Dr. Daddy Dom (Little Lake Bridgeport 2) (11 page)

"What problem?" Layton asked.

Caine pulled on his jeans and zipped them up as he answered. "Little big ears was pretending to be asleep while I was explaining my dilemma to you last night. She wants to help."

"How do you think you can help, babygirl?"

His address made her slide instantly back to her Little persona. "By being myself. Daddy said it was okay."

"I said that I would think about it, young lady. And I will only agree if Layton think it's wise," Caine told her.

"Since when is he the boss of you?" She crossed her arms and scowled.

"Since he was born three years before me and was able to kick my ass any time he wanted." He kissed her nose. "And he wanted to do that a lot!"

"Do you really want to help us, Miss May?" Layton asked.

She climbed onto the bed next to him and nodded. "I can get Savannah to trust me and find out what she's thinking. I can make her know that Daddy and you and all the other Bigs and Littles at Lake Bridgeport are good people and can help make her and Uncle Ian happy."

"And what would you want in return for these tremendous feat of courage, my dearest darling?"

"Oh, maybe a five-cheese pizza and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle marathon."

"That sounds reasonable. Well, Caine, old boy? I think we have ourselves a little helper to chase away your fears," Layton said.

"Very well…"

"Cowabunga, dude!" May squealed clapping her hands.

Layton shook his head, ignoring her. "So, you promised Ian a set of butt plugs? I believe that we have a new set in the rec room. Let's all bring him a present."

"Me too? I want to bring Savannah an Owie Bear like mine."

"You too, little one, and we will go pick up an Owie Bear for you." Layton chuckled affectionately. "Now get some clothes on that adorable little body before I take you back to being a big girl and show you how rough I really can love on you."

"Quit leering, you perv. You ain't getting none of this." She giggled, running from the room, only stopping long enough to wag her naked bottom at them.

***

"What's in the bag, Maybelle?" Caine asked as they pulled into Ian's driveway.

"Nothing special, Daddy. Thank you for making Savannah's Owie Bear feel better." May smiled sweetly as she hugged the new 'Owie Bear' in her left arm, complete with bandages on both front paws and a band aid on its belly.

"You are most welcome. Just one thing; if you act up, you know what's going to happen. We are in our community neighborhood and have a reputation to uphold," Caine said.

"Does that reputation mean spanking me if I'm bad?" she asked with concern.

"Definitely, and I don't care who's watching. So be a good girl."

"Yes, sir." May sighed, hopping out of the truck. "I'll try."

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Ian asked with a smile.

Layton clapped him on the shoulder, stuffed the bag holding the butt plugs into his hand, and pushed past him to go inside. "Just swinging by to say hi. Where's Savannah?"

"Uh, hi back." Ian reached to rub his shoulder and then moved aside for Caine and May to enter. "Sure, come on in."

"We're invading," May said and giggled, hugging him around the waist. "I brought stuff to play with while you, Daddy and Uncle Layton sit by the pool and relax."

"Honey, I've got to be available to take care of Savannah."

"I'll do that. Daddy? Can she go outside and sit under the big tree?"

"If she's up to it. How's she doing?" Caine asked, following Layton's path to the bedroom. His brother was standing next to the bed, his hands on his hips, looking down at the terrified young woman as he delivered a pseudo-stern lecture.

"… and there are better ways of getting attention than to try to play matador with a motorcycle, young lady. Didn't your daddy tell you to stay out of the street?"

"Layton Marshall?" Savannah finally choked out.

"Yes, Layton Marshall. You remember me, right? To this day, I can't suck down a cherry Slurpee without thinking of you. Oh, stop looking so scared. I don't bite. Well, that's not quite true…"

"Go away," Caine reprimanded, pushing Layton's large body out of the way. "Good morning, sweetie. How are you feeling today?"

Her eyes were still glued to Layton. "He looks like he's going to eat me or something."

"He's a big pussycat. Besides, you have me to protect you. How's your pain level?"

"Fine. Ian gave me that stupid medicine this morning. I told him I would take the codeine, but he wouldn't let me," she grumbled.

"After last night, I was the one who decided that your meds would be delivered rectally," Caine announced firmly, watching as her face reddened.

"You poor thing! I hate that," May piped up, sliding around to the other side of the hospital bed. "He makes me use those when I have tummy aches. He's so mean, huh?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm sorry. Savannah, this is our wife, May."

"Our?"

"Layton and Caine are in a poly relationship," Ian explained. "May wanted to keep you company today so you won't be so bored."

"I brought you an Owie Bear to keep you company when the old meanies are out of your face. Do you like movies? My favorite is…"

"It looks like Savannah's in good hands," Caine said with a chuckle, as Savannah stared in silent wonder and May cheerfully chattered. "Let's grab a cup of coffee and go outside for bit before it gets too hot."

"The place looks great," Layton commented, looking around at the single story ranch-style home with enormous picture windows and high ceilings with drop fans. "Did May pick the furnishings?"

"Every piece. She's got good taste," Caine said proudly. "So, Ian, how did things go this morning?"

"She was in a lot of pain when she woke up, so I didn't get any argument about her meds. I changed the dressing and even got her to drink half a can of the protein shake and a glass of water."

"Excellent. Any diaper issues?"

"She held it for the bathroom. She refused to use the bedside commode, but she did it politely." Ian chuckled.

"Did she have anything to say about last night?" Layton asked.

"Nope. Although you might be interested in hearing what she told me before she went to sleep." Ian shared the brief conversation, and that Savannah had called him 'daddy' several times while in her drug-induced state.

"Her subconscious is obviously wanting to go in that direction. May has a plan, and hopefully it will help her accept and adjust," Caine said.

"Should I be scared?" Ian asked.

Caine and Layton looked at each other and said 'yes' simultaneously, then broke out in laughter.

"Are you comfortable, honey?" Caine asked, squatting down beside Savannah, who sat propped against the 'big tree' in the backyard. May had placed pillows around her and pulled off the girl's socks so that she could wiggle her toes in the thick grass.

"Yes, sir," the redhead said, avoiding eye contact. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. This was Miss May's idea. What's that?"

"I made my special sweet tea for us, Daddy. You can't have any, so go away," May said, grabbing her travel cup away from him. "We're going to have a tea party and you aren't invited."

"You're awfully bossy, little girl," Caine said, kissing her before he rose to his feet. "Call if you need me, okay?"

"He worries way too much," May said, stretching out on the grass. "I've never had anyone care about me like my daddy and uncle."

"Why do you call them that? It's weird, like incest," Savannah said.

May didn't take offense. "It's nothing like that. I don't know what kind of family you had growing up, but mine was awful. My father was a violent alcoholic and home just long enough to collect welfare and put his fist in my face, my mother abandoned us when I was an infant, and my aunt was a vicious, self-centered bitch who let me know daily what an inconvenience I was. I survived by learning how to distance myself from people and not let anyone hurt me, but inside, I was so empty, scared, and felt so alone." She took advantage of the other girl's silence to continue.

"I tried to find a way to belong. It didn't matter where or with whom, because anything was better than being by myself. As a result, I got hurt. Really badly. I ended up in the hospital, where I met Lyle Marshall and he took me to the safe house to heal. He was like a grandpa, so kind and loving, but when he died, I thought that the little chance I'd had to feel the love of family was over. Shortly after that, Caine and Layton stepped in and became everything to me that I ever wanted."

"I still don't understand why you call them 'daddy' and 'uncle', or why you're including my husband in this," Savannah said.

"They are just terms of endearment and respect, and they help to express my needs at that time. When Caine becomes 'daddy', I don't have to worry about anything except the freedom of expressing the little, vulnerable girl inside of me. There is no fear of judgment, the rules are clear, which make me feel safe, and I have no sexual expectations. The same goes for Layton. He's a different type of nurturer than Daddy is, but one that I need and love so much. As for calling Ian 'uncle', it's a term of affection and respect. Family is the most important thing to us and he is part of it."

"Do they make you dress up like a kid and do kid things?"

"We call it being a 'Little'. I have a wardrobe of play clothes, and dressing in them sometimes helps me let go of being an adult so that I can be free. I don't know about you, but in my world being an adult hurts. Your lips look dry, here…"

Savannah smiled as May dabbed lip balm on the parched flesh. "Thanks. I hate not being able to do anything for myself. And yeah, being an adult in my world hurts, too. I just can't escape the pain. I drink, but that's only a temporary fix. What used to help me numb myself doesn't work anymore. Now Dr. Marshall and Ian are forbidding alcohol, and it's killing me."

"Well, you don't have your spleen, and Daddy says that you can get sick easier, and doesn't want you to add stress to your body with alcohol."

"I understand what he's saying, I just don't like it. I hate being told what to do."

"I do too, but Daddy and Uncle Layton sure got me used to it," May said with a tinkling laugh. "As time went on, it became easier, and really took away a lot of my stress."

"I don't think I will ever change my opinion there, especially with Ian. When he tells me to do something, all I want to do is argue. It doesn't make sense because a lot of times he's right, but I can't help it."

May wrinkled her forehead and asked quietly, "Is Ian mean to you?"

Savannah sighed and shook her head. "God, no, but I wish he was. I wish that he would do something so that I had a legitimate excuse to hate him!"

"Why would you ever want to hate him? He's your husband."

"Because he deserves someone who can love him the way he wants to be loved, and I can't give him that. If I hated him, then it would be easier to let him go so he can be happy."

"I don't understand. How does he want to be loved?" May asked.

Tears glistened in the other woman's eyes. "He wants devotion and respect, physical attention and sharing. He wants everything that I'm not capable of giving him."

"Why are you incapable?"

"Because I'm a mean, spiteful, heartless, conniving, two-faced bitch."

"Says who?" May asked.

Savannah's eyes glistened with tears. "My father. And those were the nice things he said. He told me to my face that Ian was too good for me, and that I would make him as miserable as I made my father."

"He lied to you. My father used to say the same types of things. Auntie Sri said that he did it because miserable people make people miserable."

"That's my point. I'm a miserable person. Who is Auntie Sri?"

"No, you're a hurt little girl who was lied to," May said, shaking her head. "Sri Adul is a Mommy Domme, and helps take care of all us girls at the safe house. I think she visited you in the hospital, but you were probably drugged out of your gourd. She's a psychiatrist and understands everything about us."

"You're so lucky to have all this. I think Ian wants the type of life that you have with your… what do I call them?" Savannah asked.

"They are my husbands. I know that plural marriages are a hard concept for some people, so I don't get offended."

"Actually, I'm a little envious. I can't imagine having two gorgeous men waiting on me hand and foot."

"Ian's handsome and he wants to wait on you, too!"

"Yes, but to have two of them at once? I guess it's every girl's fantasy."

"It's not as easy as it looks," May said honestly. "Balancing time between them can be exhausting, and then not showing that one is favored over the other can be a chore. They are really good at talking it out when jealousy hits, but I always end up being smack dab in the middle. As for waiting on me hand and foot, if you only knew what I endure! I love my life and wouldn't trade it for anything, but it's not always pleasant."

"I think I had a taste of it last night. Caine is very domineering, isn't he?"

"I prefer the term dominating," May said.

"What's the difference?"

"Well, a dominant shows compassion and caring, while being in control and earning his trust. The domineering types are the opposite and force people to do their bidding for their own agenda, exert themselves on others for self-gain, and are incredibly selfish and self-centered. My biological father was domineering and I had no respect for him. I exiled him from my life the second I was rescued and put into the safe house."

"So is mine. I wish I had the luxury of eliminating him from mine, but he's holding the trust that my mom left for me, and intends on making me split it when I turn twenty-five," Savannah said ruefully.

"Maybe Layton can help you get it from him? A court injunction could—"

"It's not worth the trouble he will cause. He's a mean and vindictive man, and I don't trust him not to get violent. Can I ask you something? Caine forced me to comply, so how is that different from being domineering?"

"Did he do it for his sake or yours?"

"He demanded that I call him
sir
!"

"Again, for what purpose? And what did he do when you finally gave in?" May asked, propping her chin on her hands as she lay on her tummy in the grass.

"He praised me."

"You're not answering my question, though. Did you really feel that he did anything last night for himself? Be honest."

"I suppose not. He wanted me to cooperate so that I could get strong and heal, and also to get me to stop fighting Ian. I guess I'm a lot of work, and Ian is tired of handling me."

"No, Ian just doesn't know how to handle you in a way that works best for you. We can make things very difficult for these boys when we want to," May said with a giggle. "I'm an expert at it, too. I like to push my luck."

"What did he see in your home that made him want to be like Caine?"

"A lot of love, trust and respect. Those two men would give their lives for me, and all they ask for in return is my respect and obedience of simple rules set down for my safety and well-being. When I don't mind them, I face the consequences. I wish I could say that I do so willingly, but that's a lie. It's consensual, but that doesn't mean I like it."

"So they
do
spank you!" Savannah said.

"Yeah. Everyone in this neighborhood practices domestic discipline, so don't be surprised if you see or hear it at any point."

"Caine threatened to switch me! He also threatened to shove a butt plug up my ass and make me sit in a corner!" Savannah said angrily, finally getting to the heart of Caine's concerns regarding being reported.

"Daddy doesn't threaten, he promises. And if he had to say that to you, there was a good reason. He's very worried about your health and your marriage. He wants you and Ian to be happy, but you can't if you keep being bad."

"I'm not bad," Savannah growled.

"Did you do what you were told to do without arguing or calling him names? Those two things are what really makes Daddy upset the most, and almost always guarantee a spanking."

"How the hell can you take the thought of being beaten so lightly?"

"Neither Daddy nor Uncle Layton beat me. The sperm donor did, though. He would pound on me with his fists wherever he could reach, and leave me huddled in a corner without so much as a second glance. What hurt more was the things he would call me," May said softly, plucking at blades of grass. "Neither of my husbands know this, but I used to hurt myself just to make his words go away."

"You did?"

"Yeah, for a long time. I started when I was twelve. It helped for a while, but then the words came back and were stronger. I stopped after one of the girls in my school died because she accidentally went too deep with a razor blade, and the teachers started watching for clues. I got scared that I'd be caught and that my father would beat me for it."

"Wow." Savannah looked away for a moment. "I thought I was the only one who did that. Ian doesn't know this, but I used to shove sewing needles into my thighs just so I could feel something different. My father found out and threatened to put me in a facility where he'd never have to look at me again. When I got married, I started drinking to dull the pain instead of stabbing because I was so afraid that Ian would find out and leave me."

"It sucks, huh? Especially the thought of being alone forever."

"Big time. Not a lot of people understand that this fear can drive you to do stupid things. Do you still do it?" Savannah asked.

"No, I don't need to. Those feelings aren't bottled up inside of me anymore, and I've learned to face them and apply better coping skills and talk things out. Plus, it would hurt my husbands and all the people who love me if they knew that I didn't trust them with my emotional and physical needs. I can't do that to them, I love them too much. I've also learned to love myself and believe that I have value to those in my life who matter most."

"It helped me, though."

"Temporarily, maybe. But you end up doing it more and more because, like when you drink, each time becomes less effective. I used to justify it, too, but Auntie Sri just pointed out that it was nothing but slow suicide and that I deserved more than that," May said.

"She never told your husbands?"

"If she did, they've never mentioned it." May shrugged. "But that's in the past and I have a better grip on life now, so I don't desire that anymore."

Savannah was quiet for a moment. "When Ian gave me the divorce papers, I wanted to die. Part of me knew that it would come eventually, but it still sent me off the deep end. I knew that I didn't deserve him and that eventually he would get tired of me, so I did everything I could to keep him from getting too close. I didn't want him to get hurt because he was stupid enough to love me."

"Please try not to believe that. It's not stupid to love somebody. It's not too late, you know. He wants you to be happy, but you have to want the same thing for yourself," May told her.

"But the divorce—"

"You left the papers at the house and never signed them. Even if you did, it doesn't matter. Vanna? We can help you if you let us," May said, touching the tears on Savannah's face with her hand and then giving the unhappy woman a loving hug. "Owie Bear and I can teach you how to be happy and not have adult hurts all the time."

"I doubt it." She sniffed, pulling her new bear close to her chest.

"Can too. Blow," May said with a large grin. "Ew! Snot bucket!"

"Cut it out," Savannah said, trying not to laugh. "Do you really think you can help? How?"

"You'll see." Reaching into her backpack, May produced a roll of paper and five jars of finger paints.