Chapter 3: Collins – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Collins Cartwright is driving her beat-up 2002 Camry toward Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, against her wishes. She sees smoke rising from the hood of her car and, despite coaxing it to go forty more miles, the engine gives out on a narrow mountain road. Stranded under a storm, Collins resigns herself to sleeping in the car because there is no cell service. While trying to rest, she hears a noise outside, rolls down the window, and peppersprays a man’s face. The man turns out to be Brady Cooper, and her twin sister Clarke is with him. Collins learns that Brady is the upholsterer she is supposed to work for temporarily and the person whose spare room she will be staying in—the same man she just maced.

Key Events

Collins’s car begins to shake and sputter, emitting black smoke from the engine.
She pulls over onto the soft shoulder of a mountain road as rain starts.
She checks for cell service and finds none; texts from Clarke show she is late.
Collins pops the hood and is enveloped in smoke, then lets the rain soak her.
She crawls into the back seat with pepper spray, prepared to sleep overnight.
Hearing a noise outside, she rolls the window down and peppersprays a face.
Clarke appears and identifies the victim as Brady Cooper, the upholsterer.
Collins pours water into Brady’s eyes to flush out the spray.

Character Development

Collins Cartwright is shown to be defensive, sarcastic, and reluctant about returning home. She prefers to come back under the cover of a storm, avoids calling her sister, and has a history of being rescued by Clarke. Her financial desperation is revealed: she has about $340, no recent photography work since “the incident,” and is hiding the true reason for her return from her family. Her quick decision to pepper-spray a stranger shows both self-preservation and impulsiveness.

Clarke Cartwright appears caring but exasperated. She has been texting Collins, worried about her late arrival, and has clearly arranged the living and work situation with Brady. She calls Collins out for her behavior but also helps calm the situation.

Brady Cooper is introduced calmly despite being attacked. He is tall, dark-haired, and stoic, needing to be coaxed to open his eyes after the macing. He is future boss and landlord, setting up a complicated dynamic.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The Storm as Cover – Collins hopes the storm will keep people inside, allowing her to slip into town unnoticed. The storm symbolizes her desire to hide her true circumstances.
The Car as Emblem of Control – The broken-down Camry, left in storage for years, mirrors Collins’s own neglect of her life and finances. It is both a freedom (she can drive to her storage unit) and a trap (stranding her on the mountain).
Boundaries and Distance – Collins reflects that she loves her family more when far away, and that boundaries work better with miles between them. The return threatens to collapse those boundaries.
Deception vs. Necessity – Collins plans to pretend she is home to help with the family business, when really she is out of money. This theme of hiding the truth to protect pride (or avoid confrontation) is established early.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter launches Collins’s forced homecoming and introduces the core conflict of her hidden financial ruin. The accidental macing of Brady immediately creates a tense, humorous, and awkward foundation for their professional and living arrangement. It also establishes the threat to the family business (a developer wants the building) and sets up the mystery of “the incident” that ended Collins’s photography career. The storm and roadside breakdown serve as metaphors for Collins’s life: unpredictable, isolating, and in need of rescue.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Collins decide to sleep in her car rather than call Clarke for help?
Collins wants to delay her arrival in Sweetwater Peak because she needs mental preparation to face her family. She also has no cell service in the mountain dead zone, so she cannot call or text. She assumes someone will drive past in the morning and spot her.

2. What is the real reason Collins is returning to Sweetwater Peak?
She is out of money. She has had no photography work for over a year since an unnamed incident, has only about $340 left, and is pretending to come help with the family antique business so her parents will not know she is broke.

3. How does Collins react when she sees a face at her car window?
She screams and peppersprays the person without hesitation. After realizing it is Brady Cooper, she flushes his eyes with water and jokes awkwardly, while both Clarke and Brady deal with the aftermath.