Flawless

Kip texts Summer and suggests that she convince Rhett to drink a glass of milk in public, but she refuses because she knows that he doesn’t like milk. Summer updates Willa on the phone, sharing that she and Rhett are getting along more easily. She doesn’t tell Willa about the attraction that she felt for him at the gym. She also does not mind that he calls her “Princess.” Summer is sure that Rhett isn’t attracted to her because she isn’t his type. She reflects on how badly her ex-boyfriend, Rob, hurt her in the past and decides that she is in no hurry to endure another heartbreak.

Rhett’s competition will mark Summer’s first time attending a bull-riding event. All the research that she has done doesn’t prepare her for the adrenaline-fueled scene. As she immerses herself in the lively environment, Summer understands why the sport is so dangerous and why Rhett is concealing his chronic pain. Rhett says that he drew a “good bull”: the fiercest one. Theo Silva, a popular new rider, goes first, and Rhett cheers him on, but Rhett hates the fact that Theo refuses to wear a helmet. Summer enjoys watching all the cowboys work and feels pride when it is Rhett’s turn. Rhett’s ride is a stressful eight seconds, but Summer cannot believe how natural he looks atop the bull. Rhett’s hand gets caught, and he must get assistance from another cowboy to get off the bull. Rhett’s score is good enough to qualify him for the next round. Summer notices that the crowd doesn’t cheer as loudly for Rhett as they did for Theo. Rhett also notices this. Summer whistles loudly and smiles at him.

After the competition, Rhett ignores the “buckle bunnies” gathered outside to fawn over him. He is too tired and in too much pain to care. However, he admits that he enjoys the attention, especially because he feels like he gets no respect from his family for his career. Summer is waiting for him, and she can tell by his stiff walk that he is in pain. However, Rhett doesn’t want the team doctor to know about his injuries; if the doctor finds out, Rhett won’t be permitted to ride. Summer tells Rhett that his ride was magical, and his heart swells at her approval, especially after the crowd’s lackluster response. They drive to the hotel silently, and he rushes out of the elevator. Rhett doesn’t mean to be rude, but he is desperate for a hot shower to relieve his pain.

Later, Summer arrives at his room with pain medication and soothing balms for his shoulder. Rhett grumpily refuses her help, but when she suggests that he take better care of himself, Rhett relents and swallows the pain meds. Summer explains how to use the balm, but Rhett admits that he doesn’t have the mobility to apply it himself. Summer applies the balm and tenderly but effectively massages his shoulder and neck. The tension in the area dissolves, and he feels instant relief, but Summer’s touch arouses him. This dynamic only intensifies when she helps him put on his shirt. Rhett thanks her, and she responds, “Just doing my job” (128). This comment fills him with shame, as he hates her to see him looking so pitiful.

Rhett exchanges texts with Beau, expressing his attraction to Summer. On the following day, Rhett awakens feeling less sore thanks to Summer’s care. She arrives with coffee, and he can tell that she is tired. Summer removes his shirt with little fanfare and massages his shoulder and neck again. Her hands are frigid, and when Rhett protests, she says that the heat is out in her room; she barely slept because of the cold. The hotel is full, so she cannot change rooms. Rhett promises to make sure that maintenance repairs the heater; if this does not happen, he says that they will change hotels. Rhett and Summer attend the trade show, where Rhett meets fans and holds interviews, and whenever someone mentions the milk debacle, he feels worse about his rash behavior. When Summer tries on a pair of leather chaps, Rhett thinks that she looks sexy. Summer reveals that before she got sick, she used to ride horses. She doesn’t buy the chaps and walks away before Rhett can ask her more about her past.

Before the competition, a fellow bull rider named Emmett teases Rhett about Summer and asks if she is “fair game.” Rhett explains that she is his agent’s daughter and warns Emmett to stay away from her. Emmett’s obnoxious behavior annoys Rhett, but Theo tells him to let it go. (Rhett became Theo’s mentor when Theo’s father, a famous Brazilian bull rider, was killed.) Now, Rhett is set to ride a bull that he’s ridden before, one named “Later Gator.” Although Rhett has been lucky until now, he knows that the odds are stacked against him and that someday he will get seriously injured. He wears a helmet for protection. Later Gator gives Rhett a rough but successful ride. Rhett sees Summer cheering in the stands, and he realizes that he loves having her support.

Summer loves the thrill of watching Rhett ride and hurries to meet him to tell him so. She can no longer deny her growing attraction to him. Emmett grabs her arm and tries to flirt with her, but Summer pulls away from his unwanted touch. Theo is there too, and as Summer says that Rhett “rode the fuck outta that bull” (145), Emmett says that Rhett does the same to all the “buckle bunnies” on tour. His comment deflates Summer because she knows that she doesn’t want to get involved with someone who is only interested in having one-night stands.

Rhett and Summer hardly speak on the way to the hotel. In the elevator, he apologizes for Emmett’s comment and explains that he is no longer someone who engages in meaningless flings. Summer says that he doesn’t owe her an explanation and admits that from what she’s seen in their time together, he isn’t the “bad boy” the media makes him out to be. They go to their separate rooms, but Summer’s room is still freezing. Her ex-boyfriend, Rob, suddenly calls her, and Summer reluctantly answers because their relationship is complicated. Rob claims to be worried about Summer because he saw her on television at the bull-riding competition and wants her to stay away from cowboys. Summer knows Rob’s manipulative tactics and abruptly ends the call. Rhett arrives at her room, and when he feels how cold it is, he insists that she sleep in his room instead.

Summer frets over what to wear under her sweatsuit, wondering if she should retain her sexy lingerie. Rhett orders takeout, and they share fries and chicken wings while watching television. She scolds him for his poor nutrition and insists that he let her make the food decisions over the next two weeks in order to improve his health. Summer has sauce on her face, and when she asks him to point out where it is, Rhett slides his fingers over her lips. They move closer together, almost kissing. Summer wants Rhett so badly, but she remembers her father’s words and knows that engaging in a romance with a client would be unprofessional.

Rhett sleeps on the floor, and Summer feels guilty about this arrangement, given his injuries. She insists that he share the bed, and Rhett climbs in next to her. They begin sharing details from their personal lives and realize that they both lost their mothers in different ways. Summer is a product of an affair between her father and the nanny. Her father and stepmother raised her, and she never knew her biological mother. The circumstances complicated her relationship with her father, but he was a vital source of support during her illness. Summer was born with a congenital heart defect that required open-heart surgery. She had many post-surgery complications and spent most of her teenage years in the hospital. Rhett’s mother died in childbirth with his sister when he was only two, and he laments that he never knew her. Rhett grabs Summer’s hand, and they entwine their legs together for warmth. As they fall asleep, Summer is comforted by Rhett’s empathy and compassion.

Kip and Rhett exchange texts, and Rhett says that Summer “isn’t so bad” (169). Rhett wakes up with Summer snuggled next to him and must restrain himself from taking things further. Though he is physically attracted to Summer, he also feels a tenderness for her and a need to protect her. Back at the ranch, Rhett gets jealous when Beau flirts with Summer. He knows that the stable, mature Beau is more her type. Summer turns down Beau’s invitation to The Railspur because she is taking Rhett to the hospital for an MRI on his shoulder. Rhett admits that the workouts, acupuncture, and massage therapy that Summer have provided are helping him.

Rhett appreciates that Summer has come with him to the hospital. She doesn’t see him as an overgrown child, like his family and the public do. In the MRI waiting room, Summer and Rhett encounter Summer’s half-sister, Winter, who is a surgeon. Rhett notes their contrasting personalities and sees that Winter is cold and unfriendly. Winter is visibly derisive of Summer and blurts out that Summer used to have Rhett’s picture on her wall. Summer covers her face in shame and begs Rhett to forget what Winter said, but he fully intends to tease her about it because he loves to banter with her.

Winter embarrasses Summer, but Summer still looks up to her half-sister and wishes that they had a better relationship. She recognizes that her stepmother is mostly to blame for their complicated dynamic, as she always makes Summer feel inferior to Winter. When Rhett emerges from his MRI, he immediately begins teasing Summer about the picture. Suddenly, Summer spots Rob’s sportscar in the parking lot with its prestige tag “DRHEART,” and she freezes. Rhett senses her distress, and she explains that Rob is her ex-boyfriend. She admits that he called her, claiming to have seen her on television. Rhett says that the bull-riding competition wasn’t televised, and this detail makes her realize that Rob keeps tabs on her. Rhett offers to make Rob jealous and pulls Summer in for a kiss. Summer melts in his embrace and passionately kisses him back, temporarily forgetting about Rob and everything else around her.

Though Summer says that the kiss “means nothing,” she and Rhett are breathless. In the car, she reveals that Rob was her heart doctor and performed her life-saving surgery. Though she was a teenager, she and Rob fell in love but didn’t act on their feelings until she was 18. Rhett points out the inappropriateness of the relationship, and Summer explains that her feelings for Rob were complicated by the fact that he saved her life. Only Willa knows about this issue, so she asks Rhett to keep the secret.

The neighboring ranch belongs to the Jansen family, and they have a long-standing feud with the Eatons. Cade has discovered that the Jansens have been parking their farm equipment on the Eaton property, so he, Rhett, and Beau ride their horses over to find the offending tractor. While riding, Rhett loses himself in thought, mainly about Summer. He enjoys their workouts even when they argue, but he knows that he must focus on his upcoming competition. The brothers cover the tractor with toilet paper, and as Rhett ducks inside the tractor, he hears voices outside and realizes that the Jansens have discovered them. Beau and Cade escape with his horse, leaving Rhett hiding inside the tractor. When the coast is clear, Rhett begins walking back to the ranch. Soon, he sees Summer riding his horse toward him. She scolded his brothers for the stunt and for risking all the hard work to improve Rhett’s public image.

Rhett mounts the horse behind Summer, noticing how well she rides. She explains that riding was how she met Willa, but she didn’t ride much after her surgery. Rhett puts his arms around her, and she settles into his embrace. Rhett jokes with her about being so uptight. Suddenly, Summer stiffens and asks to dismount. She tells Rhett that she needs space and walks alone back to the ranch. Rhett waits for her, and when she returns, he hugs her and apologizes for upsetting her by acting foolishly with his brothers. Summer grips him tightly, and they are both filled with desire. When Rhett moves in to kiss her, Summer abruptly pulls away, and he can see the pain and confusion on her face. She explains that her rigid nature comes from her desire to do her job well. She knows that she will never advance in her career if she has sex with clients. Rhett hates to realize that she thinks he only wants a brief fling; in reality, he wants so much more.