Author's Note: I have been hard at work this week on a brand new website! The link is on my profile and as always I would really love it if you guys took some time to check it out when you can. I am really excited about the projects to come. My 2nd book is shaping up better than I could hope for. The blog looks amazing my office is ready to be painted and I FINALLY brought a desk. Guys, 2015 is going to be a great year for us. As always check out Punkpoet69's twitter or facebook, let me see that support I love so much about you guys.

"I suck at this," Gabriella said looking at the display case of doughnuts.

"Practice," Betty said looking at the case with a knowing smile.

Gabriella let out a sigh, "You're right," she told Betty as she looked at the shelf and made a second attempt at getting all the trays to fit. For a while there was a time she believed she was terrible at everything, useless and worthless and unlovable. If you're beaten down enough times, eventually you realize it the easiest to stay on the ground. It had taken her a long time to reprogram that hateful little voice in the back of her head; some days it was still a challenge.

Slipping the last tray into place she smiled to herself as she got all the trays to fit in the display case.

"Looks delicious."

The sound of his voice made her spring up straight as she looked at him with surprise. God, why did he have to look so good? She'd been avoiding him for three whole days, hoping like hell he'd just forget all about her and leave her alone.

"Hi Troy," she murmured as she wiped her powered hands on her apron.

"Good afternoon, I see your face is looking better."

Gabriella brought a hand up to her face and felt where her bruise had been. "What can I get for you?"

"Can I steal you away for lunch?"

"No," she said turning away from him and walking around the counter so she could go about taking orders.

"It's about the rental car," he said touching her forearm with his hand gently.

Gabriella tried desperately to ignore the sizzle of heat that shot up her arm to burn in the center of her chest. One touch, Gabriella thought. One touch from him and she was on fire. How was that fair? Hadn't her body learned the hard lesson her brain had over the past years? That she couldn't let herself care? That she couldn't trust what she felt for him because he so clearly wasn't interested?

"No need. Ryan's been able to drive me to work, and Kelsi been taking Eliot to school with Jake for me," she said making her escape.

"Ella."

Gabriella spun around and looked at him with an exhausted sigh, "Okay Troy, why don't you just say whatever it is you have to say and get this over with."

"Good to see you again, too."

Gabriella took a breath and huffed it out. "I think we're past the whole 'polite' thing don't you?"

Troy took her notepad and pen out of her hands and place them on the counter. "Betty, I need Mrs. Catania for a moment I'll bring her back after lunch."

"No problem Sheriff."

Once they were outside Gabriella shrugged free, "what is it with you and pulling me out of work? I have a job. I gotta feed my son."

Troy made his way to his cruiser, "Get in Catania."

"Oh for the love of god," she said rolling her eyes, "Stop calling me that." Untying her apron she made her way over getting into the cruiser as well.

"Let's talk about that night."

She flushed, the heat inside her bursting into an inferno of fire that raced through her system like an out of control blaze. "I'd rather not."

"Too damn bad," he said pulling out of the parking spot.

Well that was enough to stiffen her spine and strengthen her weakening will. She wasn't afraid of him, but she was afraid of what she felt for him. Naturally, admitting that to Troy was out of the question. She wouldn't give him any more ammunition to use against her. She was still too vulnerable to him, whether she liked acknowledging it or not, and there was just no way that she was going to line up for more pain. She'd been through enough.

"I didn't show up."

"Yeah that much I know," she said shortly. The memory was thick and rich and so clear it could still jab at her heart.

"I didn't call either, I was going to."

So much for memory lane. Mentally, she paved right over it.

"Really? What stopped you? Abducted by aliens?"

One corner of his mouth quirked. "Not exactly."

"What then? Broken dialing finger? Couldn't find a phone?" her tone was icy.

"None of the above," he said keeping his voice low. "It's complicated."

"So complicated that you couldn't be bothered in the past 15 years to come up with an explanation?"

"Yeah," he admitted uncomfortably. "Something like that."

Amazing that she could still feel disappointment after so many years. That even after a marriage and what felt like a life time in a whole new life that could still feel the pain cutting through her. "Great." She said slowly. "Glad we got that all straightened out."

Gabriella was torn. She wanted to know why he'd disappeared on her so abruptly after what she had considered the most magical, romantic, life-altering night of her life. But she also didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she cared.

"So how are you sleeping?" Troy asked as he came to a red light.

"Good. Everything is fine." Lie. She still couldn't sleep thought the night. She consistently awoke from the same nightmare only now when she saw her attacker he was wearing a ski mask and had a gun to her cheek.

From the corner of her eye she could see him, his gaze linger on her eyes, and she realized he knew she was lying.

"If you ever want to talk, have dinner or something," he said not really sure why.

"Not a good idea." She couldn't look at the man without getting all itchy.

"You can quit the act," Troy muttered.

"And what? Am I supposed to melt because you're suddenly all protective? I'm not sure how other women around here react to that move, but it's lost on me."

"It's not a move."

They pulled into the car lot and the cruiser came to a stop. Gabriella looked out and around them at all cars on the lot. "What are we doing here?"

"Your car looked like it was totaled, and the crime tech may have it for weeks, even if it isn't. I thought I'd give you a drive to get a rental. You might see no need for it now, but you strike me as the independent type and depending on the Evans is going to get old real quick."

"Nice of you to offer, but I can handle that myself," she countered as she tried to give him her best I-can-take-care-of-myself-thank-you expression. She considered his glare and decided it wasn't working.

"Get out of the car and pick out something you like."

"Just like that?" Gabriella said a little taken aback.

"I know the dealer here. He can take care of it."

Gabriella narrowed her gaze as she got out of the car and noticed the man in a white shirt and jeans walking towards them as if he expected them. He waved and smiled. Troy got out of his car and shook hands with the man. They had a short conversation.

"You must be Ella?" the man said, "I got something I think you might like." He led them to a brand-new, grey Honda CRV.

Confused Gabriella looked at Troy then back at the dealer, "Wait, I'm confused, I thought I was looking for a rental."

"This is it," said the dealer as he flashed a brilliant smile at her.

"You can rent it until you get your insurance check. Then you can decide if you want to buy this one or another one."

"I won't be dealing with insurance," Gabriella said looking at the car. It was definitely a luxury model and not the standard. The seats were beige leather and a navigation system was mounted in the center of the dash. The audio system was jack up and a power moon roof was carved in the ceiling.

"Yes she is," Troy countered as he ventured towards the back of the car.

"I can't afford this?"

"Don't worry about it. It's taken care of."

She frowned, squinting her eyes at him then looked back at Troy who was checking out the trunk. "What's going on? What do you mean, 'it's taken care of'?" she didn't know what was going on but if this was a favor or charity, she didn't like it.

"Ella, you're starting to insult me," he said, avoiding her questions. "I own this dealership and I can do whatever I want. If I want to loan you a car knowing you'll probably buy it when you get your insurance check, that's good business."

"She'll take it."

"What?" Gabriella looked back at Troy.

"It's perfect for the boy and you for now. It'll be great for the renovation and it practically pays for itself." Troy crossed his arms over his chest. "Besides, you like it."

Gabriella looked back at the car. While it was true that she did like it. She wasn't sure she was ready for all the whiplash that was currently taking place. Plus she wanted to stay hidden. Dealing with her insurance even if it was under her maiden name, would certainly raise a couple of flags.

"Well?" the dealer asked.

"Oh screw it," Gabriella said quietly. "I'll take the damn thing."

"Great," the dealer exclaimed as he looked over at Troy and out reached his hands. "We're even then."

"Consider the fines paid."

Gabriella raised a brow as she looked from Troy to the dealer. It wasn't until the dealer had gone back inside that she brought it up again.

"Fines?"

Troy winked in her direction and lifted a finger to lips in a hushing motion.

"You haven't changed a bit have you?" she smiled as she tried her hardest not to.

"Would you like an escort back to work?" he offered.

"No," Gabriella murmured, "I capable from here on."

Weeks passed, and although Troy kept a close watch on her, there was little information from him about the carjacking. That was because they had nothing. The attacker wore a ski mask and gloves. The diner surveillance tape revealed nothing. No prints either. He wore gloves. If he had injuries when she crashed the car, he didn't bleed, because the crime tech found no fluids to test for DNA. No Hair. No fibers. Nothing. It was like he was never there.

"You're lucky to have me. No other man would want you."

"Shut up, no one wants to hear what you think. Your mouth is only good for one thing, and it isn't talking. Now get on your knees. Slut."

"God, Gabriella, You're so stupid. You should be grateful I even stay with you. I don't know why I do when I could have women ten times hotter than you who have actual tits instead of whatever those are. I guess I pity you because you're so damn pathetic."

"What did you say to me, bitch? I'm going to make you wish you'd never open your mouth you stupid whore. Get over here. Ha, are you trying to run away from me? You seriously think you can escape me? That's so cute. Now stop crying- I haven't even given you anything to cry about yet!"

"I only did it because I love you. It was your fault, anyway. If it wasn't for you provoking me then this never would have happened. Now wipe the blood off your face and get up. That looks like it's going to leave a bruise. See what you made me do?"

Gabriella sat up with a start, the bedsprings creaking in protest beneath her. The four walls of Kelsi's guest bedroom greeted her, steady and unwavering. She wasn't back there in New York, thank God. No, she was in Highland Meadows, safely tucked into a bed miles away from him. She breathed a massive sigh of relief and waited for her heart rate to return to normal.

The distance didn't matter. She knew she'd no longer be sleeping for the night. Not after a nightmare like that. She could practically feel him there on top of her, smelling his sour breath as he grabbed her by the upper arms, squeezing her so tightly that she nearly cried out.

If she closed her eyes, it was almost like he was shaking her again, throwing her back and forth like a little rag doll until her skull hit the headboard of the bed with a sickening crack. She could feel the impact. Smell the stench of beer on his breath. Taste the blood as she bit down hard on her tongue, the world spinning out of control before she lost consciousness.

She couldn't bear to keep her eyes shut a moment longer.

Tossing the covers off of her she looked besides her in the bed where Eliot lay peacefully at rest hanging on to a stuffed dinosaur. Carefully she eased herself out of bed and grabbed her sweater pulling it over her night t-shirt. She needed to run. She'd feel better after a run. She slipped her bare feet into her sneakers she'd left by the door of the room and quietly snuck out.

By the time she'd reach the Highland Meadows elementary school's athletic track it was already 4:00 a.m. The track was a fourth of a mile, so Gabriella determined she'd run eight laps to make the two mile goal she set for herself. She pulled a hair band from her wrist and tied her hair up into a ponytail before she warmed up, bending from her waist to stretch until her hands touched the rough surface of the cinder track.

The October air was crisp but she would barely notice the chill after a lap or two. She began running in place her long legs moving in rhythm. Just then a silver-haired man slowly jogged past her, openly appraising her from head-to-toe. She'd seen him on the track before and each time he'd eyed here like she was a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven. He had annoying habit of disregarding her back-the-hell-off glares.

She ignored him and began running her laps, passing him easily as she shot forward. A man in a black baseball cap wearing mirrored sunglasses and a black hooded sweatshirt say in the bleacher smoking a cigarette. There was something about him that made her feel uncomfortable. He appeared to be focused on her but thanks to the mirrored sunglasses, she couldn't be certain. She shrugged it off as best she could. Blaming her overactive imagination on her nightmares.

Heaven knows, since her carjacking she had lost her sense of trust and gained an extreme and unreasonable suspicion of other people and their motives. She spent more time looking in her rearview mirror than watching the road ahead of her. She'd even become more suspicious of all the men in Highland Meadows that she caught looking at her, asking herself could he be the carjacker? Could he be working for her husband? Could he want to kill her?

A tall, muscular man in a hooded gray sweatshirt sprinted past her on lap two. His powerful thighs and legs were tan and covered with fine hair. His muscular body was lean but athletic, she noted. He looked to be about 6'5 and around 230 pounds. The hood on his sweatshirt covered his head so she couldn't get a good look at his face. Needless to say her curiosity was peeked. She'd been out here over the weeks since Kelsi mentioned it and she'd never seen him before.

She quicken her pace to get a glimpse of his face, but he was running too fast for her to catch up with him. He was already past the starting port while she was just a little over half way there. A sudden breeze whipped at her ponytail she was nearing her fourth lap, was winded, but holding up. Running made her feel lithe and full of energy.

Running was also a good activity to drive Troy out of her thoughts. Lately that accomplishment was a feat in itself. He was making weekly, sometimes bi-weekly visits to the house to help her with the dry wall, the floors, the electric and even cleaning the windows on one occasion. It was just as he promised in his spare time Troy was helping her work on the house. She had to admit that flipping the house wasn't entirely a bad idea. It would get her enough money to get her out of Highland and to the next town. Seeing how his murder case and the carjacking case had gone cold he couldn't really expect her to just stick around forever could he?

The man in the gray sweatshirt passed her again, his shoes pounding the cinder surface. But this time, he slowed his speed once he was several feet ahead of her. Soon he was jogging beside her. As she turned to look at him, he jerked down the hood to his sweatshirt with a mischievous smile that sent shockwaves through her system.

"Troy?" Her shocked expression quickly turned to irritation as she hastened her speed. He easily kept up with her, barely winded while her own lungs seemed ready to burst. Her heart tripped wildly against her ribs more by his presence than physical exertion.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"It's my job to be here."

"What?" they slowed to a walk. Several minutes passed before either of them spoke.

"Do you know we still haven't found Philips killer?" Troy said pointedly, "or your carjacker for that matter?"

"Why are you telling me this?" she said as she considered the quick and disturbing thought.

"Because the point is that their still out there." He paused for a second then went on. "You should really be more careful about your safety. What are you doing out here alone?"

"I can take care of myself."

Troy caught her arm stopping her. "Seriously? Because from where I'm standing it looks like you need a little help. That guy on the bleachers has been watching you for the last 5 nights have you even noticed he followed you home last night?"

Gabriella eyes widen as she spun around and noticed that the man in question was gone. Turning back to Troy she let out a gasp, "You followed me?"

"Yes."

Gabriella yanked her arm out of his grasp and pushed forward. Her left ankle gave way, sending her crashing down to the cinder track. She landed with a thud on her side, and a lightning bolt of pain shot up from her ankle.

She moaned and was aware of Troy's large hands touching her body as he gently turned her over to inspect her injuries. He carefully unlaced her shoe and removed it, along with her sock. She shrieked as he prodded her ankle and foot with his fingers.

"Easy, babe. I know it hurts." His voice was soothing and did not reveal the cold knot in his stomach when he saw the extent of her injuries. The entire right side of her leg was scraped and bleeding with dark bits of cinder embedded in her flesh.

She tried to rise to inspect the injuries for herself, but he gently-yet firmly-pushed her back down. Her ankle was throbbing violently now. Troy handed her back the shoe, effortlessly scooped her up in his arms and began walking.

"Put me down," she said weakly.

"Hell, no. You can't walk on that foot," he growled.

"Where are you taking me?" Whatever his answer was, she was in too much pain and panic to argue, "Call Kelsi and check on Eliot. He's all alone." She gazed up at his face, and then laid her head on his shoulder, trying to ignore the pain shooting up her leg and trip of her heartbeat at his nearness.

She'd been through worse than this. Her body had walked off a beating worse than this.

"Put me down I can walk on it. I have to get back to Eliot."

"I'm taking you to the hospital. I'll make sure Eliot gets to school just fine."

Gabriella could barely remember anything other than him placing her safety inside the front seat of his truck and closing the door softly.