56 pages • 1 hour read
Play Along
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Prologue-Chapter 9Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Prologue Summary: “Isaiah”
Content Warning: The source material and this guide briefly reference death and mental health issues.
Content Warning: Both the source material and this guide include descriptions of death, misogyny, and mental health challenges such as anxiety and panic attacks.
The prologue begins three years in the past. At this point, 28-year-old Isaiah Rhodes plays shortstop for the Windy City Warriors. On the first day of the season, which is also the anniversary of his mother’s death, he hides in the always deserted women’s restroom just to find a bit of quiet. While leaving the restroom, he overhears the team doctor, Dr. Frederick, telling a woman named Kennedy that she cannot be hired as a doctor, because she listed her name as “Kenny” on her application. Instead, he offers her a position as an athletic trainer but warns her to stay away from the players. Kennedy, who is eager to work in professional sports despite the gender discrimination, is considering the offer.
Hiding in the restroom again, Isaiah listens as Kennedy, now believing herself to be alone, gives herself a pep talk and calls her stepbrother, who is a baseball player. Isaiah introduces himself to Kennedy, sharing his reason for hiding, and offers his support. Kennedy explains that her gender has made it difficult for her to find a job as a doctor in the sports world, and Isaiah urges her to report Dr. Frederick’s misogynistic behavior. Reluctant to complicate her situation, she decides to take the job despite the circumstances. Suddenly, one of Isaiah’s teammates calls out to him, and Kennedy realizes that he is a player, so she swears him to secrecy. Later, while changing in the locker room, Isaiah asks Travis to identify Kennedy’s hair color, which is auburn. Isaiah tells Travis that he will marry her one day, but Travis notices that she wears a diamond engagement ring on her left hand.
Chapter 1 Summary: “Isaiah”
Three years later, Isaiah once again faces the anniversary of his mom’s death. He and his teammates are in Las Vegas for a pre-season trip. Kai, Isaiah’s brother, is now the team’s pitcher, but he is not on the trip, because he has elected to remain at home with his partner, Miller, and his son, Max. Isaiah’s teammates, Cody and Travis, encourage Isaiah to have a romantic fling with someone and to stop pining after Kennedy. Isaiah admits that he fell in love with her the day he met her in the bathroom, and ever since she broke off her engagement eight months ago, he has hoped that there might be a chance for the two of them. Kennedy often confides in him when she is having a tough time at work, but whenever he asks her to do something with him outside of work, she refuses, taking care to maintain her professionalism.
At the same time, Kennedy is in Las Vegas for her sister-in-law Mallory’s bachelorette party, and Isaiah bumps into her on the dance floor. Isaiah invites her to his table, but Kennedy reminds him of her professional boundaries. However, he can tell that she is not enjoying herself. He invites her to leave the club with him, and she accepts. In their group text, Cody and Travis scold Isaiah for abandoning them on guys’ night, but Isaiah says that it is fate.
Chapter 2 Summary: “Kennedy”
Mallory is marrying Kennedy’s ex-fiancé, Connor Danforth. Now, Kennedy cannot believe that she is leaving the club with Isaiah. She has always found him to be attractive but a bit annoying. Isaiah asks her to have one drink, but her feet hurt from wearing high heels, so she tells Isaiah that she is returning to her hotel. Isaiah implores her to give him “his one shot” by agreeing to do things his way for one night. Kennedy agrees, and Isaiah buys her platform Vans sneakers and a jacket so that she will be more comfortable.
Isaiah is attractive and fun, but Kennedy has never paid much attention to his flirtation, because he has a reputation for being a partier. She always assumed that he was flirting with her because she was the only woman around. At the bar, Isaiah says that she should insist that Dr. Frederick promote her. Kennedy will be up for a promotion at the end of the season and has applied for a team doctor position in San Francisco, which could make her “the first female head doctor in the MLB” (30). After they finish their drinks, he offers to walk her to her hotel, but Kennedy throws caution to the wind and says she wants another drink.
Chapter 3 Summary: “Isaiah”
Isaiah and Kennedy spend all night partying together on the Las Vegas Strip. Without meaning to, Isaiah says out loud, “[T]onight is the best night of my life” (32). They are both drunk, but he tells Kennedy that he wants to get to know her better. Kennedy reveals that she was uncomfortable at the bachelorette party because her step-sister is marrying her ex-fiancé. Everyone in Kennedy’s family, except for her brother Dean, supports the marriage because Kennedy could never commit to Connor, who is primed to take over the family business. Dean is also a minor league baseball player and Isaiah’s rival, but now Isaiah hates him less, realizing that Dean supports Kennedy. Isaiah suggests that Kennedy get married before Mallory in order to get revenge. Kennedy realizes what he’s offering and reminds him that they’re both drunk. Then she reconsiders.
Chapter 4 Summary: “Kennedy”
Because Kennedy is drunk, her thoughts are a stream-of-consciousness jumble. She thinks that Isaiah is cute, but she’ll never tell him so. She calls her engagement to Connor a “business arrangement.” As she and Isaiah go to a wedding chapel, Isaiah asks Kennedy if she wants to do this, and she signs her name on a piece of paper and selects Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed” for their wedding song. What Kennedy perceives as warm light is the inside of a wedding chapel, and she and Isaiah get married.
Chapter 5 Summary: “Isaiah”
Isaiah and Kennedy wake up in bed together fully clothed. They are wearing wedding rings, and a marriage certificate is on the table. Kennedy is appalled at what they have done, but Isaiah finds it humorous and cracks jokes about them sharing a last name. Kennedy blames Isaiah for everything, though he insists that it was her idea. Fearful that she will lose her job and the opportunity in San Francisco, Kennedy insists that they get an annulment as soon as they return to Chicago. Isaiah is hurt that Kennedy is so disgusted at the idea of their marriage, but when she cries, he feels empathy for her and agrees to meet with the lawyer when they get home. Kennedy tells Isaiah that aside from the wedding, she had fun with him in Vegas.
Chapter 6 Summary: “Kennedy”
Kennedy exchanges texts with Miller, a friend of hers who used to work as a nanny for Kai but is now engaged to him. Kennedy doesn’t want to explain what happened in Vegas. Kennedy’s family is wealthy, and she lives in a penthouse that they own. Her father is dead, and she maintains a businesslike relationship with her mother. After the death of Kennedy’s father, Kennedy’s mother married a business partner, who is Dean’s father. However, Dean is a professional baseball player and has no desire to take over the family business, so Kennedy’s mother pressured her to marry Connor, an ideal candidate for this role. Now, Kennedy finds herself on the way to meet with the family lawyer for an annulment. The phone rings, and it’s the secretary for Arthur Remington, the owner of the Windy City Warriors. He is requesting an immediate meeting with both Kennedy and Isaiah. Kennedy is sure that she is about to get fired.
Isaiah is waiting for her at the team office. Kennedy is frantic, but Isaiah tells her not to worry. Mr. Remington has a friend at the Chicago Tribune who told him that the next day, the paper will be running a story about Kennedy and Isiah’s wedding. In the photo, Kennedy sees that she gleefully consented to the wedding. Because a casual relationship between a player and a staff member is a violation of their contract, Mr. Remington says that he must fire someone. Isaiah says that their relationship is not casual, and that they have been together for years. He claims that the wedding was a planned elopement and that he and Kennedy are very much in love. Kennedy is stunned but realizes that Isaiah is lying to save her job, so she corroborates his story. Mr. Remington says that they must keep their relationship professional at work but can behave like husband and wife when traveling with the team.
After the meeting, Kennedy demands an explanation, and Isaiah tells her that they can pretend to be married until the season ends. He reasons that because Mr. Remington doesn’t travel with the team, it should be easy to fake their relationship. When she gets the job offer in San Francisco, they will get a divorce, citing her career change. In the meantime, they must pretend to be happily married, which Isaiah claims isn’t hard to do since he has had a crush on her for years. Kennedy is reluctant to agree, but she realizes all the effort that Isaiah is making to save her job. Kennedy agrees, and Isaiah promises to give her a better ring than the plastic ones from Vegas.
Chapter 7 Summary: “Isaiah”
Isaiah is visiting with Miller, Kai, and his nephew, Max. Evan Zanders, a professional hockey player, is also there. They all tease Isaiah about getting Kennedy to agree to marry him after he has been pining over her for years. Kennedy is meeting with her lawyer to get a prenuptial agreement— to protect herself, not Isaiah. He reminds Kai that Dean Cartwright is Kennedy’s step-brother and her family is wealthy. Kai and Isaiah have known Dean since they were kids; they have always resented his wealth because they struggled to make ends meet. Dean also stole Isaiah’s girlfriends and has been an enemy ever since. Miller’s father, Emmett Montgomery, or “Monty,” is the team field manager, and Miller insists that Isaiah tell him about the marriage.
Isaiah speaks with Kai privately and asks for their mother’s ring to give to Kennedy. Kai is reluctant because the relationship isn’t real. Isaiah says that he met Kennedy for the first time on the anniversary of their mother’s death and married her on a later anniversary. The day is also Max’s birthday, and the brothers agree that they see Max as a gift from their mom. Kai recognizes the significance of the date and gives Isaiah the ring, admitting that things always work out for Isaiah because of his humor and positivity. Since Kai is the older brother, he has always taken responsibility for the family, and Isaiah has always seen it as his role to make Kai smile.
Isaiah becomes anxious during storms, so he texts Kai and his friends to make sure that they are safe at home. He reaches out to Monty about the wedding, but Monty is already aware of the details. Isaiah texts Kennedy, but she doesn’t initially respond. Frustrated, he jokingly threatens to call her “Mrs. Rhodes” in front of everyone. Kennedy replies that she is safe at home, and Isaiah calls her. During the call, Kennedy expresses her uncertainty about their arrangement, saying that she will only proceed with the plan if Isaiah understands that her main concern is preserving her job and nothing more. Kennedy is drunk, and she asks Isaiah why he didn’t try to have sex with her in Vegas. Isaiah explains that they were both intoxicated at the time and that his late mother wouldn’t have approved. He asks if she wanted to take things further that night, but she doesn’t answer. Kennedy insists that their relationship will end in six months, but Isaiah sees this time as his chance to make her fall in love with him. Talking to Kennedy helps Isaiah to forget about his anxiety over the storm.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Kennedy”
Isaiah meets Kennedy in the women’s restroom on opening day, and she thinks that he looks handsome. She has been so busy doing tasks for Dr. Frederick all morning that she hasn’t had time to eat. Isaiah is angry that Dr. Frederick makes her work so hard, and for once, Kennedy doesn’t mind his extra attention. Isaiah gives Kennedy his mother’s wedding ring. Kennedy knows how much their mother meant to Kai and Isaiah, and she says that she can’t accept it, because the ring should be reserved for someone special. Isaiah asserts that she is special to him. Kennedy promises to return the ring safely when “all of this is over” (72). Kennedy gives Isaiah two rings, a metal one and a silicone one, to wear during games.
Kennedy gives Kai a pre-game massage and thinks about how awkward it is for her to have a job that involves so much physical contact when she dislikes physical shows of affection. Kennedy’s parents never hugged her as a child, and she now shrinks away from hugs and other forms of physical touch. She finds it ironic that although her passion involves healing the physical body, she disconnects mentally when touching others. Kennedy reminds Isaiah that their marriage is just an “arrangement,” though the family heirloom she is wearing on her left hand seems to indicate otherwise. Isaiah brings her a sandwich and tells her to take a break to eat.
Before the game, Mr. Remington addresses the team and announces his imminent retirement. His granddaughter, Reese, will take over his duties, including traveling with the team. At first, Kennedy is excited that a woman will run the team. Then she and Isaiah look at each other, realizing that Reese’s presence during the team’s travels will make it more challenging for the two of them to maintain the sham marriage.
Chapter 9 Summary: “Isaiah”
Dr. Frederick is piling extra work on Kennedy to punish her for marrying Isaiah. When Isaiah hears him assign Kennedy to water station duty, a job that is intended to be filled by an intern, Isaiah cannot keep quiet and speaks up in her defense. Kennedy begs him not to get involved, but Isaiah insists that she is overqualified for such a menial role. Reese overhears the conversation and agrees with Isaiah, demanding that Dr. Frederick spread out the gameday duties. Dr. Frederick accedes to her authority and assigns Kennedy to the dugout, but she is still angry with Isaiah for intervening. Monty pulls Isaiah aside and explains that although he understands Isaiah’s desire to defend his wife, Kennedy doesn’t need him to fight her battles. Monty also states that challenging Dr. Frederick will only make him angrier at her, given that he wants her fired anyway.
Prologue-Chapter 9 Analysis
From the very beginning, the novel introduces a series of issues surrounding the topic of Gender Dynamics in the Workplace as Kennedy deals with her employer’s misogyny and discrimination. However, this more serious note is leavened by Isaiah’s ridiculous predicament as he hides in the women’s restroom. Because his reason for doing so is fairly innocent and highlights his ongoing struggle to process the lingering grief of his mother’s death, the author carefully engineers the circumstances to avoid portraying Isaiah as creepy. Instead, his awkward encounter with Kennedy turns into a quirky version of a “meet-cute,” and his mistaken assumption that the women’s restroom would be abandoned also highlights the fact that the sports world is largely male-dominated, once again drawing attention to the imbalanced gender dynamics in the sports world.
Within this context, the author indicates that a man’s choice to hide in a woman’s space is ironic, given that Isaiah has chosen a male-dominated career but craves a place to escape the hyper-masculine environment. As Isaiah secretly witnesses Kennedy’s battle with gender inequality in the form of Dr. Frederick’s unmitigated misogyny, the moment also reveals Isaiah’s own emotional vulnerability as he sets aside quiet time to process his hidden pain. The space therefore comes to represent a day that is simultaneously Isaiah’s worst and his best, for the awkward location becomes the scene of his and Kennedy’s first meeting. This meet-cute establishes the internal tension that Kennedy faces with Gender Dynamics in the Workplace, as well as the external tension that exists between Kennedy and Isaiah, given his knowledge of the circumstances of her employment.
This meeting and Isaiah’s resulting two-year crush set the stage for the romance-to-be, and he views the fact that they met on the anniversary of his mother’s death as a sign of the potential for Overcoming the Pain of the Past. His hope finally bears fruit when he gets the chance to know Kennedy better during their chance encounter in Las Vegas, a city known for its nightlife, indulgence, and unpredictability. This setting therefore represents a place of freedom and risk, providing the protagonists with a unique space that allows them to escape their usual constraints and embrace spontaneity. The city also symbolizes excess and stands as a place in which life-changing decisions are often made without thinking. For Isaiah, Las Vegas fits his carefree personality, but for the more reserved, controlled Kennedy, it represents risk. The chaotic, wild environment therefore becomes the backdrop for a decision that will reshape Isaiah and Kennedy’s lives as they deal with the personal and professional fallout from their spontaneous wedding. By employing the romance trope of the fake relationship, the author also sets the stage for genuine feelings to flourish even as the ruse creates tension between the two characters and among their colleagues, especially since there is nothing false about Isaiah’s feelings for Kennedy.
The Vegas trip and its consequences also reveal Kennedy’s complicated family dynamics, and it is clear that Kennedy prioritizes her profession and independence over her personal life and romantic relationships because her wealthy family has raised her with high expectations. Kennedy struggles between the need for her family’s approval and the desire to live her life as she sees fit, and this internal conflict generates a sense of pressure that drives many of her decisions. Her family’s emphasis on wealth and clout rather than on emotional expression creates deep emotional wounds and barriers for her, preventing her from showing emotional vulnerability and causing her to develop an outright aversion to physical intimacy. Having once been forced into a sham relationship with Connor, Kennedy is now concerned that Isaiah’s plan for a marriage of convenience will subject her to similar issues. However, the more time she spends with Isaiah, the more she learns about him and about herself, and their circumstances highlight the beauty of Embracing Self-Discovery Through Vulnerability. Through Kennedy’s struggles, the author reveals the importance of letting down personal defenses and taking a chance with emotional intimacy.
Despite her professional drive, Kennedy is reluctantly entangled with Isaiah, whom she perceives as reckless and impulsive. However, Isaiah’s actions reveal him to be kind, generous, and genuinely concerned about Kennedy’s well-being. As she privately notes during their meeting with the team owner, “[Isaiah’s] impulsiveness is what’s saving [her] job” (54). Having been in love with Kennedy since the day he met her, Isaiah uses the marriage plan to prove himself to Kennedy, seeing it as a challenge to win her over. He demonstrates his devotion by giving Kennedy his mother’s ring, which symbolizes his love for his mom and his long-term desire to commit to Kennedy.
Isaiah also embodies the “golden retriever” archetype with his warm, playful, and loyal personality. He is eager to please, charming, and full of energy, bringing light and joy into the lives of others: a trait that he honed after his mother’s death when he worried about his brother’s well-being. As the romance progresses, Isaiah’s lightheartedness counterbalances Kennedy’s serious, controlled nature. His easygoing charm encourages her to loosen up, take risks, and embrace her vulnerable side in order to see life differently. By contrast, Kennedy embodies the “black cat” archetype with her reserved, introverted, and guarded personality. Like a black cat, she exudes independence, mystery, and a certain aloofness, often controlling her emotions. Her serious and focused demeanor stems from her past and professional goals, making her cautious about opening up to others. Their connection is therefore an “opposites-attract” dynamic in which Isaiah’s sunny, affectionate personality complements Kennedy’s innate reserve, and this contrast creates tension and provides opportunities for growth, both in their relationship and within themselves.
Unlock all 56 pages of this Study GuidePlus, gain access to 8,800+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
