It Had to Be Fate (An It Had to Be Novel Book 3) by Tamra Baumann

just miss hearing your deep, sexy voice, ma chérie . It still makes me want you every time I hear it.”
    Now his attempts to use his foreign charm—all fake, because Tomas was capable of speaking perfect English after having dual citizenship in the United States and France for twenty years—just grated on her last nerve.
    Thank God she’d brought her wine outside with her. Too bad she hadn’t thought to grab the bottle too.

    Zane wasn’t sure if he should stay or go. Casey had been interrupted midsentence by the call, but she seemed to want to make a point. And he wanted to know the deal with her and Beau.
    So he opened his laptop at the kitchen table and answered all the e-mails that needed his attention. Next he Googled his name to see what the media was saying about his current situation. Kip had called earlier and said they were trying to get the bar owner and the guy Nick punched to drop their charges, but if they agreed, it’d cost a boatload of cash. After they’d posted bail, his lawyers promised the judge they’d send Nick to rehab while they figured everything out. It’d be nice to come out of this mess without any formal charges, but he could only hope for the best at this point.
    When there wasn’t any new information about the case, Zane closed his laptop and then wandered to the glass doors that overlooked the lake. Casey was at the end of a small dock, pacing back and forth as she talked to her ex.
    He should probably go.
    Just as he turned to leave, Caleb appeared. “Dad told me he was going to call Mom tonight. Now that I’m ten and might have a say, my dad wants me to tell the judge that I’d like to live with him instead. Dad said maybe it’d make our mom move from this tiny Podunk town to France so we could see both of them more often. But I’m not sure what to do.”
    Holy crap. What was he supposed to say to that?
    He wished he’d left five minutes earlier. He wasn’t equipped for deep family stuff with kids. But Caleb’s dad putting him in the middle like that was just . . . wrong. “That must be . . . I mean, that has to be a hard . . .”
    Caleb’s eyes widened. “She just hung up. And I think she’s headed this way. See you!” Caleb took off down the hall, leaving Zane standing there like he’d been spying on Casey. Which he sort of had been, but not in the way she’d probably think.
    Casey started up the hill, but then turned around and headed to the end of the dock again. Probably a good time to slip out before she got back.
    But then she sat down, took a huge hit from her wineglass, and dropped her head into her hands. It looked like she was crying, dammit.
    Of course she was crying. Her ex had just told her he wanted to take her kids away.
    He couldn’t leave her like that. He had to do something. But what?
    Cake. That was what she’d need. No one could cry when chocolate cake was involved. He grabbed the piece she’d cut for herself and then found a fork and a napkin before he headed outside.
    The loud chirp of crickets serenaded him as he worked up the courage to comfort an upset woman. Something he’d never been much good at.
    His footsteps, muted by the grass, became louder when he hit the wood on the end of the dock. Casey quickly sat up and straightened her shoulders. He walked slowly, hoping to give her time to pull it together before he got there.
    Tears scared the crap out of him.
    When he got close, he said, “I almost caved and ate your piece of cake too, but then I realized you have a passkey to every room. I was afraid you’d spike me in the heart while I slept.” He lowered the plate beside her, ready to make a fast retreat to his room.
    “Smart man.” She wiped away her tears and smiled at him. “Thank you.”
    He stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, not quite sure what to do next. The way she’d finally genuinely smiled at him, like he’d seen her do to others, made him want to stay. But there was always the