Sloane was angry, but she hurried out too.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
“I don’t know why Cory insisted I get into that ambulance.”
Joy and William were in the backseat of William’s Mercedes as his driver drove them away from that hospital. Max was on the front passenger seat providing top bodyguard protection, and a second vehicle, with his highest-level security detail inside, were riding behind them. Drone activity was also in the air, keeping them alerted of any dangers. Max wasn’t taking any chances. And after William discovered the man in that SUV had a gun that could have endangered Joy’s life had Cory not been there, he wasn’t taking any chances either.
But Joy was still thinking about that ambulance ride she had to endure to get to that hospital they were now leaving. She hated being in one. “I told him I was fine, that I didn’t need to go by ambulance, but he insisted.”
“He did the right thing,” William said as he and Joy sat so close beside each other on that backseat that they were elbow to elbow. And he was holding her hand. “Internal injuries had to be ruled out.”
Joy still felt it was a waste of time, but she wasn’t going to argue with him.
She looked at him. He looked exhausted. “I thought you were in Europe.”
“My plane was delayed due to heavy flight traffic, so we were still idling on the tarmac when Bobby phoned me.”
She stared at him. “And you came to the hospital?”
“Of course I came.” He had a frown on his face as he looked at her. What did she think he was going to do? Hear that news and fly on to Europe anyway?
Joy studied him. “Why, William? Why did you leave your plane and come to the hospital?”
William understood why she was asking. She wanted him to give her some direction about their relationship. But was he ready to verbalize it so blatantly? “I needed to know you were okay,” he finally said.
Joy was touched. He truly cared about her. But she cared about himandloved him. Which meant she had the bigger problem. “Thanks,” she said.
He squeezed her hand. Why he was holding it, he didn’t know. But he couldn’t let it go.
Joy felt warm inside when he squeezed her hand. She was beside William. She was exactly where she wanted to be. “Where are we headed?” she asked as she looked out at the traffic and people they drove past.
“We’re going home. To my home. And then we’ll go to dinner at the club.”
“But William, I need to go to Bridell. That’s where I was headed when I got in that accident. I need to let Gramps see my face and take care of things there.”
“And you will,” William assured her. “But not today. Tomorrow. I’m taking you there personally.”
Max wanted to turn around and look at the boss. This altruistic behavior he was demonstrating was so foreign to the personality of the man he’d known for over a decade that it stunned him. What was it about this particular lady, he wondered. He could see she was sweet and had in some ways a strikingly beautiful look about her. And she had her own appealing style too. But she was so young and so unsophisticated and so unlike anybody the boss had ever beenwith that he just didn’t get it. They seemed like such a mismatched pair!
But Joy didn’t understand for an entirely different reason. “I thought you had to be in England. I assumed you were still going to take that trip.”
William couldn’t believe it either, given who his client was in England. “No, I ordered my CEO to handle it. He’ll keep me posted.”
“And what club are you talking about going to? If it’s for dinner, why do we gotta go to a club?”
William smiled. “It’s my country club, Joynetta. I usually have my dinner there.”
“Oh.” Joynetta had never seen the inside of a country club before, let alone have dinner in one.
William could see her sudden discomfort. “I want you to meet a few of my friends,” he said.
Joy was shocked. She stared at him. This was the moment of truth for her. “And who are you going to introduce me as?” she asked him.
William had actually thought about that question himself. Who was she to him? How would he present her to his country club mates? His answer was firm. “I could introduce you as my assistant,” he said, “since that will be your job title in a couple weeks.”
Joy was disappointed. He liked her, but that apparently was as far as it went with him.
“But I’m not going to do that,” he added.
