The man leaned against an oak tree, smoking a cigarette, watching as a flood of little kids made their exit from the elementary building. He scanned the crowd until he spotted her talking to woman with light auburn hair.

It'd been hard to find her, in Albuquerque he been able to find her when she pawned her wedding ring. Stupid bitch. Gabriella Catania was almost too easy to stalk.

Lifting his phone to his ear he waited for the ringing on the other line to stop. When it did, he wasted no time. "I found her."

"Good, how is she?"

"She got a job this morning as a waitress."

"That woman doesn't know the first thing about a job. What about my boy?"

"It looks like she's enrolling him in Highland Meadows Elementary School."

"Has she seen you yet?"

"No sir."

"Good, hang back, I need you to deliver a message but not yet."

"Yes sir."

Gabriella adjusted her bag over her shoulder, "Honestly, I have no idea what I would have done if it wasn't you in that office this morning Kelsi?"

"You would have been fine," Kelsi laughed.

Gabriella gave her a pointed stare, "Do you remember what it was like for me here back then. Everyone hated me, people crossed the street when they saw me. My father murdered someone and my mother wasn't exactly making the best brownies."

Kelsi frowned, "So why did you come back?"

Gabriella shoulders fell a little, "I just had to. The less you know the better."

Kelsi shook her head as she watched some of the students running around the school lot. She'd been the principal of Highland Meadow Elementary for four years now, her own son Jake was in the first grade. "So you're back and working for my grandmother at the diner."

"Seems like it."

"Did she remember you?"

Gabriella rocked on her heels a bit, "I not so sure she did, quite frankly I'm happy she didn't. I didn't remember her."

"God," Kelsi said with a small laugh, "What on earth have you been up too, we have so much to catch up on."

Gabriella stared off as she watched Eliot running around with Jake, "We do, and starting with who you ended up marrying?"

Kelsi blushed, "Ryan," she said holding up her hand to show off her ring finger, "He's the drama teacher at Highland Meadow's High."

Gabriella laughed, "How come that's just not surprising."

"Well we all can't live fabulous lives around the world," Kelsi teased.

Gabriella huffed, "Is that what they're calling the foster system these days?" crossing her arms she looked behind her across the lot at people standing around with their kids. Highland Meadows was a sea of Housewives and happy children. The perfect poster ad for small town living. A wave of uneasiness washed over her and she narrowed her eyes as she quickly scanned the crowd looking for anyone out of place.

"So there's something you should probably know," Kelsi said as she took a step closer to Gabriella.

Distracted Gabriella shifted her glaze to Kelsi, "What's that?"

"It's about the Sheriff."

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Jack Bolton is the least of my problems right now, as far as I'm concerned he can take his sexist bigotry and-"

"He retired."

"Oh," Gabriella smiled a little please with herself.

"Troy's the new Sheriff."

Gabriella took deep breath as she crossed her arm over her chest. She didn't know what she'd been expecting to hear about Troy Bolton. Him being Sheriff wasn't one of them. "Does anyone ever leave here?" she mumbled as she looked out to see Eliot climbing the monkey bars.

"He did for a while, after West Point he went into the Marines. Toured 8 years and came home with Medal of Honor. He worked as a Deputy for a while until his dad announced retirement and the Mayor just offered him the job."

"Yeah well I'm plenty sure somehow or way it was Jack's idea," Gabriella frowned as she reached up and pushed some hair out of her eyes.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because Troy wouldn't have an original thought if it gave him an aneurism."

"Bitter much?"

Gabriella frowned, as the past came flooding back to her. Being with Troy made about as much sense as having a pet rock, they had nothing in common. He practically did everything she said and would've of followed her through the gates of hell if she lead the way. They didn't talk as much as they made out behind things, like dumpsters, houses, cars, trees, mailboxes, anything just not to get caught by his father.

But that boy was good at kissing. She'd never been kissed again the way he'd kissed her. Meeting Troy Bolton for the first time had been almost been sinful. The town was having a cookout, everyone was out despite the little rain and fog that had come in. It was hot too. One of those sticky kind of days. She always known about Troy Bolton, the Sheriff's son, the senior classmen that the girls swooned over.

Kelsi and Gabriella were walking around talking causally enjoying the music. She was wearing a blue sleeveless button up shirt she'd tided up at the waist leaving a bit of her stomach bare before the waist band of her tore up homemade jean shorts. They'd been discussing the attributes of Brad Pitt vs Robert Downey Jr. when her eyes met and were held by searing blue eyes from beneath two even dark slashes of brows. He was tall, and his dark brown hair was short in a military buzz cut. At first she thought he was staring at one of the older girls behind her. Maybe Sharpay Evans in a two piece or something.

But he was staring at her and his gaze was too direct for him to be a regular churchgoer just saying hi. No his gaze was all male. Desire. Wicked. Something about him said he was a man and he was looking at her the way a man looked at a woman, not a girl.

"Do you know that Troy Bolton is staring at you?"

"I'll be right back."

Kelsi laugh in disbelief as Gabriella tossed her hair over her shoulder and came up to him head on. The expression on his face went from lustful, to curious, then amused as he his eyes traveled her up and down taking in her features from this close.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Last I check it wasn't a crime to admire a pretty girl."

"You'd know all about that wouldn't you?" Gabriella said with smirk, "Must be hard being the Sheriff's son."

"I manage."

Gabriella nodded, "Well if you don't mind, unless you plan to do something about it. Admire someone else. You're distracting."

Turning around she made her way back to Kelsi who was staring at her like she had three heads instead one. "What did he say?" she asked looking back at Troy then at Gabriella.

"Something about staring not being a crime. Boys can be such creeps," Gabriella shrugged as she crossed her arms and looked out into the street at all the older people dancing to the jazz music coming out over the speakers.

"Uh Gabriella, he's coming over here."

"What?" before she could turn around a warm hand pressed the middle of her back, and she felt a whisper of breathe in her hair next to her ear. "Come with me," he said, and for some reason she went compelled by his voice and big hand into the street to be consumed by the crowd.

She looked up into Troy's face and the flash of his white smile made her stomach jump, "What is this?" she asked.

"I'm doing something about it," he took one of her hands in his while his warm palm found the small of her back. He brought her close enough that her bare belly brushed the front of his shirt. A little tug knotted her stomach and sent those confusing little tingles through her body again. She leaned into the hard warmth of his chest as shivers of sensation, from the chilly air, his hot chest and the anticipation of more surged through her.

"Are you cold?"

"Not really." Not standing so close to him, but how else do you explain shivers?

He pulled her in closer to him as they began to sway to the music and she was instantly enveloped in his warmth. "You're a little on the skinny side," he said quietly as he slinked his arm around her waist. "Maybe I should take you home and make my mom cook a few good meals for you."

"I'm not skinny."

"Well then you're really small."

"I'm fun size."

He chuckled and right then and there she'd given anything to make him do it again because the sound of it made her melt.

"You really want keep insulting my size all night?"

"No. Let's talk about the smell of sweet jasmine in your hair." He lowered his face to the side of her head. "You've got beautiful hair."

She felt a little hitch in her chest. "I hate my hair."

"It suits you. Soft. Wild."

No one had ever said that about her hair. Or about her for that matter. In the matter of Troy Bolton she'd been goner from the very start. And everything about them had been so easy and carefree until later that night when Troy walked her home from town square and they'd seen all the cop cars outside her house. That was the last time she'd ever felt like anything in her life was carefree or easy.

"Eliot." Gabriella called, "Come on we should get going."

Kelsi let out a sigh as she frowned at Gabriella, "Are you sure you want to stay at that Paxton Motel?"

"We'll be fine," Gabriella lied, "the place is a lot less disgusting than I remember it and it's just temporary. There's no need to put anybody out."

"Alright, but you know we can help you if you need it," Kelsi smiled as she took Gabriella's hand, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too."

Troy let out sigh as he dropped his Glock and gun oil on the kitchen table. He needed a down day. No headaches, no pressures, no-

A sharp jingle rang from his phone.

No friggin' calls.

Troy answered, "Hello."

"You're mother wants you to meet someone from her book club."

Troy sighed, "No."

"Told you he'd say no," his father said to some one other side. "How's my office?"

"My office is just fine. You don't have an office anymore you retired," Troy frowned as he looked at his gun and began taking it apart for cleaning.

"Have talked to Paxton, there's a new guy in town."

"Yes, I also talked to Betty at the diner; this new guy is woman and her son. Runaways from a deadbeat who like to hit, nothing I can't handle."

"Paxton was pretty sure about it being a guy, I'd check out the motel and see if the husband didn't follow."

Troy rolled his eyes, "I can do my own job dad."

"I know you can, you're still just a little new is all, Paxton has my cell on speed dial so he just calls me. What you need to do is be social with these people. You can't just spend all your free time in the house cleaning you're gun. You gotta go out there and mingle."

"Dad you never mingled."

"I never had too. Your mother did it for me. All I had to do was tag along and hold her purse, which is why you need a wife."

"Right well I'll be sure to pick one up at the grocery store later."

"You gotta move on with your life, I know things didn't work out with Tabitha but it's not healthy for your prostate to go a year without-"

"My prostate is fine."

"Waxing your own candle isn't the same thing," his dad said.

Okay Troy wasn't going to get into a conversation about waxing his candle or prostate cleansing with his dad. "Bye dad."

"Your mother wants to know if you're coming over for dinner."

"I'll stop by," Troy said before hanging up the phone. Quietly he looked at all the pieces of his gun, let out a deep breath and quickly reassembled it. He was going to have to check out Paxton's motel for himself just in case his dad was right. The last thing Betty needed was an angry boyfriend on her hands.

Troy looked over at the stack of mail on his counter. Picking it up, he shifted through it. Nothing but bills and junk mail with a flyer for a town square cook out next weekend. He'd have to inform his men about that, give them the ground rules. No drinking in uniform, have a good time but stay alert. People tended to get a little crazy at these things. Highland Meadows wasn't really a rough and ragged place but it had it's fair share of drinkers and stupid idea's just the same.

Picking up his hat from the seat next to him he got up from the table and put his dish in the sink. Usually eating his lunch out and about somewhere in town wasn't horrible but it did mean he never really had a moments peace and quiet. He missed that. Walking into a diner sitting in a booth and not having at least 15 people coming over to tell you they heard something outside their window, needed a new smoke alarm or had a parking ticket they just didn't agree with.

Being Sheriff was more like being a babysitter for 625 people rather than hunting down bad guys. His left rotator cuff pinched-the pain due to a bullet he taken way back when. The pain wasn't consistent or bad enough to render his left arm useless but it was a constant reminder that he been shot at. Something he didn't miss. Being shot at. He'd take the babysitting gig over being shot at any day.

When he pulled into Paxton's parking lot it was almost empty except for a grey SUV parked in the corner of the lot. Looking up at the rooms he caught the sight of a little boy looking out the window down into the lot from the second floor room. He took educated guess and assumed he was the little boy of the runaway woman who rolled into town last night. Scanning the lot he didn't see any other cars that were out of the norm. Making his way inside he did come across Paxton sitting at the service counter tapping away on his phone.

"You called?"

Paxton looked up in surprise, "Sheriff," he said putting his phone down and standing up in a rush to come around the counter. "Boy am I glad to see you."

"Funny how the feeling isn't mutual," Troy said a little annoyed as he tipped his hat. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Mr. Philips won't pay his fee. He's refusing to let me into the room."

"Is that why you had me come all the way down here in person today?"

Joshua Paxton, was as creepy looking as the daylight was bright. His hair was light blonde and combed over in the worst way for a man who was only in his late forties. Male pattern baldness ran in his family just like the motel had for the last 75 years. He was tall, thin and pasty pale due to his lack of outdoor activity. Most of what Paxton did was in this Motel, checking people in and out and keeping their secrets. Or at least the ones that seemed harmless enough.

"Had two check in's since last night. One was really late last night, a middle age woman with a kid and the other was gentlemen who check in this morning."

"Anything seem odd to you?" Troy said turning around to scope out the parking lot again.

"Nope, other than people stopping in outta nowhere," Paxton let out a sigh, "Oh they both paid in cash."

Troy turned towards Paxton with a raise brow, "Names?"

Paxton hesitated as he thought about it for a moment, "I don't know Sheriff, that information is private. We really don't have a means to give you that information just yet."

Troy let out another sigh as he turned to look at Paxton carefully. "Mr. Philips is your problem, thanks for the tip about the check ins. If anything happens you call me."

"Yes Sheriff."

Troy made his way to the door just in time to see a black two door dodge charger slowly drive past the entrance to the motel. He looked back at the grey SUV and turned toward Paxton one last time. "Paxton,"

"Yes Sheriff."

"You call my father again with information before me and I'll have this place shut down," Troy turned back to the door and pushed it open not needing to wait for Paxton response to know that he'd made himself clear. Letting out a sigh he reached for his radio as he walked towards his car. "Hey I need someone to run a license plate for me. I also need someone to call animal control and have them met me at Miss Murphy in five minutes."

Eliot watched him from the window as he spoke into his shoulder. "Mom there's a cop downstairs," Eliot said as he watched the officer walk back from the office to his car.

Gabriella came to the window and peeked outside in time to see the man get into his car, "Eliot get away from the window."

"Do you think he knows daddy?"

Gabriella frowned as quickly closed the blinds and drew the curtain. "I think we have to be careful," Gabriella explained as she attempted to button up the last few buttons on her new uniform. "We're only here for a little while and we don't want to stir up trouble."

"How long is a little while?"

"I'm not sure," Gabriella said coming up to him where he sat on the bed and using her fingers to gently comb through his hair. "Now, you remember what I said about tonight right?"

"I know, stay quiet and in the booth," he frowned.

"Hey," Gabriella lifted his chin till his little brown eyes met hers. "This is only for a little while. We have to work together now. At least until I can get you into some programs at school."

"Why do I have to go to school if we're not going to be here for that long?"

Gabriella let out a sigh, "Because those are the rules champ, kids go to school, grownups go to work."

"But I don't want you to go to work."

"We're going to need money soon, and we're going to need more of it if we're going to get any further than this."

"Why can't we just ask dad?"

Gabriella was quiet as she looked away from him tears coming to her eyes that she fought hard to blink back. She hadn't fully explained their situation to her son, hadn't told him that the plan was to never go back. He was only 7 years old. He wouldn't understand. It wouldn't be fair to ask him to understand. "Eliot, we're going to be on our own for a little while," She said bringing her hand up to wipe a stray tear.

"I miss nana," Eliot spoke softly even though his voice chipped at her heart like a jack hammer.

Bending down Gabriella took both her son's hands in hers and let out a low sigh as she meet his smaller brown eyes with her own. "Nana is in a better place, she loves us very much and she's watching over us right now."

"I miss daddy,"

"I know you do," Gabriella said reaching out a hand to gently caress his cheek. After a moment a silence passed between them she let out a sigh, "If you're good tonight we can call him tomorrow."

"Really?" his brown eyes lit up.

"Yes but you can't tell him where we are and you can't stay on the phone for very long," Gabriella said quietly as she adjusted his shirt. "We have to work together if this is going to work okay?"

"Okay."

Two hours later Gabriella walked quickly as followed Betty behind the service counter, doing her best to keep up with the older woman was a lot harder than she originally thought it would be.

"We close at midnight, there ain't much use staying open past that cuz there ain't many folks in town out looking for coffee and a burger at that time anyway," Betty wiped the counter as she went. "When you have a moment you wipe. The counters, the tables, the seats, the windows, if you're breathing you're wiping."

Gabriella nodded as she followed her through the narrow space behind the counter.

"Now I don't mind the boy being here occasionally but you're gonna have to find a sitter. This isn't a daycare."

"Yes Maim."

"We make continuous coffee throughout the day, it's free refills after they buy the initial cup and everybody loves our coffee."

"What makes it so special?" Gabriella paused as she looked at the old fashion coffee pot sitting on the warmer.

"The hell if I know, just don't burn it," Betty called over her shoulder.

"Right," Gabriella frowned as she took off after Betty one more time. Just then the bell rang over the door and Gabriella turned to greet the new costumer as Betty had told her to before. Only to come to a stop when saw the Sheriff's hat coming toward them.

Maybe it wasn't him.

"Sheriff, what a pleasure seeing you here tonight," Betty greeted as she reached back for one of the to go cups. "The Sheriff always takes his coffee to go," she told Gabriella.

Maybe he wouldn't recognize her. She'd been 15 years younger and about ten pounds lighter. Surely there'd been so many females in his life, he wouldn't remember one scrawny teenager from all those years ago.

"Good evening Betty," he tipped his hat. His voice was older, deeper. More mature. Still smooth, and Gabriella felt a knot in her chest. An anxious little knot, when she had nothing to be anxious about. She didn't care one bit about Troy Bolton.

"Catch any bad guys today?"

"Nope, but I did get rid of a raccoon for Miss Murphy," he teased, as he looked behind him at Eliot who was sitting at the booth looking at a comic book. The brim of his Sheriff's hat casted a darker shadow across his face as he looked down at the baked goods in case. He was bigger, taller than she remembered and the shadow from his hat slid to the crease of his lips.

A tiny bit of anger pulled at the anxious knot in Gabriella's stomach. Not a lot of anger. Not enough to jump over the counter and give him a throat chop but enough that it surprised her after all these years. Gabriella remained quiet as heard Betty rattle off all the specials of the day and what treats had just come fresh out of the oven.

"If it ain't Martha and her doughnuts, it's all this delicious crap you leave out just to destroy me," Troy sighed and looked up towards the heavens as if he'd receive help from above. He swore softly and scrubbed his face with his hands. "I'll take a sugar twist for me and my buddy back there," he pointed at Eliot before reaching back for his wallet.

Maybe it was best that he did not recognize her, less embarrassing that way. Best that he not recall that night they spent at the Miller's old abandon house. Really, why should he remember? He hadn't been the virgin.

"It is alright if he has a sugar twist right?" Troy blue eyes immediately found her brown eyes staring at him and like a Hershey bar on a summer day she felt parts of her begin to get gooey. But she was older now. Wiser. Impervious to smooth talk and smoother hands than she'd once had been that hot summer so long ago. Even if he had recognized her, there would be no melting of any kind.

"Yes," she spoke softly.

Troy smiled that boyish charm as Betty handed him two sugar twists. "Thanks Betty," One corner of his mouth kicked up a little, and his blue eyes settled on her again. "It's nice seeing you back in town Ella."

Gabriella's breath hitched as he gave her wink and turned towards Eliot to hand him his sugar twist. Nope. No melting. Not even a little bit. No matter how much his pants hugged his ass like glove.