Tempting Nashville's Celebrity Doc. Amy Ruttan

was her first real bad day since I came home.”

      “I understand. I respect that.”

      He knew about bad days and parents.

      His parents had been superstars and ran on a different schedule than the rest of the world. Reece had spent many a day sleeping during daylight hours and up all night, because that was what his parents did.

      When he was a young child there were two years he didn’t see the sun. Only the moon and countless strangers passing through their Belle Meade mansion while his parents threw endless parties and get-togethers.

      How he’d wished for some stability.

      A normal life.

      The only stability he’d ever had in his life were the couple of summers he’d spent with his paternal grandfather in Kentucky, up in the mountains. There were regular meals, chores, swimming and stability.

      Those summers had ended when he was ten, when his grandfather got Alzheimer’s. Reece’s father had sold the Kentucky cabin and put his grandfather in a home near Memphis, where he’d died alone a year later.

      Reece had never seen his grandfather again. It was then he’d decided to dedicate his life to curing Alzheimer’s.

      That was all that mattered.

      Medicine. Not music.

      “She should be fine, but maybe try to find out if your mother tried to do harm to herself in her past. If she regresses it could be a repeat episode.”

      Vivian nodded. “I will. She doesn’t talk much about those times. She’s private too.”

      Reece chuckled with her. “I know, but I would hate to have to put her on a suicide watch.”

      “She’s not suicidal when she’s lucid,” Vivian snapped defensively.

      “Okay, but you understand where I’m coming from as her doctor.”

      “You’re not her doctor.”

      “I will be.”

      Vivian looked confused. “What do you mean?”

      Even though he shouldn’t do it because it would mean that he would be further getting involved in Vivian’s life, he couldn’t see her suffer like this. Her mother was a good candidate anyway—given that Vivian had said she was early onset and was diagnosed only three months ago—and he had to keep telling himself that he was going to make the offer because it made sense for his trial...not because of his past with Vivian.

      “I mean I’ve decided to take your mother in my trial.”

      Vivian was stunned. “What?”

      “That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? Your mother can start my Alzheimer’s trial tomorrow.”

      This is not distancing yourself from her.