54 pages • 1 hour read
Flawless
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Chapters 18-26Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 18 Summary: “Summer”
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of emotional abuse and sexual content.
Summer chats with Willa on the phone and tells her about almost kissing Rhett again, and Willa jokes with her about “riding the cowboy.” Summer joins Harvey and Cade at the breakfast table. Cade half-heartedly apologizes, saying that he regrets having put Rhett in a potentially compromising situation. When Rhett arrives, Summer makes more coffee, and as their hands touch, she detects something odd in his demeanor, as if he is trying to avoid her. Cade launches into a calculated tirade on his hatred of rodeos and asserts that bull riding has nothing to do with ranching. Harvey intervenes, forcing Cade to back off, but the damage is done, and Rhett knows that he has once again been humiliated by his family. When Rhett leaves, Summer tells Cade that he should apologize to Rhett because Rhett rides bulls to support the ranch. She then follows after Rhett.
Summer watches Rhett as he sits for an interview in Blackwood Creek and answers questions about his next competition. He candidly describes his upbringing and his life on the ranch, which makes Summer proud. Even though Rhett has been grumpy all morning, she catches him looking at her butt in her new Wranglers, which she bought to better fit in at the rodeo. During Rhett’s ride in the competition, Summer feels tense and anxious, knowing how battered his body is. Despite all her recent efforts, he is still in a lot of pain, and it hurts her to watch him repeatedly punish himself. After Rhett’s high-scoring ride, Summer watches Rhett accept the crowd’s cheers, and something in her shifts. She and Rhett make eye contact, and suddenly, she thinks, “[H]e feels like mine […] like I’m his” (217). Summer runs to meet Rhett to share her feelings, but he is talking to a “buckle bunny,” and she is crushed. Emmett arrives, and because Summer feels hurt and reckless, she agrees to go with him to a bar. Emmett invites Rhett and “his girl” to join them.
Chapter 19 Summary: “Rhett”
Kip and Rhett exchange texts, and Kip congratulates him on his ride. Rhett says that Summer is becoming a “problem.” Rhett is at the bar with Theo. Rhett had been talking to a woman named Cindy about Theo after the competition. Theo doesn’t want to treat Cindy like all the other avid fans, so Rhett advises treating her respectfully even though she is a groupie. Meanwhile, Rhett jealously watches Summer with Emmett. Theo notices the direction of Rhett’s gaze and points out that Rhett has fallen for Summer. Suddenly, Summer is riding the mechanical bull and having a blast, and Rhett can hardly stand to watch her enjoy herself. When Emmett puts his hat on Summer’s head, Rhett races to intervene, telling Emmett that he knows “the rules.” Rhett is ready to fight with Emmett, but Summer interrupts to coyly suggest that he do a body shot. She squirts whipped cream on her chest. Rhett doesn’t hesitate; he licks the whipped cream off her chest and downs the shot that is wedged between her breasts. Emmett claims that it is now his “turn” to do the same, but Rhett takes Summer by the hand and leads her out of the bar.
Chapter 20 Summary: “Summer”
Summer texts Kip, telling him to stop talking about Rhett as if he were a dog. As she is still holding the can of whipped cream, Rhett walks her to the hotel in silence, and she is filled with a mixture of anger and intense desire. He explains the cowboy hat rule, which is “You wear the hat, you ride the cowboy” (234). Rhett tells Summer to go to bed, warning that if she doesn’t, he can’t be responsible for his actions. Summer teasingly asks what he would do, grabs his hat, and places it on her head. Rhett asks if she is “done playing games” and squirts the whipped cream into her mouth. Rhett says that ever since Summer entered his life, he hasn’t looked at another girl. Summer says that she wants him to “ruin” her, and he pulls her into his room.
Chapter 21 Summary: “Rhett”
Rhett undresses Summer, covers her breasts with whipped cream, and licks it off. He likes dirty talk and encourages her to tell him what she wants. Hearing her express her desire only adds to his arousal. Summer has never had oral sex performed on her, and Rhett says that he will gladly remedy that problem.
Chapter 22 Summary: “Summer”
Summer is sexually inexperienced and thinks about how unsatisfying her sex life has been. At first, she struggles to express her desires, but Rhett makes it easy. He is eager to please and adds to her comfort by asking for her consent before doing anything. Rhett gets a condom and asks if she wants to go further. Rhett asks Summer if she wants “it,” wanting her to beg him to finish. She says, “I don’t want it, Rhett. I want you” (259). They enjoy a night full of passion and pleasure and fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.
Chapter 23 Summary: “Rhett”
Rhett loves waking up with Summer in his arms. They have sex again, making the most of their time before Rhett must leave for an interview. Later, as Rhett is prepping for his ride, Summer worries that their all-night escapades might affect his performance. She worries about his safety and begs him to be careful. Rhett refuses to give in to fear, as his goal is to win one more championship and then retire.
Chapter 24 Summary: “Summer”
Summer exchanges texts with Kip, who wonders why Rhett sent him a text saying that he is fired. Summer assures Kip that he is not fired. She also texts Rhett and suggests electromagnetic therapy for his shoulder injury. He responds by asking for sexual favors. During Rhett’s next bull ride, Summer feels different. She wants Rhett to succeed but is more worried than ever about his safety. She also enjoys watching him mentor Theo. Before Rhett’s ride, he looks up at her and winks.
Later, Summer and Rhett share a bath. Rhett wonders why she still has concerns about their relationship’s lack of professionalism. He insists that Summer is an adult and should make her own choices. He also suggests that she break free of her father’s expectations and pursue the life she truly wants. He suggests that she consider a career as a personal trainer. Summer feels that her father made many sacrifices to care for her during her illness, and she feels like she owes him a debt. Rhett assures her that she owes her father nothing in exchange for his love, and Summer knows that Rhett is right.
Rhett gives Summer a massage, but they are interrupted when her phone rings. It’s Rob, and Rhett makes her answer it. Rob claims that he saw Rhett winking at her on television because the rodeo was televised. Rob says that Summer should stay away from bull riders, whom he calls “[u]neducated. Unruly. Just a different breed” (285). While she talks to Rob, Rhett performs oral sex on Summer, and she struggles to maintain her composure. When she hangs up on Rob, Rhett enjoys a good laugh. He loves her freckles and connects them on her back to spell out the word “Mine.”
Chapter 25 Summary: “Rhett”
Rhett and Summer return to the ranch. He texts her, asking her to come to his room, but Summer refuses to sleep with him while his dad and brothers are in the same house. They settle for a rendezvous in an old truck nicknamed the “rust bucket.” The next day, Jasper joins them for a family dinner, and Rhett is reasonably certain that his father and Cade realize that he and Summer are now a couple. Beau and Harvey are leaving soon for a road trip, and when Beau asks to take Summer out dancing, Rhett bristles with jealousy. However, Harvey tells him not to hold on too tight to what’s already his. Summer asks if anyone is attending Rhett’s competition, but his family never watches Rhett compete. Luke wants to go, but Cade forbids it. Jasper offers to attend instead.
Rhett sits with Cade at the bar and watches Summer dance with Beau. He reflects that Beau has always been attentive to women in public, even if he doesn’t sleep with them. Rhett realizes that Beau’s kindness has been misconstrued, making him seem like a player. Rhett admits that his own future is uncertain, but he knows that he wants Summer to be a part of it. He cuts in to dance with Summer, kissing her in front of everyone because he doesn’t care about what others think.
Chapter 26 Summary: “Rhett”
Rhett and Summer exchange texts and plan to meet up at the truck. Rhett gives Summer the leather chaps that she was eyeing at the expo. Rhett hopes that she can start riding again. He doesn’t tell her that the gift is an offer for a future with him. He also cannot wait to see how she looks in them. With the house empty, Rhett takes Summer to his room, and she tries on the chaps in the nude. She and Rhett have sex. In ecstasy, Summer proclaims that she is “made for [him],” and Rhett thinks, “Summer wasn’t just made for me. She’s it for me” (316).
Chapters 18-26 Analysis
Being in close quarters forces Summer and Rhett to let their guard down, revealing their softer sides as they experience The Transformative Force of Love. As Summer fully embraces rodeo culture, she considers the possibility of finding happiness with Rhett, even though this prospect would require her to take new emotional risks. Similarly, Rhett’s desire to get closer to Summer moves him to let go of his untouchable rodeo-star façade. For both characters, vulnerability is a challenge and a necessity, but when they finally commit to forging a genuine sense of intimacy, they have no issues sharing their true selves. However, being honest with the public and their families causes them both considerable frustration and tension. With the exception of her father’s devotion during her illness, Summer has never experienced the transformative force of love, and her time with Rhett shows her what it feels like to be cherished by someone. Similarly, Summer’s support and devotion during Rhett’s competitions show him that Summer makes him a better person, and he longs to have her by his side forever.
With the sublime mix of excitement and fear that comes with bull riding, Rhett’s career becomes a metaphor for the pair’s burgeoning relationship. While they both enjoy the rush of emotions that they feel together, there remains an undercurrent of uncertainty about the consequences of crossing some hard-to-see yet forbidden line. Summer’s heart has been broken both physically and metaphorically, as symbolized by the scar on her chest, and her inexperience with relationships causes her to doubt whether she should pursue a close connection with Rhett. When they finally explore physical intimacy, this development marks a distinct turning point in their romantic connection, for the act of having sex symbolizes their willingness to embrace exposure and risk. Both characters have been guarded in their own ways, and just as Summer must learn to let go of her fear of judgment and emotional entanglement, Rhett must relinquish his tendency to shield his deeper feelings behind his confident, devil-may-care façade. As they give in to their desires, they gradually break down these barriers and move toward a form of mutual trust.
During their intimate moments, Rhett embodies the common romance trope of the “dirty-talking” alpha hero. His confidence as a man and as a professional bull rider becomes the foundation of his bold demeanor, given that he must dominate a bull in order to win a competition. His other desires are therefore unreserved and unfiltered, and he frequently expresses them authoritatively and bluntly. The alpha-hero stereotype stems from his commanding presence, which positions him as a leader and a protector. As he encourages Summer to match his sexual enthusiasm and candor, his audacity reflects his confidence and readiness to pursue her and also acts as a foil to Summer’s more reserved, conservative demeanor. However, although Rhett demonstrates dominance as he sets the pace and tone for their sexual encounters, he never grows overbearing. Instead, his appetites are tempered by his respect for Summer and her autonomy. Rhett therefore exemplifies the modern version of the alpha hero, balancing strength with emotional sensitivity.
In a crucial internal shift, Summer prioritizes her happiness over Family Dynamics and Expectations by choosing to be with Rhett. Conversely, Rhett’s time with Summer reveals to him that he is ready to shed his womanizing image and settle into a version of himself that his dad and brothers would more readily accept. Once resistant to committing emotionally, Rhett embraces the idea of a deeper and more meaningful relationship. Likewise, Summer, who has always ordered her life according to the expectations of others, now reclaims her agency and redefines what she wants from life. Their intimacy therefore reflects a balance of physical passion and emotional resonance, as Rhett’s demands for her to be vocal during sex encourage her to declare what she wants, not what pleases or appeases others. The attention that Rhett gives to Summer’s physical needs in the bedroom teaches her that sex can and should be pleasurable for women, and this dynamic empowers her to take charge in other areas of her life as well so that she can prioritize her physical and emotional needs.
As the romantic tension between Rhett and Summer intensifies, their physical and emotional intimacy heightens the stakes of their relationship and acts as a metaphor for their respective journeys toward self-acceptance and trust. Summer is a grounding force for Rhett, reminding him that his worth is not tied to his public image. His struggle in this arena mirrors her own internal battle as she seeks to balance her job responsibilities and her father’s expectations with her growing affection for Rhett. Summer and Rhett’s connection thus reflects The Tension Between Public Image and Private Reality, and as they work to navigate external expectations, they grow increasingly attached to one another, gaining strength from their dynamic of mutual support. As their relationship deepens, both Rhett and Summer must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice for each other. Rhett’s injury and its implications for his career also force him to reconsider his priorities, while Summer agonizes over the prospect of disappointing her father. These chapters therefore emphasize the importance of finding the courage to pursue love, even when it disrupts carefully laid plans or contradicts the expectations of others.
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