Page 85 of Notice Me, Jameson Hart

“Hey!” Jameson’s voice carries across the water. He’s standing on the boat’s deck, waving enthusiastically. The morning light turns his hair into spun gold, and his smile is bright enough to power a small city. “Over here!”

Beside him, Ethan jumps up and down, and next to them stands a man who can only be their uncle.

“Oh my,” Rita breathes beside me.

I understand her reaction immediately. Jameson’s uncle must be a model. He’s tall and broad-shouldered, with the kind of silver-streaked dark hair that suggests distinguished rather than old. He’s wearing khaki shorts and a crisp white button-down with the sleeves rolled up, revealing tanned forearms. When he smiles, it’s easy to see the family resemblance—same dimples, same devastating effect.

“That’s the uncle?” Rita whispers. “Why did no one mention he looks like that?”

Robbie’s expression darkens slightly. “He’s old.”

“He’s distinguished,” Rita corrects, still staring.

Dad falls into step beside me, and I notice he’s carrying his coaching whistle. Because apparently, we’re treating this as a team outing.

“Marcus!” a deep voice calls out as we approach. Jameson’s uncle extends a hand to help us board. “I’m Damien Hart. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Dad says, shaking his hand with that firm grip he uses to establish dominance. “Thanks for having the kids out. Beautiful boat.”

“She’s my baby,” Damien says with obvious pride. “Got her last month. Been dying to take her for a proper spin.”

Rita accepts his offered hand to step aboard, and I swear she holds on a second longer than necessary. “I’m Rita. Thank you so much for inviting us, Mr. Hart.”

“Please, call me Damien.” His smile is megawatt. “Any friend of Jameson’s is welcome aboard.”

Robbie practically shoves past Rita to introduce himself, positioning his body slightly between her and Damien. “I’m Robbie. That’s Kevin, my brother. We’re triplets. With Adam. He’s not here yet. But he will be. Soon.”

“Breathe, dude,” Ethan says, grinning. “You’re gonna pass out.”

Jameson moves to my side as the introductions continue. “Hey,” he says softly. “You made it.”

“Like I’d miss this.” I gesture at the boat. “This is incredible.”

“Want the grand tour?” His hand brushes mine briefly, and I wonder if it was accidental because his eyes linger on my face a beat too long. “I’ve been learning all the nautical terms to impress you.”

My cheeks warm. “Lead the way then, Captain.”

“Oh, I like that. Call me captain more often.” He winks, then raises his voice. “Alright, everyone! Welcome aboard the Serendipity. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you around.”

The main deck is made of gleaming wood and features white leather. There’s a full bar area with a granite countertop, built-in coolers, and enough seating for twice our group. Jameson points out the various features with unbridled enthusiasm.

“This is the cockpit—that’s where Uncle D drives. Digital navigation, autopilot, the works.” He runs his hand along the pristine dashboard. “She can do forty knots, but we’ll probably keep it reasonable today.”

“Forty knots?” I ask. “Is that fast?”

“About forty-six miles per hour,” Dad supplies. “Pretty quick for a boat this size.”

“Someone’s been doing research,” Damien says approvingly.

We move through the main cabin, which resembles a luxury apartment condensed into a boat form. There’s a full galley with stainless steel appliances and marble countertops. A dining area with U-shaped seating. Even a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.

“Three staterooms below,” Jameson continues, leading us down a narrow staircase. “Master suite, guest room, and bunk room.”

Rita peeks into the master suite and lets out a low whistle. “This is nicer than my bedroom. And my room isn’t small.”

“The bathroom in the master suite has a bidet,” Ethan adds. “I already called dibs if anyone needs to go.”

“Ethan,” Damien says mildly. “What did we discuss about oversharing?”