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.

a fleeting moment, and Ellie

the power button. It had been a few days. since she’d seen Alex, and she found

thrilled with her lukewarm reception, made his presence known by slamming a bag and keys onto the table,

from the bag of treats to

indicator that

the massage chair, Alex took a seat on the desk’s edge, facing her. The only sound in the

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

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

had taken a hit for her when she was just a kid, trying to save a strange boy. If it weren’t

playful demeanor turned sharp. “Ellie come on,” he said, his voice edged with annoyance. “Who’s been letting

Alex, she was just a girl who’d been under the Warren