Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1065

Clayton groggily woke to the sound of his phone ringing. "What's going on?"

"Betty's gone!"

Clayton's eyes snapped open, instantly alert. He sat up in shock. "Gone? But wasn't she at the cabin in the woods? How could she just vanish?!"

"Late last night, a wildfire broke out. It wasn't until dawn that they managed to put it out, and that's when they realized Betty was missing."

Clayton's breathing grew heavy. "Missing, or...?"

"She's missing. They got her out of there when the fire started. She wasn't hurt."

Clayton let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good she's not hurt. First, let's call the authorities, then organize a search party!"

After hanging up, Clayton carefully slid out of bed, trying not to wake Pamela who was still asleep.

He took his phone to the bathroom to continue making calls.

He called his mother's personal assistant, the local church, and the security guard he had stationed at the cabin.

After several calls, there was still no word on Betty.

He tried calling Carl, but got no answer.

Feeling uneasy, Clayton was about to change and head out when his phone rang. It was Albert Watson.

Albert was a close friend of Clayton's father. Clayton quickly answered, "Hello, Albert."

"Clayton, do you have a moment? I need to talk to you about something. Could you come over?"

"My mom's suddenly gone missing, I'm trying to find her. Can we talk over the phone, or can it wait until later?"

"I actually wanted to talk to you because of your mother's situation. She was here just before she disappeared."

Clayton paused, "Recently? Today?"

"Yeah. Let's talk when you get here."

The call ended, leaving Clayton puzzled.

Betty had moved into the cabin in the woods not long after Irene disappeared, turning her back on worldly matters and devoting herself to prayer and meditation for her granddaughter's well-being.

Clayton couldn't wait to ask, "Albert, why did my mother come to see you today?"

"She didn't just come to me; she also went to see Florian. She knows you're in a tough spot and hoped we could help you out."

Clayton was surprised. "How did she know I'm struggling?"

He had always tried to spare his mother any worry by only sharing good news.

"The wildfire on the mountain... she must have learned something. You know your mother; she's a sharp one."

Clayton frowned. "I've failed her, making her worry like this."

The two old men looked at him sympathetically.

"It's fate, Clayton, not your fault. You know how deep our bond was with your father. Without him, we wouldn't be here today!

He saved our lives. It's not just about helping you; we'd lay down our lives for you if needed. It's just that...

We're both over seventy now, with limited strength. The issues with Hawkins Sea-freight are beyond us; we wish we could do more."