The Reincarnated (Book 2A of Wolfcreek Series)

Chapter 31

I was about to shake my head no when my mother cleared her throat, and I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Ma'am?" I asked curiously and cocked my head. "What is it?"

My mother gave me that mother look that I so despised while she folded her arms across her chest. "You are taking this photo for Bill and Alessandra," she said, leaving no room for arguments. "There will be no ifs, ands, buts, or ors. Is that understood?"

Again, I groaned and slouched in my seat. "Yes, Ma'am," I said and pouted while I folded my arms across my chest. "Do I have to smile, though?" I asked and cocked my head, praying that she would say no.

My mother didn't respond and held out her hand for my phone. She raised an eyebrow when I raised an eyebrow in question and didn't say a word.

"What?" I asked, finally. "Why do you need my phone?"

She didn't respond and held her hand closer to me, silently telling me to give it to her.

Finally, I groaned and handed it over, knowing that she wouldn't go through my messages or apps or whatever, even if she wanted it. I knew that she was going to respect my privacy, even though there wasn't anything that I hid from her or my father.

"With that settled, let's go to the place where the pictures are held," Bill said. He held out his hand to me and raised an eyebrow. "Do you need help standing?" he teased while he smirked.

I didn't respond and rolled my eyes while I took his hand and let him help me stand. I offered him a small smile in thanks and let go of his hand to grab the timer.

"Ales, be a dear and grab the camera for me, please," Bill said, and Alessandra nodded and left to get it. He looked at my parents and smiled. "You two are more than welcome to come and see her take her photo if you want."

"Oh, we do," my mother said and stood. She looked at me and smiled. "I am sure that I can find some way of making my daughter laugh and give you a genuine smile."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "What are you planning?" I asked, fully aware that I shouldn't have given her my phone. I silently cursed my luck and wondered what my mother was planning."

"Oh, nothing," she said with an evil smile. "I just know how to make you smile, is all," she said.

Bill laughed and gestured for us to follow him, and we did when he started to walk away. He didn't say a word and looked at me with a raised eyebrow, amusement filling his eyes. He wanted to know if I was afraid of what she had planned for me, so I shook my head no because I wasn't, only suspicious.

My phone started to ring when we reached the place where we were to take a picture, and I had a feeling that my mother was planning on calling someone.

Goddess, please don't let it be him, I silently prayed, finally understanding what she was planning on doing. Oh, please, do not let it be him. I frowned and looked at my mother to see that she was already staring at me with the evil grin taking over her whole face.

Shit.

Alessandra came back at that moment and handed the camera to her father. She looked at me curiously when she heard my phone ring, and I shrugged in response, not letting her know what my mother was up to.

Please, don't let him pick up. Please, I prayed.

However, my prayers weren't answered, and he picked up the phone on the fourth ring.

"Hello, Babe," my best friend's voice said through the other line.

Double shit. He answered.

"Were you ready to give me a job that you were past due? I am all yours if you want to complete it."

I rolled my eyes and scowled. Out of all of the things that he could say, he had to say that and in front of my parents and others, too.

My mother raised an eyebrow in question and folded her arms across her chest, but I didn't say a word while I waited for her to speak. "Hello, Jackson," she said. "How are you?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line and then a loud thunk before he exclaimed, "Shit!"

I smirked and bit back a snort.

"Uh..." there was some shuffling while he picked up his phone again. "Hi, Mama A," he said sheepishly. "How are you?"

"I am good, Jackson," she said. "How are you?" She paused. "Care to explain what you mean about this... so called job?" She raised an eyebrow while she waited for him to say something.

Jack sputtered on the other end, earning a snicker from my father. "Nothing, nothing, Mama A," he quickly said. He cleared his throat, and I knew that he was shifting in his spot. "I am good; missing your daughter is all."

My mother smirked. "And the... jobs that she performs for you?" She raised her eyebrow higher in question.

I rolled my eyes at her and didn't say a word.

"Uh... no?" Jack stuttered. "I-I was just making a joke. There's nothing going on between us."

"Uh huh," she said in a tone that said she didn't believe him. "I see the way that you two looked at each other." She paused dramatically. "Are you sure that there isn't something going on between you two?"

I rolled my eyes and scowled when Jack took too long to answer. "Oh, knock it off, Mom," I said, and she finally busted out laughing. "We both know that boy wouldn't do anything like that to me."

"Ya, because I am deathly afraid of you and your daughter, Mama A," Jack said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"What about me?" my father asked and raised an eyebrow. He looked mock offended, and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from snickering. "I mean, she is my daughter, too."

"I know, Sir," Jack said. "However, I am scared of them more than you, for I know that they will do something that no man will ever do to another m-" He stopped himself. "Well, at least, I am sure that you wouldn't do it to me."

My father smirked. "But I could get someone else to do it," he said.

"And it would probably be your daughter who beats you to it," Jack said, and I smirked and nodded. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, why is it that you called Mama A besides giving me a heart attack?"

"I need you to say something to make Cass laugh," she said. "She didn't laugh at this whole conversation, nor did she smile. All she did was smirk when you said that your junk would be removed by her."

"Hmmm." Jack nodded and stayed silent for a second before he cleared his throat. "Help!" he exclaimed finally, sounding like Mrs. Doubtfire.

Oh, no.

"My buns are on fire, and my face fell off and got run over by a car while I had to an interview, and my son saw me peeing like a man when I was dressed as his nanny! So me and my kids need a lot of help!"

I couldn't help it. I really wished that I could say that I was able to hold strong and not laugh, but I couldn't.

I laughed as soon as he was done saying his line.

Click.

And unfortunately, Bill got his picture of me smiling while I laughed at my best friend and his antics.