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Isaac nodded and they got on an elevator, riding in silence until they got up to the top floor. The doors opened with a ding and they stepped off. “This is where our VIP patients stay while they’re inpatients here.”

Vivian didn’t respond. It made her stomach knot just a bit. Money talked here. There were times when she was a kid when they couldn’t get the help they needed. And she recalled the hours she and Mama had waited in an overcrowded, dingy ER.

Then there were the medical bills after her mother’s suicide attempt that took years to pay off because the ambulance took her to a hospital they couldn’t afford.

Vivian tried to give back when 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 would be Vivian. And now, looking at her, Reece wasn’t even sure he recognized her. In seven years she’d gone from a shy, cold, detached woman to one with confidence exuding from her pores.

Or
arrogance.

Her unruly red hair was swept back and tamed in a bun. She was polished, wearing designer clothes, but, as he stared into her green eyes, the costume couldn’t hide from him that girl who’d grown up on the wrong side of the tracks was there still.

The woman who preferred blue jeans and running barefoot through the grass.

The woman he’d fallen in love with. This facade just reminded him that version of Vivian he loved was gone and this Vivian was a stranger. It pained him to be around her.

When they’d been residents together, she’d constantly talked about working with Dr. Mannheim. It had been her dream, not his, but he’d foolishly thought that love would keep her here, that she wouldn’t go. She’d planned to leave Nashville far behind her. Still, Reece wasn’t the only one who built up walls. He was closed off, but Vivian ran from her problems.

The morning he’d rolled over and found her note had crushed him. Vivian had left, and hadn’t asked him to go with her. What made it worse was the engagement ring he’d bought for her—the one he had to return the next day—because the morning she’d left was when he was going to open up to her. Tell her everything. Things he didn’t tell anyone.

If she had asked him to go, he would’ve gone with her.

Only you wouldn’t have.

Germany was not what he wanted.

At least that was what he’d told himself to justify her leaving. To make himself believe that was the only reason why she hadn’t asked him and why he wouldn’t have gone.

Only he’d been lying to himself. He might’ve gone, but he was never given the choice. The fact was that she hadn’t wanted him to go with her. Plain and simple.

It still stung, even after all this time.

She’d been his best friend. The one person he’d opened up to. The only person who’d been able to get through his walls—and look what happened. She’d left.

He’d learned his lesson well.

He wasn’t going to make that same mistake twice. People didn’t get second chances, if what happened between him and his father was anything to go by.

“Well, shoot, you’re just a sight for sore eyes,” Gary said, smiling again. “No offense, Dr. Castle, but I do get tired of looking at your ugly mug every day.”

Reece chuckled, his residents snickering behind him. When he glanced up at Vivian there was a pink tinge to her cheeks. Vivian was never the one for compliments. She used to think compliments could be confused as a form of weakness or she still didn’t think she deserved them. Only the compliments were valid. She was beautiful. He’d forgotten how much so. His memories didn’t do justice to her.

He’d forgotten about how coppery her hair was in certain lights, how green her eyes were. Like emeralds. The subtle smattering of freckles across her nose against her creamy white skin.

She was tall. Elegant.

Sexy as hell still.

She broke your heart.

He had to keep reminding himself of that. Under all that soft beauty she was just as hardened as he was.

When he’d met her she was shy and timid, but always closed off, but then he’d fallen in love with her. Completely—to the point he didn’t have to hide who he was. He’d adored her and he’d foolishly thought she felt the same. Good thing he didn’t tell her who he really was... Love wasn’t strong enough to keep her. He should’ve known better, given who his mother was. Women couldn’t be trusted.

He knew Vivian came from a very different world to the one which he had grown up in. She was just as secretive about her past as he was and they hadn’t talked much about their childhood, other than he knew they’d both raised themselves and didn’t have much of one. Then again, who needed talk when they had sex?

Now, seven years later, he couldn’t remember why they’d been friends or what they had in common, but they’d been drawn to each other. They’d clung to each other, both starved of love perhaps? He’d let his guard down around her.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Gary.” Then he briefly shared a quick glance with Vivian. “You’re right about Dr. Maguire being easier on the eyes.”

Vivian’s blush deepened and the smile disappeared. She was clearly uncomfortable and he was treading on dangerous ground. That was the last thing he needed, to bandy words with Vivian here in front of his patient and residents. He had to work with her and he was professional. Besides, there was nothing left to say. It was all in the past.

Is it?

“Well, I better make myself better acquainted with the neurosurgical staff and find my office. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Trainer.”

“Gary please, Dr. Maguire.”

“Gary, then.” She shook his hand and glanced up at Reece. “Dr. Castle, I’ll speak with you later, I’m sure.”

Reece didn’t answer; he just nodded quickly. He watched her walk out the door, feeling slightly guilty about how cold he’d been to her.

She’s the competition.

He had to remind himself that, even if he wasn’t particularly interested in going after Dr. Brigham’s job, he hadn’t worked all these years pouring his blood, sweat, soul and tears into the neuro program at Cumberland Mills to have someone like Vivian waltz in and take it over. She had to prove herself to him. He had Dr. Brigham’s ear. And if she wanted to run the surgical program she had to prove to him and everyone else she was here for the long haul.

Vivian had left for greener pastures years ago. Back then she didn’t see Cumberland Mills as much. Just a stepping stone. Reece really knew what this hospital was about. He didn’t know why she was back other than to take Dr. Brigham’s job.

Your job.

He shook that thought away. He’d been offered the job but he didn’t want it. He didn’t need it and didn’t want to live up to Dr. Brigham’s reputation. Some shadows were too big to step out of and Reece’s dad had made it clear time and time again he didn’t have what it took. It wasn’t his job, nor was it hers.

Vivian’s return to Nashville was just a blip. An annoyance. She was not a threat, she was not competition and definitely she was no longer a temptation.