Epilogue

Two years later

The screen door slammed behind Gabriella as she let herself into the house. She could hear music playing in the kitchen and hastened her step, buzzing with anticipation. She couldn't wait to show Troy what she had.

Emily who must have heard her came bounding around the corner to greet her as she put her purse and keys on the hallway table. After a year Emily had grown into full size, her brown and white spots more evened out and her paws now portioned with her body. "Hey baby," she said as Emily jumped up to greet her, her little tail racing a mile a minute as she lapped Gabriella's hand with kisses of love and admiration.

"Troy?" she called as she made her way to the kitchen, after the remolding was done. They rented out the house to a lovely couple and Troy had moved in with her. She must admit, giving up most of her closet space away at first had made her incredibly doubtful that it could ever work out between them in her little abode. Then he offered to extend the closet, once again proving to be the man of her dreams.

With Emily on her heels Gabriella entered the kitchen to find Troy busy making dinner. Even though she was eager to share her news, she paused for a moment to appreciate the scene, her big strong, blue eyed man elbow-deep in spices and herbs. His intense gaze poring over a recipe book as though it held the key to life itself rather than dinner.

The laugh lines in his face had taken over, and the inherent warmth and goodness and humor in him was now evident in every smile, every glance, every gesture.

God, she was lucky.

Never in a million years would she ever think that she be coming home to man like this. A man who loved her so passionately and loved life with the same intensity, it was almost as if he was a different man from the one who pulled that wooden spoon out of her hand two years ago. It was like he was free.

Just then his blue eyes came up and he smiled in her direction, "Hey beautiful," he greeted a slow sexy smile curing his mouth as he tossed a rag over his shoulder and came around the table.

A delicious warmth unfurled in her belly and chest at the sight of that smile. "Look what I got straight off the press," she said holding out her book.

"Let me see that," he said hooking one arm around her waist and taking the book from her with his other hand. "Manhunting 101, written by Gabriella Montez," he read off the cover out loud admiring the craftsmanship. "Are you excited?"

"More like petrified," she said looking at the book in his hands as she wrapped her arms around his waist, "My mother announced it as the next book at her book club."

Manhunting 101 was a book about her life as a radio producer for an explicit radio show and how it affected her love life in the dating world. She never really meant to write a book about her life, or share all the embarrassing details about her horrible dates, but one day while cleaning out her office to make space for Troy he'd come across her notebook of man hunting lessons, which weren't really rules of any defined law but just lessons she learned in her dating career.

After a round and round discussion with Troy and Samantha about it, they had gone above her head and enlisted Taylor and Sharpay on the idea of bringing life to her little foolish lessons. In six months time she had a novel, an autobiography of her love life.

"Is she ready for that?" he asked with a small smirk as he leaned in and placed a small kiss on her neck.

"I still don't know if I'm ready for that," Gabriella said taking the book from him and examined it. "I can't believe I wrote a book."

"I can, and it's amazing," he said, "Just one of the many things I love about you."

She loved that he was excited about her work as she was. Gabriella smiled as she looked up at him with a small grin.

"What?"

Gabriella opened the book to the dedication page, "read it to me," she said turning so she was face to face with him.

Troy chuckled as he looked at her oddly and took the book from her, "You're adorable when you're up to something you know that?"

Gabriella giggled as she began to bounce up and down, "Read, read, read."

"Okay," he laughed pulling the book away a little so it wasn't so close. "Dedicated to my the father of my child and love of my-" his voice broke as the wind rushed out of his lungs.

Gabriella squealed as she clapped her hands together in excitement.

"Is this real?" he murmured thumbing through the book.

"As a heart attack," she said placing her hand on the book to catch his attention, "Troy, we're pregnant."

"This is amazing!"

Gabriella let out yelp as he lurched forward lifting her up and spinning around the kitchen. The book fell to the floor and she latched onto his shoulders to stay upright, "Troy, be careful," she laughed as they knocked over one of the bowls on the table.

"Marry me?" he said instantly as he put her down on top of the counter.

"I'm not putting on a wedding dress while I'm fat. I'll look like miss piggy when she took over Manhattan."

"Then marry me tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Gabriella let out huff, "Do you want my mother to kill you."

"I don't care," Troy said reaching his hands up to caress the side of her face, "Marry me tomorrow next week, 9 months from now or right this second, just marry me."

Gabriella laughed as she placed her hands on chest; she took a slow deep breath, savoring the moment. There would be many others like this, she knew. But this one was still precious, and she was going to treasure it. "I'd be honored too."

The End

Be on the lookout for my next story.

Not Quite Dating

Coming April 1st 2014

She doesn't want romantic and sweet she just wants something a little wild and raunchy, just a little spice to oil up the old inspiration wagon. He wants commitment and long-term, anything but just a quick roll in the sack no matter how long he's been dreaming about it.

The walls are thin between their bedrooms. Ever since she moved in after her divorce, Gabriella has listened to her best friend next door getting busy. By the sounds of the bed knocking on the wall and the gasping women, Gabriella wants to be one of those women on the other side. She just has to get the courage up to ask.

However, the only woman Troy Bolton has ever wanted long-term was the very-married Gabriella. He's tried finding a substitute, but there just isn't another woman out there like her. Now that she's available, he just has to keep his hands to himself for a respectable length of time after her divorce. But, after three months Gabriella takes him by surprise and now he grabbing at desperate strings to avoid being the rebound guy.