Free Two Guardians for Little May by Breanna Hayse Page B

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.

Chapter 5
     
    May grumbled,
looking out the living room window at the rainstorm. She turned to Layton.
    "I'm
bored."
    "I'm sorry,
kid, but I have work to do."
    "You always
have work to do," May complained. She plopped on the couch, turned on the
TV, and began channel surfing.
    "May? I'm
trying to concentrate. Please look at the channel guide and pick one
thing."
    "There's
nothing on."
    "Read a
book."
    "Not in the
mood."
    "Play a
video game."
    "They're
lame."
    Layton placed his
papers on the coffee table. "What do you want from me?"
    "Nothing."
    "Okay, well,
until you figure it out, how about you go up to your room."
    "I'm going
to take a walk."
    "Take an
umbrella along with you and come back in immediately if you see lightning. I
don't want to have to go looking for you. May? Did you hear me?"
    "Yeah, I
heard you," May muttered, walking outside. The warm drops pelted her in
sheets, soaking her to the skin within seconds as she stomped through some
puddles and headed in the direction of the lake.
    On impulse, she climb
into the little aluminum fishing boat and paddled out from the shore. Closing
her eyes to the rain, May lost herself to the sound of the drops splashing
against the surface of the lake, and the rumbling of thunder in the distance.
    It had been two
weeks since the Marshalls had invaded her life. Two weeks since she was
introduced to the sense of safety and love which she now called home. Two weeks
since her last nightmare. She'd never expected to feel the need to have anyone
in her life, other than her horse, yet every day with the 'boys' made her feel
more content and happy.
    A loud clap of
thunder startled her, and she looked around frantically. The wind had pushed
the little boat to the center of the large body of water. She snarled as she
looked at the stern; Layton had removed the motor to repair it earlier that
week. Swearing repeatedly, she tossed the oars into the water and began to row
against the wind towards the shoreline.
    The waves pushed
against her and May finally gave up. She sat helplessly as the storm fell
around her, jumping every time the thunder roared.
    "If the
storm doesn't kill me, Layton will," she bemoaned. The wind and waves
eventually drove her across the edge of the lake, about a mile from the house.
Grumbling to herself, May tied the boat to a tree with the docking rope, and
started on her journey back home. A deafening crack made her turn suddenly, and
her eyes fell to the spot where the seat cushion had been reduced to a
blackened mess.
    "Fuck!"
May yelled, taking off in a dead run. Her lungs hurt and her teeth were
chattering by the time she barged into the house.
    "Have you
been outside? I thought I told you—May!" Layton exclaimed, tossing
his work down and rushing to her side. "Let me get you a towel. Your lips
are blue."
    "S-s-so
cooold." May shivered as he pulled a towel from the downstairs bathroom
and wrapped it around her.
    "I'll run
you a hot bath. How long have you been outside?"
    "Since I
l-left. I'm s-sorry," she trembled, following him upstairs. "The
cushion is dead."
    "What are
you talking about? Sit down," Layton ordered, wrapping another towel
around her body. He started the tub, pouring a cup of lavender bath salts under
the faucet, followed by a cup of bubble bath.
    "Remember
when you said to ask you for a spanking if I ever felt insecure with you?"
May trembled.
    "I do,"
Layton said, his hands on his hips.
    "I should
have asked instead of going outside. I went into the boat and it got pushed
across the lake. I got out and, like a second later, it was struck by
lightning."
    Layton's jaw
twitched as he stared down at her.
    "Say
something," May begged.
    "I'm going
to go make you a cup of hot tea, and you are going to soak that cold out of
your body. Afterwards, I