Tempting Nashville's Celebrity Doc. Amy Ruttan

she could. Still, seeing the luxury of Cumberland Mills VIP wing made her wonder how much old money was invested into this instead of the pro bono fund.

      She followed Isaac down the hall toward the end room. She could see a group of eager surgical interns in the room from the open door, obviously on rounds, and she couldn’t help but wonder who her competition was. And frankly she didn’t care. She’d easily push whoever it was out of the running when she diagnosed Mr. Trainer and got him back out on tour in front of his fans.

      Dr. Brigham knocked on the door. “Mind if we interrupt?”

      “Not at all, Doc. They tell me you brought in a specialist all the way from Germany to deal with my case,” a sweet, deep Georgian voice answered.

      Isaac nodded. “Only the best for you, Mr. Trainer.”

      Vivian stepped around the door, her smile quickly fading as she met the gaze of the attending doctor who was standing next to Mr. Trainer’s bed.

      Those familiar brown eyes, pinning her to the spot. He had a bit of scruff and his hair wasn’t as long. The short hair suited him. And he wasn’t as gangly and lean as he’d been when they’d been residents. That young boyish face had melted away. He was more hardened, mature, but it was still him and he was still as handsome as ever.

      Reece.

      She’d met him in her final year of residency. He’d transferred in from a different hospital, brought in by Dr. Brigham. He was the only one who’d seen through her walls. He’d been her compass back then. Her foundation.

      “Who cares where you came from? It’s where you’re going that matters.”

      Don’t think about him. Only she couldn’t help but think about him as he was standing in the same room with her. Even though she’d made the decision to leave, she thought of him every day. She’d wronged him and he knew that. Vivian put her career first and she always would.

      She could rely on her talent, medicine and herself. She put no faith in love or hearts, because hearts were so easily broken. Something she’d witnessed firsthand when her dad left.

      Relationships were never on her radar but, from the first moment she’d met Reece, she’d forgotten that.

      The memory came into her mind now...

      “Tired?”

      “Yes. It was a long shift. I needed air.” She had closed her eyes and hoped that he would leave, but he’d lingered. “Can I help you, Dr. Castle?”

      He had shrugged. “I needed air too. I love the scent of magnolias.”

      “Yeah, me too. It reminds me of home.”

      “Where are you from?” he’d asked.

      “Nashville.” She hadn’t known why she was engaging in a conversation with him.

      “Me too.”

      Then he’d reached up in the tree and plucked a large blossom. Before she’d been able to protest he’d put it behind her ear. A shiver of anticipation had raced down her spine. His strong hand had rested on her cheek.

      “What’re you doing?” The words had been a whisper because she’d lost her voice, embarrassed that he was paying attention to her.

      “I don’t know. It just suits you.”

      Even now, after seven years, she could still feel the memory of his hand against her cheek, holding her still as he pinned that bloom in her hair. She also remembered how much she had wanted to kiss him in that moment.

      How his touch had affected her.

      She couldn’t believe he was still here in Nashville. She’d thought he would’ve taken some exciting offer from a bigger city. Even though he’d always said he wanted to stay in Nashville, she’d never quite believed him. He was a talented surgeon. He must’ve had other offers over the years. So she was shocked to see him here. The only person she’d ever opened up to. The man who threatened to steal her heart.

      Did he remember? That’s why you left.

      Vivian had panicked when she fell so deeply in love with him. She had no control over herself when it came to him. Which was why when the Munich job came up she took it.

      Love was not something she ever wanted and after leaving Reece it was not something she deserved. And she couldn’t stay in Nashville, but Reece had made it clear he wanted roots. Permanent roots. And that scared her. She didn’t want roots or permanency, because that didn’t last. She didn’t believe in it.

      And she only had to look to her parents to see that.

      So she’d slipped away to Germany. She’d left him a note but, by the way those dark brown eyes bored into her with cool disdain, it was apparent to her a note had not been enough.

      Distance had done no good. She thought of him all the time, regretted what had happened. She’d never expected to find him still here, still working for Dr. Brigham. He had so much potential. Why couldn’t he see it? He was too damn talented to stay here.

      Roots be damned; why was he still here wasting his talent? Not that Cumberland Mills wasn’t a great hospital, but it wasn’t the leading hospital for neurosurgery. If Reece had moved somewhere to specialize he could have done so much more for their field.

      “Dr. Castle and Mr. Trainer, I would like to introduce you both to Dr. Vivian Maguire. She’s a specialist in neurosurgery and an excellent diagnostician, having studied under Dr. Mannheim at the Munich Center for Neuroscience.” Dr. Brigham puffed out his chest. “She was one of my residents as well.”

      “I remember,” Reece said finally, his voice cold, causing a shudder to run down her spine. “We were in the same class.”

      Warmth flooded her cheeks and she nodded. “Yes, Dr. Castle and I were in the same class our last year of residency, Dr. Brigham.”

      Dr. Brigham’s brows furrowed and then he nodded. “That’s right. I’d completely forgotten. My apologies. So you two already know each other. That’s wonderful.”

      Wonderful.

      Yeah, they knew each other, but the way that Reece was looking at her was like she was a stranger. Cold. Detached.

      Can you blame him?

      She deserved it.

      That was not the Reece Castle she remembered but, then again, seven years was a long time ago and she’d changed too.

      “Well, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting my new doctor,” Gary Trainer said, flashing her a smile which was charming and probably just a bit dangerous to all those rabid fans.

      Vivian took his outstretched hand and gave it a squeeze, doing her own little test. Gary squeezed back, or he tried, but there wasn’t any strength to his grip, the muscles were rigid and there was a tremble. Slight, but it was there.

      Maybe someone not trained wouldn’t notice it, but Vivian did.

      “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Trainer. I look forward to working with your present medical team.” She glanced up quickly at Reece, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was scrolling through the chart on the computer tablet.

      Avoidance. She knew it well. He didn’t like to be the center of attention; he didn’t like awkward situations. He avoided them at all costs. He might have told her to be strong and speak out, but he didn’t do the same for himself. He didn’t like the spotlight or change.

      His appearance had changed, but Reece was still the same.

      * * *

      Reece knew that she was looking at him and he didn’t care one bit.

      Liar.

      He couldn’t believe it was her. He’d known that a diagnostician with a neurosurgery background was being flown in from Germany, but it had never occurred to him that it