Love's Tangled Web by Donna Taylor

Chapter 9

8 x 75%

Ellie had barely kicked off her shoes when the hospital called, urging her to get back to her internship.

Monday rolled around, and she was right back in the swing of things. Her boss gave her a thumbs up, dropping hints that if she kept killing it, a permanent spot might be hers for the taking

Come lunchtime, Ellie was holed up in the break room, scrolling through her phone for any part–time gigs.

Her internship paycheck was slim, and she was on the hunt for extra cash to help out at home. She refused to let Aaron be the only one holding the family together.

A quick knock and a coworker poked her head in with a mysterious, “Dr. Thompson, you’ve got a guest,” before vanishing as swiftly as she’d appeared.

Alex walked in. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, and

way, Ellie returned to the massage chair and hit the power button. It had been a few days. since she’d seen Alex, and

her lukewarm reception, made his presence known by slamming

bag of treats to Alex. heavy thoughts.

a clear indicator that

facing her. The only sound in the room was the gentle hum of the massage chair, filling the

with that injured leg, not even a goodbye. You’re not adding another crutch to the family, are you?” His smile didn’t reach his

furrowed, and she met his gaze with a seriousness he’d never seen. “That’s not funny,” she

a hit for her when she was just a kid, trying to save a strange boy. If it weren’t for that, she and her brother wouldn’t have had to rely on handouts for everything, including

said, his voice edged with annoyance. “Who’s been letting you get away with this attitude? It was just a joke”

head down, not bothering to argue. To Alex, she was just a girl who’d been under the Warren