Someone Like You by Vanessa Devereaux

Landscapes written on its side. He swallowed,
hoping Gen wasn’t around because he couldn’t bare the thought of running into
her after the incident at his house. He hadn’t slept since that night, had
barely eaten, and his pants were hanging on his ass now.
    Jake didn’t
want to, but shit, he was being compelled again. He glanced down and saw Gen in
the flowerbed underneath the window. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and
she was bending over planting whatever the purple flowers were. He loved her so
much that he wanted to cry because his own stupidity kept them apart.
    He turned and
looked at Sadie.
    “I know what
you’re thinking,” said Sadie.
    “You can’t
begin to know that.”
    “Oh, I think
I can, and that’s why I arranged for you both to be here around the same time.”
    “Why are you
doing this to me? I told you I still love my wife and I can’t give my heart to
anyone else.”
    Sadie stood
and walked over to the window beside him. He looked at Sadie and then back down
at Gen, who was now wiping the back of her hand across her brow, leaving a
smear of dirt in its trail. He almost laughed remembering when he’d found her
that day working in the client’s yard. He was sure that was the second he’d
fallen in love with her.
    He looked at
Sadie again. She nodded as if she could read his mind.
    “She’s your
fate and your destiny. She’s the woman who will be your loyal companion for the
rest of your life.”
    He swallowed,
feeling sweat break out on his forehead.
    “I don’t
think I can.”
    She took his
arm and turned him to face her.
    “What I’m
about to show and tell you is against the rules. I
could lose my status as a witch. For that reason you’ll understand what I tell
you and act upon it, but afterwards you won’t remember a thing.”
    Jake couldn’t
take his eyes off Sadie now because her eyes seemed to be growing larger and
bluer. Had he heard correctly that she was a witch? Or was his mind doing silly
things to him because of the stress of seeing Gen again?
    She clicked
her fingers, and there on her desk sat a globe, and in its center was him and
Gen in what looked like one of the rooms at his house. However, it had baby
furniture in it. Gen was holding a baby.
    “He’s the
first of two children you and Gen are destined to have together.”
    He swallowed,
a tear running down his cheek. Him a father. He’d
always wanted to be one.
    “Jake, Jake.”
    “Katie, is
that you?”
    It was. It
was his Katie inside the globe.
    “I’m here
Jake, and I want you tell you that it’s time for you to love someone again. You
won’t dishonor me. In fact, I won’t rest peacefully until you do because I’ll
worry about you being all alone.”
    “Katie.”
    He reached
out to touch the globe, but both it and Katie were gone.
    The
next thing he knew was, well, it was off because he couldn’t quite remember
anything that had happened since he’d entered the office. However, now he felt
like a weight lifted off his shoulder. He also had the urge to run outside and
tell Gen he loved her before it was too late. In fact, he was going to do just
that. He made a dash for the door.
    “The survey,”
Sadie shouted after him.
    “Forget it
because I’ve got urgent business outside.”
    Jake ran out
of the office and down the hallway. He pushed the entry door open and ran
outside. He turned the corner to see Gen wiping mud off her thighs.
    She looked
up, saw him, but didn’t move. He walked toward her, didn’t say a thing, but
simply grabbed her and kissed her, this time on the lips.
    How could he
have waited this long? It was the most beautiful kiss of his entire life. Even
better than his first one back in third grade with Suzy Lovering who’d just gotten braces.
    His tongue
slid across Gen’s lips as she opened her mouth, and
he pulled her in tight to him. He never wanted to let her go, but he had to
because he had something to say.
    Jake pulled
away.
    “I’m ready
Gen.”
    “Ready
for