Featured #Bookoftheweek It Must Be Fate by @LaceyWolfe #Romance

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Blurb

Sometimes the future lies in the past…

Sandy Collins hasn’t thought about him in years, not since he broke her heart and broke off their engagement. She’s built a great nursing career for herself, and most of all, she’s happy. Until she ruined it by walking into that staff meeting…

After the passing of his grandmother, Daniel and his daughter Keri have moved back to town and taken up residence in her house. Things are looking up after several rough years, but on the first day of work at his new job as a pediatrician, Daniel gets an unexpected surprise—in the form of a nurse he’s never been able to forget.

As much as she tries to fight it, Sandy can’t deny the attraction. Daniel makes it clear that he’s sorry and wants another shot, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes. But the last thing Sandy wants is to relive the misery from the past. But how can she resist when it seems as though fate is stepping in?

Snippets

Excerpt

A cool shiver swept up Sandy’s spine as she dipped her big toe into the lake behind her house. Removing her foot, she took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of morning flowers. The sun warmed her face.

She turned and glanced around, as she always did, before slipping her robe off for an early-morning swim—naked. This was her secret—a way to let loose from her usually tightly scheduled life. Sure, she could wear a swimsuit, but being completely nude just felt so enlightening. Freedom perhaps.

For the most part, her property was private. She lived at the end of the road. Only one house was next to hers, and it had been vacant for quite some time. The lawn was full of tall weeds, the bushes overgrown. A few of the windows had boards over them. The house sat there all alone and forgotten.

As usual, no one was around to observe her private daily ritual. Sandy removed the robe, tossed it behind her, and grinned as she always did. Entering the chilly water at a leisurely pace, she waited until she was waist deep before beginning to swim. As the water engulfed her body with each stroke, she felt free from life’s everyday demands. She needed this—it was her way of coping with her work roster. The unpredictable shifts, on constant rotation, were doing nothing for her love life.

In fact, when was the last time she’d been on a date? A month ago, maybe two? She kicked her legs faster. It had probably been longer than that.

Once she was in the middle of the lake, she began to tread water and float in place. She closed her eyes for a few moments. When she reopened them, she gazed at the trees swaying in the breeze and finally back toward her home. Something caught her attention at the house next door. A girl stood on the back porch looking right at her. She appeared to be about nine, maybe ten.

Sandy wiped her eyes, wondering if she was really seeing someone over there. When she looked back at the house, no one was there. Had she imagined it? Letting out a sigh and feeling creeped out, she swam back quickly. If someone were over there, she would need to get out of the lake and inside her home before they came out to chat. Imagine that—her butt-naked and having new neighbors wanting to come introduce themselves.

As she made her way back to shallow water, she said a silent prayer no one would see her as she climbed out and wrapped her robe around her. Without a backward glance, she sprinted to her house, up the back steps, and inside to safety.

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