Till Death Do Us Part: A Paranormal Why Choose Romance (Vows Duet Book 1)

Epilogue

8 Years Later

My feet squish in the mud, splattering as I jump. I squeal as the slimy dirt oozes between my toes. “Gross,” I laugh, delighted.

Dean picks up a handful, his glasses as crooked on his nose as his smile is on his face. One lens has mud smeared on them. “Gonna get you, Cass!” he shouts.

I splash through our mess, shrieking as I run from my best friend.

Dean has been my best friend since we were babies because our moms are best friends. They even picked us up from the baby store at almost the same time, and our birthdays are only two days apart.

I have a secret, though.

I’m going to marry Dean someday.

That’s what his name is right now. But he’s had other names before, too. Like Theodore. Theodore is a long name. I’m glad Dean is Dean this time. I can spell it all by myself already and I’m only five.

“What in the world did you two do?” Momma hollers from the back porch, and Dean and I freeze, hands full of mud that we’re getting ready to throw at each other. “Cassandra Turner, didn’t I tell you not to play with that hose?”

Dean throws down his mud and races forward, planting himself in front of me. “Auntie Tanya, I did it! It was all my fault!” he lies, taking the blame.

Momma shakes her head, smiling a little as she walks into the yard. She crouches in front of him, making him giggle as she tickles his belly. “Little monkey. I know darn well you didn’t do it all by yourself.” She gives him a playful swat on the booty as he runs away, screaming as he jumps right into the deepest mud puddle we made.

Sighing, Momma turns to me. “I’m glad you weren’t wearing your new dress, at least.” She eyes me. “Anything you want to say?”

“I’m sorry, Momma,” I say seriously, peering up at her with wide eyes.

Her eyes scan the dirt patch that Daddy can’t ever seem to get grass to grow on. Which makes it perfect for mud puddles, of course. “You know,” she says slowly, looking back at me. “I think you have a little something right there.”

I screech as she swipes a muddy finger over the tip of my nose, scrambling away from her. “This is war!” I cry. “Dean, there’s a war! Quick, let’s get her!”

“Oh, no you don’t,” Momma yells, jogging back to the porch. “I’m going back inside. No more water though, Cassie,” she adds, using her I’ll get you in trouble voice.

“Okay!” I agree, but I’m not really listening anymore as I jump into the puddle next to Dean.

We both sit down, right in the muck.

Dean pushes his glasses up with a finger, getting them even dirtier. “Cassie, we’re always going to be best friends, right?”

“Duh,” I answer, kicking my feet to stir up the pretend chocolate milk we made. “For always.”

He holds out a pinkie. “Promise?”

I dutifully wrap my finger around his. “Promise.”

And I mean it—pinkie promises are serious. He could break my pinkie if I break my promise.

Good thing I’m the best promise keeper there is. Especially because I made a vow—Momma says that means a big promise—before I was born to find three more best friends.

I’m looking for them.

And maybe they’re looking for me, too.