“But I’m fond of this room,” she said with a mock pout.

Reese looked out at the lake, where raindrops plunked like thousands of tiny pebbles. “I think we can do better. I might even be able to secure a room with—brace yourself—a mattress.”

She rubbed the small of her back. “That sounds rather ordinary, and yet … tempting.”

He jammed on his boots and tucked her clothes under one arm. “I would suggest that we race each other back to the house, but I have no wish to be trounced again.”

Sophie stood, stepped into her slippers, and wrapped the quilt over her head like a hooded cloak. “That’s very wise of you,” she said, picking up the peony with the silk ribbon. She deftly maneuvered around him and began heading up the pier toward the shore. “Because while my swimming is impressive”—she blinked at him with feigned innocence—“my running is even more so.”

With that, she dropped the quilt and tore up the hill towards the woods as fast as her legs would carry her. Reese laughed and chased her, alternately leading the way and letting her surge ahead until they reached the house, soaking wet and gasping for breath.

He deposited the sopping quilts he’d been carrying on the kitchen floor, lit a fire, and draped her rain-soaked clothes over the backs of chairs that he slid close to the hearth. “It’s still early,” he said. “You could rest in your bedchamber for another hour or two if you’d like.”

Sophie shook her head. Her heart pumped much too fast to even consider sleeping. “I’m not tired. Are you?”

“No. I slept well last night … thanks to you.”

She opened her mouth to say she had nothing to do with his slumber but decided to bite her tongue. Reese believed she was helping him, and maybe, in a roundabout way, she was. She moved close to the fire and rubbed her arms.

“Would you like a hot bath?” he asked. “I could prepare one in your room.”

She laughed. “As heavenly as that sounds, it’s too much work. Have you forgotten that you gave your staff the weekend off?”

“I have not,” he said, as though mildly offended. “I’m going to see to it myself.” He lit the stove and placed several pots of water on top before turning his attention back to her. “Why don’t you go upstairs and wrap up in a blanket? I’ll bring the tub up shortly.”

“You don’t need to go to the trouble, Reese.”

“I want to,” he said, smiling. “You have been taking care of me. Now let me take care of you.”