Chapter 7 'Ada': Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways
⚠️ 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 Ada wrestling with the aftermath of the previous night's kiss with Weston Ryder. She's acutely aware that he's her boss, that she's living under his roof, and that the project is his. The memory of the kiss—the wall, the pinned hands—is vivid, but she's determined it will never happen again. She recognizes the situation as an unfair power dynamic, one she's been on the wrong side of before, and reminds herself that stupid decisions have consequences.
Wes drives her to the job site in a side-by-side, lending her his Carhartt jacket against the April cold. She's struck by his kindness and by the cedar scent that envelops her. Along the way, he gives her a tour of Rebel Blue Ranch. He explains that the job site was the Big House, where his father grew up, before his dad built the current family home after marrying his mother. He describes the layout: family stables to the east, ranch hand cabins and larger stables to the west. The ranch employs roughly forty people, with growth expected as the guest ranch expands.
Ada asks about the family. Wes explains that Gus, the oldest, is his father's second in command and will inherit the ranch someday. His sister Emmy handles riding lessons, horse training, and ranch hand work. Brooks, the bartender Ada met earlier, is his brother's best friend and is with Emmy—a relationship Wes describes as a forever type of thing rather than mere dating. Ada asks about Teddy, learning she's Emmy's best friend and college roommate. This triggers a memory: Teddy's roommate had a fruit-related name. Wes reveals Emmy's full name is Clementine, laughing at the connection, and warns Ada not to bring up the song.
The tour shifts into Ada's internal world. She reflects that she has no siblings and doesn't fully understand family bonds. More painfully, she admits to herself that she's been lonely for a long time—even before her divorce, which was more than a year ago. She can't remember a time when she wasn't lonely. It's a harsh realization for mid-morning.
They arrive at the house. It's large, beautiful in an unassuming way, with chipped paint and a slightly haunted look. It needs significant work. But Ada doesn't see the decay—she sees her dream. The house represents her golden ticket out of California and a pit stop toward something bigger, even if she doesn't yet know what that is. She's determined not to return to her home state after this project.
As she approaches the front steps, Wes tries to warn her about the third step, which is tricky. The step flips, and she starts to fall. Wes catches her, one arm at her waist, the other cradling her head. For a moment, the air hums between them, and Ada is tempted to let go again. But she remembers where she is and what's at stake. She scrambles to her feet and snaps at him with more annoyance than necessary. She immediately wants to apologize—an unnatural impulse for her—but she doesn't. Wes shows her how to navigate the step, removes the board from the front door, and leads her inside.
Once inside, Ada feels the same pull she felt outside, but with one unexpected addition: hope. It makes her heart jump into her throat.
Key Events
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Ada wakes regretting the kiss and recognizing the power imbalance with her boss
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Wes lends her his Carhartt jacket and drives her to the job site
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Wes gives a tour of Rebel Blue Ranch, including the history of the Big House
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Ada learns about the Ryder family structure: Gus, Emmy, Brooks, and Teddy
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The revelation that Emmy's full name is Clementine
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Ada's internal reflection on her loneliness and divorce
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Arrival at the house, which Ada sees as her dream and fresh start
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The third-step incident: Ada falls, Wes catches her, and she snaps at him
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Inside the house, Ada feels hope for the first time
Character Development
Ada. This chapter deepens Ada's interiority considerably. Her regret over the kiss isn't just embarrassment—it's rooted in a pattern. She's been on the wrong side of a power dynamic with a man before, and she's determined not to repeat that mistake. Her loneliness is a major revelation: she's been lonely for so long she can't remember a time without it, and she admits she doesn't really have friends. Yet the house awakens something in her. She sees it as her dream, her escape from California, and a step toward something bigger. The chapter ends with hope, a feeling so unexpected it startles her. Her snap at Wes after he catches her is telling: she pushes people away when she feels vulnerable, and she's surprised by her own impulse to apologize.
Wes. Wes continues to be characterized by kindness and family devotion. He lends Ada his jacket without being asked, shares the ranch's history, and speaks about his family with evident love. His description of Brooks and Emmy as a forever type of thing reveals his romantic idealism. He's patient with Ada's sharpness, simply showing her how to navigate the step and moving on. His dimples appear and disappear with his emotional state, a small but telling detail.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Power dynamics in workplace relationships. Ada's central conflict is the power imbalance between her and Wes. She's his employee, living under his roof, working on his project. Her awareness of this dynamic—and her history with similar situations—drives her to suppress her attraction.
Loneliness and isolation. Ada's admission that she's been lonely for as long as she can remember reframes her character. Her solitude isn't chosen; it's a condition she's endured. This makes her connection to the house—and her hope—more poignant.
The house as a symbol of dreams and opportunity. The Big House is more than a renovation project. For Ada, it represents escape, purpose, and a future. She sees past its decay to its potential, just as she hopes to see past her own past.
Self-control versus desire. The chapter repeatedly places Ada in situations where her physical attraction to Wes threatens her resolve. The catch on the steps is the most direct test, and she barely passes it.
Family bonds. Through Wes's descriptions of his family, the chapter contrasts Ada's isolation with the Ryder family's closeness. She doesn't understand these bonds because she's never experienced them.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter establishes the central tension of the novel: Ada's attraction to Wes versus her professional and personal boundaries. It also deepens Ada's backstory significantly, revealing her loneliness and divorce in a way that makes her sympathetic and complex. The introduction of the house as a symbol of hope gives her character forward momentum—she's not just running from something; she's running toward something. The chapter also fleshes out the Ryder family structure, setting up relationships that will likely matter as the story progresses. Finally, the third-step incident is a small but effective set piece that dramatizes the push-pull between Ada's desire and her self-protection.
Study Questions
1. How does Ada's awareness of the power dynamic with Wes shape her actions in this chapter?
Ada's recognition that Wes is her boss, her landlord, and her project's owner creates constant internal friction. She's attracted to him, but she's also been on the wrong side of an unfair power dynamic with a man before, and she's determined not to repeat that pattern. This awareness makes her hypervigilant around him—she avoids eye contact, snaps at him when he catches her, and reminds herself of the consequences of impulsive decisions. Her self-control is a direct response to her fear of repeating past mistakes.
2. What does the Big House represent to Ada, and how does her reaction to it reveal her emotional state?
The house represents Ada's dream and her escape from California. She sees past its decay—the sinking roof, the plywood windows, the overgrown weeds—to its potential, just as she hopes to see past her own past. Her reaction reveals that she's not just looking for a job; she's looking for a new life. The hope she feels inside the house is so unexpected it startles her, suggesting she hasn't allowed herself to feel hopeful in a long time.
3. How does the third-step incident function in the chapter?
The third-step incident is a small set piece that dramatizes the central conflict. Wes tries to warn Ada, but she falls anyway, and he catches her. The physical closeness mirrors the kiss from the previous night, and Ada is tempted to let go again. But she remembers where she is and what's at stake, and she pushes him away—literally and verbally. The incident shows both her desire and her self-protection, and it ends with her snapping at him, a defensive move she immediately regrets but can't undo.