Payton's cell phone vibrated.
"It's Mom."
I was hoping this was the positive news that we all needed to hear.
"He's where? Yes. Uh-huh. Wow. How in the world did he end up there?"
I pulled over while she listened to the rest of what her mother had to say. When their conversation concluded, Payton looked almost as pale as a ghost.
"Did he make it back home?"
"Not quite. He's at the police station, and we have to pick him up."
"How did he end up there?" I was baffled to say the least.
"Apparently, a man found him walking towards the station. He said he looked lost. When he asked him where he lived, Dad couldn't remember, so the man took him to the police station."
"Wow."
"Yeah, wow is right. The police said dad arrived just before Abby called to file a report. Thankfully they recognized him as the former owner of the Inn."
"Man, oh, man.”
The police station was just a minute’s drive from where we were. The exterior of the station was under construction, which easily made the place stand out from the road.
Once inside, we made our way to the front desk. Payton seemed anxious to see her dad.
"Hi, my name is Payton Matthews. I'm here to pick up my dad, William Matthews. I can show you my I.D."
I scanned the room, and just beyond the plexiglass, I could see Will. He was sitting in his blue robe, talking to an officer.
"Miss Matthews, we've been expecting you. Wait here, and I'll bring your dad right up."
"Thank you, sir."
I nudged Payton on the arm and pointed her in the direction of her Dad. He had on white knee-high socks and slippers with his robe. He looked very comfortable in his bedroom attire and was chatting it up as if this was a normal occurrence.
"Oh, Daddy." She spoke in a low voice.
The officer brought Will to the front and tried to see if he recognized us.
"Sir, this woman is here to pick you up. Do you recognize her?" the officer said.
Will started smiling. "Do I recognize her? Of course, I recognize her. That's Payton, my daughter. She's my middle child."
I let out a sigh of relief.
"And this fella here is Cole. Cole owns Miller Renovations. You should give him a call sometime if you ever need any work done. He does a great job."
Payton looked puzzled but continued to listen.
"Well, alright, looks like you all passed the test. Miss Matthews, he's all yours."
"Thank you, officer.”
She grabbed Will and gave him a tight squeeze.
"Sweetheart, we just saw each other this morning."
"I know, Daddy, but you gave us all a pretty good scare."
"I just went for a little walk and lost track of time, that's all."
"Dad, you do realize I just picked you up from a police station, and you're wearing your night robe, right? Mom is home worried sick about you."
He looked down at his clothing as if he were discovering for the first time what he was wearing.
"Well, I guess we better get home then," Will said.
Payton sat in between us in the pick up as we drove back to the house. We drove in complete silence for a couple of minutes before she started asking questions.
"Dad?"
"Yes, sweetheart."
"Just curious."
"Yes?"
"What were you doing walking around outside in your robe?"
He laughed. "I wish I could tell you. I'm still trying to figure that out myself. It seems like the darnedest thing."
"Yep. The darnedest thing," she repeated.
"The old mind isn't what it used to be. I guess I just forgot." Will stared out the window.
Payton looked at me and I at her as we pulled up to the house.
"And now the real fun begins,” she said.
Not quite understanding what she meant, I asked, "What's the real fun?"
"Finding a way to explain all of this to Mom. I barely understand it, so I know she's about to have a cow."
Will let out another chuckle.
"I suppose she will have a cow. It was just a little mishap. Everybody has an off day every now and again." He stepped out of the truck and made his way inside.
It was apparent that Mrs. Matthews was going to have her hands full, keeping an eye on Will.
Payton
After the disappearing incident with Dad, several days passed, and Mom was still nervous. The specialist confirmed that it was the progression of Dad's dementia that influenced the behavior. Mom considered hiring an aid to help out at the house, but Dad refused.
Back at the store, I continued to prepare for the grand opening, which was now two days away.
The bells on the front door rang. It was Cole entering with a cooler and a lunch basket.
"Well, well. Look at you all ready for opening day."
"Do you like it?"
"What's not to like? It doesn't look like you have much left to do."
"Not in terms of setting up, but I'm still plugging in all of the inventory online. Later on, Rebecca is going to stop by and help me with a couple of techie items, and then I should be good to go."
"It's a family affair. I like it! In the meantime, I thought it would be nice to return the favor and bring you lunch. Please tell me you haven't eaten yet?"
"No, your timing is perfect. I'm starving."
"I had every intention of calling first, but the Donovan project is giving me a fit."
I wondered whether I should take this opportunity to tell him about Lexi.
"What's going on with the project?"
"You know Mrs. Donovan. Just when I think we're making headway, she comes up with a few changes or makes a new request that we didn't plan for. All of which adds time that I really don't have to spare."
I set up our food over by the couch so we could sit down and eat on the coffee table.
"This reminds me that I need to create a space for lunch breaks in the back."
"I'm sure your assistant would appreciate it when you hire one."
In between taking bites of my sandwich, I managed to divert his attention back
