Free Honor Unraveled by Elaine Levine Page B

Casey. I never have. We talk things through.”
    “Yeah, well, from the sounds of the convo we walked into, a little spanking wouldn’t hurt.”
    Ivy stopped struggling and glared up at him. “Ty Bladen.”
    “It’s Holt now.”
    Right. She remembered that he’d applied for a legal change to his name after he found out the truth about his father. “Ty Holt. This isn’t acceptable.”
    Ty let her go and grinned at her. “Kit’s nothing like my dad. Or yours. Trust him. He’s got your back.”
    Ivy wiped the angry tears from her face. Ivy paced while Ty simply leaned against a support beam. Several long minutes passed. She was glad he stayed with her while they waited for the two to return. At last, Kit and Casey started back toward them. Casey had been crying but was subdued when she stopped in front of Ivy.  
    “I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t hate you. I’ve never hated you. Dad said there might be something he could do to let me go, if it’s okay with you, after what just happened.”
    “And…?” Kit prompted.
    “And if that doesn’t work out, I understand.”
    Ivy let out a ragged breath and pulled Casey in for a hug. “I’m sorry, too. We’ll wait to see what Dad can do.”  
    Casey nodded. “I’m going to my room. Dad said you guys would decide on a punishment because I lost my temper and said mean things.” She moved past Ivy and went inside.
    “Right, then,” Ty said as he pushed off the pillar he was leaning against. “I can see that this drama is less exciting than I’d hoped. I’m off.”
    He went inside, leaving Ivy alone with Kit. She sent him a questioning glance. He grinned at her. “What? You didn’t think I knew the difference between a little girl and an enemy?”
    Ivy shook her head. “I don’t know what to expect from you at all. I don’t like yielding my authority over Casey to anyone.”
    Kit lifted his shoulders and shrugged that off. “You’re still in charge. I just reinforced that with her.”
    “What did you say to her?”
    “I explained that the sanctions you’re imposing came from me, and that if she had an issue with them, she could discuss it civilly with you or bring her concerns to me. And that if I ever heard her disrespect you again, she’d spend a week running laps around the gym.”
    “Oh.” Ivy sighed. Kit had defused the tense situation so easily that she had trouble grasping what just happened. Lately, blowups like these were becoming more frequent, louder, and lasting longer. “Well. Thank you. She’s getting so moody lately. Sometimes I don’t even know how to reach her. Everything I say infuriates her.”
    “I guess she’s at that age. You’ve raised her to be an independent thinker and a little go-getter. She’s exercising the strengths you’ve given her, though maybe not in the right way. I’m happy to back you up. Anytime.”
    Ivy met Kit’s gaze. His help had been fast, thorough, uncomplicated. All of her adult life she’d longed for someone to share the journey with—the good moments and the trials. Someone calm and patient. Kit wasn’t the boy she’d known, but he was looking more and more as if he were a man she wanted to get to know.
    “So what are we going to do about her summer camp?” she asked Kit.
    “I checked them out. They’re a stand-up group. They keep a good ratio of adults to kids. I’d be a lot happier if they were set up as more of a prison camp than the summer camp they are. Guards with guns. And walls.” He grinned at her. “Barbed wire.”
    “Kit—”
    “I know. If my enemies want to cause problems, they could as easily take any civilian from town. With the WKB vote on the line, it’s unlikely they’ll go hours out of their way to harm Casey when they could achieve the same result right here with much less effort.” He shoved his hand through his short, spiky hair. “It’s just that she’s my kid. My flesh and blood. I want her safe.”
    He walked away a few steps, hands on his hips, head