "I need to make a couple
of calls."

"He's pissed," Sri observed, as the
tall man stormed out of the room.

"Scary pissed." May shuddered. "I
haven't seen him like this before. Not even when he busted me with the cigarettes."

"I would not want to be the unfortunate
person who crossed his path right now. I know that look." Caine shook his
head. "Pop used to call it 'death on two stilts'. Layton is an ugly
customer when it comes to his passion. No one has a chance against him when he
feels Texas justice is brewing."

"I gather Texas justice is different from
the norm?" Sri asked.

"Texas justice is an eye for an eye,"
May explained, two tears dripping down her cheeks. "In small towns like
ours, the judges tend to make their own rules. I just don't want him getting
himself in any trouble because of me."

"But the legal system…"

"Texas justice prides itself on finding
loopholes. Don't you worry, little one. Layton knows his stuff. Just be
warned," Caine said, "he's going to be more protective and demanding
than usual until this is resolved. Always remember that it is because he loves
you so much."

"I know," May whispered. "You both
do."

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Hey," Sri
said, as May burst into tears. She held the sobbing girl to her ample bosom,
and stroked her hair as she rocked her. "Talk to me, baby."

"I can't choose," May wept.

"Choose? Caine?"

"We want to marry her, but the law won't
permit a polygamous relationship," he sighed. "So we are leaving it
up to her."

"Are you serious? Why in the world would you
make this child go through that? Don't you see how it's hurting her?" Sri
scolded.

"Yes, but…"

"But nothing! May is
not
that heartless bitch who crushed the two of you! Oh, I want to
just…"

"Ow! Why did you do that?" Caine asked,
rubbing the back of his head where Sri had slapped him.

"To knock some sense into your brain. This
is going to stop right here and now. May? You don't have to marry either one of
them if you don't want to."

"But I do!" May wept, "I want them
both. If I chose one, it hurts the other one and I can't do that to them, or to
me."

"Why is marriage an issue here? I don't
understand its necessity."

"It's just to protect her in case anything
ever happens to either of us."

"Is that the only reason? A will can provide
that." Sri frowned.

"Because we want to claim her as ours,"
Layton said, reentering the room. "We want her to have our name, and to
have everyone know that she is ours. We want to eliminate any question that she
is part of us. Ow! Don't hit me."

"I see." Sri pointed her finger at
Layton. "You boys think that testosterone is more important than this
child's emotional health."

"It has nothing to do with
testosterone," Layton growled, rubbing the back of his head.

"No? So the Neanderthal mentality of 'me
caveman own woman' is a moot point?" Sri countered, narrowing her eyes.

"Auntie Sri, I do want their last name, but
from both of them," May said meekly. "I just can't be the one who
chooses."

"You heard the girl. The only way that is
going to happen is if she marries one of us. Instead of us fighting over which
one gets that privilege, we are leaving it to her. Stop it!" Layton
yelled, as Sri clouted him again.

"Are you so blind that you can't see the
forest for the trees? There are other means of accomplishing this desire that
do not require such a ridiculous tactic."

"Marriage is not ridiculous," Caine
said moodily. "We are both firm believers in the institution."

"Ah, the sanctity of marriage as two
brothers share the same woman under the guise of a husband and a casual
roommate. That whole scenario is a contradiction in itself, isn't it?" Sri
commented. "Don't either of you look at me like that. You know I am one
hundred percent supportive of your relationship with May, and the lifestyle
that you live. You are just approaching the whole concept from the wrong
direction, and it's going to end up burning all of you in the ass."

"So,
doctor
,
you think you have a better idea?" Layton asked sarcastically.

"As a matter of fact,
counselor
, I do." Sri stared back at him. "If you can
cool your jets and pull your head out of your ass long enough to listen, I will
tell you what I suggest."

May's mouth hung open in shock. No one ever spoke
to Layton like that! She looked up at Sri with newfound respect. "I'm listening.
Can you tell me?"

"I sure can, darling. Let's get away from
these walking dildos, and see what you think about my idea."

May glanced back at them, winked and stuck out
her tongue. She then shot them a birdie behind her back as she walked away with
her hand in Sri's.

"She didn't!" Layton sputtered.

"I believe she just did," Caine
answered. "Little monster. Both of them."

"You're going over my knee next, Sri!"
Layton shouted. "I'll show you what a swat is supposed to feel like!"

Sri squeezed May's hand and shouted back,
"When you grow a set of balls like mine, go ahead and try it!"

"Wow, you are brave," May said in awe.

"No, just stubborn. I was raised in India,
and had to fight to be allowed to stand on my own two feet. You learn how to
fight back wisely when you are the only girl with six brothers." She
patted May's bed as she sat down. "Climb on up and tell me what you think
about my idea. You have to promise me something, though."

"What?"

"If you like it, I need you to go to the
trial. This is why…"

***

Sri's ideas helped May shine a brand new light on
her future, but the young woman still lamented over the belief that she had to
choose one of the Marshall boys over the other. She confessed that the fear of
hurting them sickened her, and that it was an all-consuming worry that she
could not shake.

"I feel like I am betraying them. I don't
want them to hurt each other because of me. That's happened to them before,
with that
other
woman. Layton said
that I could accidentally hurt them because that is what people do. I don't
want to be that person. I love them too much," May said sadly, clutching
the stuffed toy elephant that Sri had bought for her while visiting her family
in New Delhi.

Sri sighed as she listened to the girl's anguish.
"I know it seems overwhelming, but I want to reassure you that everything
will work out and you will have these two gorgeous, giving men to love forever.
And they will have you. I know that the situation from their past bothers
you…"

"It scares me. I'm so afraid of being
compared to her."

"I honestly don't think you have a reason to
be concerned about that. You are a caring, genuine human being without an
agenda. She was not. They learned a valuable lesson when they went through that
horrible relationship, and I trust that neither will ever allow
themselves—or each other—to make the same mistakes again. Now, I am
going to tuck you snugly into bed, sing you an old Hindi lullaby, and tell you
a bedtime story that I want you to take to heart."

"No one has ever told me a bedtime
story."

"I need to have a long talk with your daddy
and your uncle. They are being neglectful in their duties when they forego
something as important as a bedtime story. I might even have to pop them upside
the head again."

"That was funny. It made me sniggle."