Two Guardians for Little May (9 page)

"You
keep your eyes to the wall, young lady, and think about how unnecessary kicking
me is. Move an inch and I promise that those panties will be coming down and
you will experience a serious hiding on your bare bottom."

"You're
mean."

"Not
as mean as Caine will be when he finds out that you gave me problems about
soaking that cut."

"I
wasn't that bad."

"You
were terrible."

"Was
not."

Layton
placed his hands on his hips and tapped his foot on the ground. "You know
you are cruising, little girl. Turn that nose to the wall and don't budge even
a smidge until Caine comes home."

Layton
shook his head as he sat on the couch and opened his files to continue
searching through the case documents. He caught May glancing at him and snapped
his fingers to remind her to face the wall, hiding a smile as she quickly
obeyed. He mused about how easily she fell into this type of relationship.
Maybe Caine really was onto something?

"Where
is that naughty little girl of ours?" Caine's voice bellowed from the
front door.

"We're
in the living room. Maybelle is in the corner."

"Oh,
she is? Does it have anything to do with being mouthy again?"

"I
wasn't mouthy. He's just mean," May said, crossing her arms. Layton raised
his eyebrow again, noticing how her voice had changed to something more
innocent. He observed his brother's reaction with interest.

"Maybelle
Corinne Wright, you put your little bottom right here in front of me this minute,"
Caine ordered, his left hand on his hip and his right index finger pointing to
the ground. "And keep those jeans down."

"I'm
fine right here, thank you."

"You
have until the count of three. One…"

"Are
you sure you can count that high? I'm coming!" May screeched, as he began
to push up his sleeve. She stood in front of him, the top of her head just
barely lining up with his chin.

"You
are a saucy little thing. What kind of trouble did you make to be put into the
corner?"

"Nuthin,"
May said, her regression growing more apparent as she looked at the ground and
traced the carpet with the toe of her boot.

"Nuthin?
We are going to establish some rules right here and now. You," he pointed
to Layton, "had best help me enforce them. One, no cussing."

"He
cusses!" May pointed to the amused man sitting on the couch.

"Not
anymore. He has now officially cleaned up his mouth. The second rule is that
you will answer both of us respectfully. That means yes and no, sir. You are a
young lady with southern manners, and they will be enforced. Got it?"

"Yeah…"

"Pardon
me?"

"Yes,
sir." May pouted.

"Third,
when either Layton or I tell you to do something, you are to mind us. No
arguing, sassing, or back-talk. And finally," he leaned over her to
emphasize his point, "there will be no more temper tantrums, hissy-fits,
or any other displays of ill-manners. You already know that I will take you
over my knee in a heart-beat, and so will Layton. Am I understood?"

"You're
mean."

"I'm
not playing, here. Things are about to change in your life, missy. Pop began
this journey with you and we intend to see it through. Even if it means you
spending the rest of your life nursing a tender backside. I ask you
again," Caine's drawl enunciated his words, "am I understood?"

"Yes,
sir," May said, looking at the floor. "Can I go now?"

"You
may not. We have a little issue of fibbing to deal with."

"I
didn't fib!" May's eyes widened.

"Did
you, or did you not, tell me while we were driving here that you had packed
your medication?"

"I
can't remember, I was sleepy and you wouldn't shut up."

"Try
that again."

May
grunted, crossing her arms. "I just forgot. I had other things on my
mind."

"I
asked you at least three times if you had packed your meds. You said yes, did
you not?"

"I
can't remember."

"Well,
my girl, you are going to have a little lesson in remembering right now."

"No!" May pulled back from the hand that held her wrist
and dragged her to the couch. Layton moved over to give his brother room to sit
down, and feigned disinterest in the events while Caine pushed the struggling
young woman
across the span of his hard thighs. He lifted her pink
t-shirt out of his way, repositioned her wriggling bottom under his hand, and
lifted his long right leg to capture her kicking feet.

"I don't
care how many times I need to do this," he said, his hand smacking her
backside with well-aimed cracks, "You will eventually learn that certain
things, like lying, disobedience and disrespect are not permitted in this
household. Never have been, and never will."

May howled as he
spanked her, the heavy blows landing precisely over the smooth, soft skin and
turning it to a warm rosy glow. Her position kept her from being able to kick
or squirm, so her only means of escape was that of pounding her hands against
the floor as she shouted out her apologies. Her right hand found its way back
to her bottom as a feeble attempt to block the smacks, but it was quickly
secured to her side by Caine.

Layton cleared
his throat as he watched the intensity between his brother and the girl. Caine
was focused and determined; May was stubborn and defiant. She alternately
sobbed out her pleas for forgiveness, shouted out her promises, and cussed him
to holy hell, but the spanking did not cease. Layton knew that look on Caine's
face; the one that indicated that the discipline would stop only after May
yielded to the lesson that he intended to teach. She fought against him; she
yelled and screamed out threats; she wept and begged for mercy and Caine calmly
spanked, his hand striking her repeatedly over the darkening red cheeks. Not
until May's struggles ceased, and her cries softened, did he stop.

Caine pulled May
up to face him. "You will learn that it never pays to lie to us, and that
our rules are absolute for your own good. Go stand in the corner and hold that
shirt up so I can see that bottom," he ordered. The girl quickly obeyed,
wise enough to keep silent. Her muffled weeping against the wall filled the
silence of the room, while Caine closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch.
Layton watched the exchange, fascinated by the unspoken communication between a
true daddy dominant and his little girl submissive. It appeared to be the most
natural thing in the world, and Layton found himself longing to experience the
same.

"Now
what?" he whispered to his brother.

Caine opened one
eye and winked. "You'll see."

Several minutes
passed in silence before May came to them and fell to her knees, sobbing
against Caine's thigh.

"I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry." Her sobs were deep, as though they were being dragged up
from the very bottom of her soul, "Please forgive me."

"Of course I
forgive you," Caine said softly, pulling her to stand between his knees.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his body, stroking
her burning bottom with his right hand. May hung limply over his shoulder and
cried against him, her body visibly relaxing as his hand caressed her hot, red
backside.

"I'm going
to go put her down for a nap and then grab a shower and a couple of z's myself.
We'll have our talk later," Caine announced to Layton. He stood up, placed
May's arms around his neck, and lifted her off the floor. "Up you go,
little one."

Layton watched as
they disappeared up the stairs. He heard the talking; Caine's low, firm voice
and May's softer, lighter responses. The sound of footsteps above him and the
closing of a door said that his brother had retreated to his room. Layton
stood, debating his decision.

"Maybelle?"
he said softly, opening the door to the guest room. She was on her tummy on the
bed, her bright red bottom looking like a glowing lamp. "May I come
in?"

May lifted her
head to look at him, her red-rimmed eyes matching the red nose beneath them.
Layton felt his heart catch. She looked both pathetic and beautiful. "I'm
an ugly crier," she muttered.

"Pretty
crying is for movies. How are you doing?" he asked, sitting next to her on
the bed and placing his hand on the center of her back.

"I feel so
awful being like that," May lamented, resting her chin on her folded arms.
"Layton? Do you think it's possible to feel both guilty and clean at the
same time?"

"Let me tell
you a story," Layton said, lying down next to her. "When I was around
eleven or so, Pop brought home this brand new Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun to blow
skeet with. He was very much against hunting, but loved to shatter those clay
pigeons whenever he had a chance. Anyway, one afternoon, I decided I was going
to try it out for myself. I loaded a handful of shells into my pocket, grabbed
the gun and snuck out back where I wouldn't be seen."

He sighed, taking
May's hand in his and rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. "I thought it
would be fun to fire at some trees, you know, maybe knock off some branches. I
hit a bird's nest filled with newborn chicks. I was sick over what I had done. I
grabbed up the nest with the little broken birds and ran straight home. Because
I left his new gun in the woods, I couldn't even fib my way out of what had
happened. Pop was so disappointed in me. Not just because I disobeyed him, but
because I had harmed something innocent in the process. I got the licking of my
life, but to this day, I still feel bad for those three little birds."

"You were
just a kid, though. It was an accident."

"Yes, but I
am still responsible for doing something that I can never undo. There are two
kinds of guilt, sweetheart. One, like mine, which has no reconciliation and no
way to make amends. I just have to learn to let it go and never repeat the same
mistake. And another, like yours, that requires only that you forgive yourself,
because you've already paid the price."

"I think I
really hurt his feelings."

"Why do you
think that?"

"He had to
be mad to spank me so long and hard," May sniffed. "And I cussed at
him and lied."

"Let me
explain something to you," Layton kissed the back of her hand. "That
spanking was not about him being angry, or really about your actions. It was
about teaching you to let go of all this crap that you believe about yourself
and how you react when you feel cornered. Neither of us want you to self-destruct
and we plan on being an obstacle on that path you've taken."

"I'm not
self-destructive," May argued.

"No? I want
the truth. Look at me." Layton stared into her eyes. "Did you leave
those meds at the other house on purpose?"

"No."
May averted her gaze.

"Honey, I
can detect when people are lying. It is what I do for a living, remember? The
truth. Look at me, please. Did you deliberately leave that medication back
home?"

A single tear
dripped down May's cheek as she raised her eyes to meet his. She gave him a
tiny nod. He squeezed her hand. "That wasn't hard, was it? Did you do it
to test Caine's reaction?"

A pause, and then
another tiny nod followed.

"You wanted
to see if he was really telling you the truth about his promise to take care of
you. You wanted to see," he gently pinched the tip of her chin between his
index finger and his thumb, "if he would enforce himself and follow
through on his threat. You needed him to do that so you could really trust him.
Am I right?"

"Yes,"
she whispered.

"Are you
satisfied now? Do you believe that he will be true to his word?"

"Yes."

"And what
about me? Am I going to have to take the same stand with you eventually to
prove I am who I say I am?"

"I don't
know," May blushed. "It is not something that either my brain or my
ass wants to think about right now."

"I'll make a
deal with you. When the time comes that you are questioning my commitment to
our family—and yes, that includes you now—come and tell me right
away. You don't have to act out and do something to feel guilt. Say the word
and I will put you over my knee, and you will see exactly how much I
care."

"I can't do
that!" May looked horrified.

"Consider
it. I rarely use my hand when I administer discipline, Maybelle. My implement
of choice is the belt. Unless you really want to discover what that feels like
on a bare bottom, you will do as I suggested."

May did not
respond as she lowered her cheek onto his open palm and held it against her
face. She closed her eyes, and with a deep, slightly shaky sigh, she slept.

May grumbled,
looking out the living room window at the rainstorm. She turned to Layton.

"I'm
bored."