Chapter 21 Summary: Wes's Chapter — Key Moments 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

The chapter opens with Wes and Ada still tangled in bed the morning after the storm, with the power still out. Wes acknowledges to himself that he is halfway in love with Ada and has passed the point of no return. When Ada shivers against him, he realizes the cold from the rain has caught up to them, and he offers to draw a bath.

Before preparing the bath, Wes checks his phone and finds a stream of worried messages from his family. His dad texted to say he’s staying with Hank and Teddy to help prep for the storm. A group chat with his siblings shows Emmy demanding a roll call, with Gus, Luke, and Teddy all checking in safely. Emmy threatens to call the National Guard if Wes doesn’t respond, so he quickly replies that he and Ada are both fine. Teddy immediately teases him about Ada being there, and the siblings’ banter reveals their close, playful dynamic.

Wes sets up the bath using bath salts and bubble bath from Ada’s bathroom (the same eucalyptus scent he uses for muscle soreness) and lights a collection of tea lights from the emergency kit. He returns to the bedroom, scoops Ada up in the sheets, and carries her to the bathroom. She’s delighted by the setup, joking that the power should go out more often. Before she steps in, Wes tests the water temperature with his hand—a gesture that briefly flashes an unreadable expression across Ada’s face. They soak together until the water cools, and Wes insists she get out before she gets chilled again.

After Ada dresses, Waylon fetches Wes to check on Loretta, the newborn calf. Loretta is awake and standing on wobbly legs, which is a good sign. Wes explains that bottle calves aren’t uncommon at Rebel Blue, especially with first-time heifers, and admits he secretly loves having them because he likes having something to take care of. He boils water on a camp stove, mixes a milk replacement (which he compares to baby formula for calves), and patiently works to get Loretta to latch onto the bottle.

Ada joins him in the garage, now dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants. She teases him about being shirtless and bottle-feeding a baby cow, then sits down with her back against the wall while Waylon rests his head on her lap. After a quiet moment, she asks if she can ask him something about his depression—specifically, whether he feels that way all the time.

Wes answers honestly. He explains that it hasn’t been as bad in the past couple of years because he found a routine that works: medication, therapy, work, and Waylon. He reflects on how hard things were after his sister Emmy left for college. His identity has always been tied to his siblings, so when Emmy was gone, his entire sense of self was thrown off balance. He describes having “big feelings” and not yet knowing what depression was—he just felt bad. It was his dad who suggested he see someone, and around the same time, he went to the pound to volunteer and came home with Waylon, a tiny white dog who had been abandoned at the fire station. Wes calls Waylon his “tether”—when the dog’s head finds its way under his hand, he feels better, at least for a minute.

Wes also shares his fear of the future: he expects that a day will come when his current coping strategies stop working, and he’ll have to start over. It terrifies him. Ada doesn’t respond with words—she simply lays her head on his shoulder. Wes reflects that for years, he desperately wanted someone to just be with him, to sit next to him while the power was out and weather the storm together.

Key Events

Wes privately acknowledges he’s fallen for Ada, passing “the point of no return”
Family check-in via text during the storm, revealing the siblings’ playful banter and Emmy’s protective worry
Wes prepares a candlelit bubble bath and carries Ada to it; they soak together until the water cools
Waylon fetches Wes to care for Loretta, the newborn calf separated from her dam
Wes bottle-feeds Loretta with milk replacement in the garage
Ada asks Wes about his depression; he shares his coping routine, his history, and his fear of relapse
Ada responds with quiet presence, resting her head on his shoulder

Character Development

Wes undergoes significant emotional exposure in this chapter. His internal admission that he’s in love with Ada marks a major shift from guardedness to acceptance of his feelings. More importantly, his willingness to discuss his depression openly—without shame or deflection—shows a character who has done substantial work on himself. His explanation of his coping routine (medication, therapy, work, Waylon) and his honest acknowledgment that he fears the day his current strategies stop working reveals both self-awareness and vulnerability. The chapter also reinforces his caregiving nature: he tests the bath water, insists Ada doesn’t get chilled, and patiently bottle-feeds a newborn calf.

Ada demonstrates her capacity for emotional intimacy through her questions and her silence. She asks a direct, thoughtful question about Wes’s depression, then listens without trying to fix or minimize what he shares. Her choice to rest her head on his shoulder rather than offer platitudes is the exact response Wes has been longing for—someone to simply be with him.

The relationship deepens through shared vulnerability. The storm, the power outage, and the candlelit bath create conditions for intimacy, but the real connection happens in the garage, where Wes shares his deepest fears and Ada meets them with quiet presence.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Depression and mental health. Wes’s conversation with Ada is the emotional core of the chapter. He treats his depression as just as much a part of his life as his family, his hobbies, and his dreams, and he discusses it with respect and care. His description of his routine—medication, therapy, work, Waylon—presents mental health management as an ongoing practice rather than a cure.

Storm as metaphor for hardship. The literal storm that knocked out the power mirrors the emotional storms Wes has weathered. His fear that a day will come when his coping strategies stop working—the ache in his bones like the kind his dad feels before a storm—directly connects the weather to his internal experience. Ada’s presence beside him while the power is out becomes a metaphor for companionship through difficulty.

Caregiving and nurturing. Wes’s care for Loretta parallels his care for Ada and, more broadly, his need to have something to take care of. He admits he likes having bottle calves because he likes having something to care for, and this nurturing instinct extends to his relationships.

Family bonds and sibling identity. Wes’s explanation that his identity is defined by his relationship to his siblings—and that Emmy’s departure for college threw his entire being out of whack—reveals how deeply family shapes his sense of self. The text thread at the chapter’s opening shows the same family in action: teasing, checking in, and worrying.

Fear of relapse and uncertainty. Wes’s admission that he expects his current coping methods to eventually stop working—and that this terrifies him—adds a layer of realism to his mental health journey. There’s no tidy resolution; he lives with uncertainty.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the romance. Wes’s internal admission that he’s in love with Ada—and his decision to share his mental health history with her—represents a level of vulnerability that deepens their connection beyond physical intimacy. The chapter also gives readers a fuller picture of Wes’s inner life: his caregiving nature, his family ties, his coping strategies, and his fears. Ada’s response—listening without judgment, offering presence rather than solutions—demonstrates why she’s the right partner for him. The final image of Ada resting her head on his shoulder while he bottle-feeds a calf, with Waylon nearby, crystallizes the chapter’s themes of care, companionship, and weathering storms together.

Study Questions

1. How does Wes’s discussion of his depression challenge or complicate typical portrayals of masculinity in romance novels?

Wes openly discusses his depression, his medication, his therapy, and his fear of relapse without shame or deflection. He describes his identity as tied to his siblings and admits that his current coping strategies may eventually stop working, which terrifies him. This level of emotional honesty—especially from a male character in a romance—subverts the stoic, emotionally closed-off archetype. His vulnerability is presented not as weakness but as a strength that deepens his connection with Ada.

2. What role does the storm and power outage play in creating the conditions for intimacy in this chapter?

The storm creates forced proximity and a break from normal routines. The power outage necessitates candlelight, which Wes transforms into a romantic setup for the bath. More importantly, the storm serves as a metaphor: Wes explicitly compares his fear of relapse to his dad’s ability to feel a storm coming in his bones. The chapter ends with Wes reflecting that he wanted someone to sit next to him while the power was out and weather the storm together—the literal storm becomes the occasion for emotional intimacy.

3. How does the bottle-feeding scene with Loretta illuminate Wes’s character and his approach to relationships?

Wes’s care for Loretta reveals his nurturing instincts. He admits he secretly loves bottle calves because he likes having something to take care of, and he approaches the task with patience and finesse. This caregiving extends to his relationships: he tests the bath water for Ada, insists she doesn’t get chilled, and creates a romantic setup for her. The scene also creates the setting for his most vulnerable confession—he’s literally holding a newborn calf while he tells Ada about his depression, which underscores that his capacity for care is inseparable from his emotional openness.