42 pages • 1-hour read
Crossroads
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Chapters 15-20Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 15 Summary: “Indya, Age Eighteen”
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and sexual content.
When Indya came back at 18, her father was still sick, and her parents often spoke about his impending death in a casual way. Indya hated it and was certain that her father would live for a long time. After some awkward texts with her friends about her ex-boyfriend, Indya went out to find West. She immediately noticed that he had grown into a handsome, strong man. After a brief conversation about her father, Indya kissed West, and then he took her into the barn. Indya and West had sex—Indya’s first time. It made her feel as though being in Montana, with West, was exactly where she belonged.
Chapter 16 Summary: “West”
West goes into the barn and sees that it’s cleaner and better organized than it has been in years, all thanks to the teenage boys whom Indya hired to help around the ranch. West is starting to like the changes, as is Jax, but Curtis continues to resist. West finds him outside staring at the new ranch sign and complaining about the change of name. Curtis looks unshaven and unclean, and West gets irritated when Curtis starts complaining about Indya. West defends Indya and admits that the changes are just what the ranch needs, and Curtis storms off.
West finds out that Indya fired Deb and that one of the evening clerks quit. He goes to her cabin to find out more. As usual, Indya doesn’t want to discuss her feelings, but when West asks why she bought the ranch, she admits that she did it for her father. West and Indya play cards, and West kisses her in an effort to cheer her up.
Chapter 17 Summary: “Indya”
Indya and West have sex again, and it’s even more intense than last time. They fall asleep together, and Indya is shocked that West is actually staying the night, but then she awakens at three o’clock in the morning to find him gone. Indya wonders why she always falls into the same pattern around West and regrets complicating her situation at the ranch even more. Indya’s ex-husband calls, asking why she hasn’t emailed back, and Indya points out that it’s the middle of the night. He hangs up, and Indya calls her father’s voicemail to tell him she loves him.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Indya, Age Nineteen”
After having sex with West, Indya started to think about possibly moving to Montana so that she and West could finally be together. It never became more than a fantasy because Indya was always attached to her home in Texas. She kissed West goodbye and made him promise not to forget about her, regretting how little time they had together. West was always with Indya, even when they were apart, and having to leave him like this made her cry.
Chapter 19 Summary: “West”
West finds Indya playing soccer with some of the kids staying at the ranch. He is glad to see her smiling again. He looks around at the busy, full resort and knows that Indya is responsible for the improvement. West invites Indya for a walk and decides to tell her the story of how the ranch ended up in such dire circumstances. It began when his father cheated on his mother and his parents nearly divorced. They tried to make it work, but when Jax was born from that affair and left on their doorstep, it strained the marriage even further. West’s mother refused to let Jax call her “Mom,” though she did take care of him. Eventually, she divorced Curtis and left the ranch.
The divorce cost Curtis a great deal of money, and he was then swindled by Courtney, a woman he hired in his ex-wife’s place but who really just wanted to manipulate him into buying her boyfriend’s land. Curtis fell for it and lost even more money in the process. Added to all of this, Curtis was always resistant to change and never wanted to make the necessary improvements to keep the ranch going. After hearing all this, Indya takes West into her cabin, where they spend the night getting to know each other properly and fully for the first time in their lives.
Chapter 20 Summary: “Indya, Age Twenty-One”
Indya was 21 and West was 23 when they laid together on a scratchy blanket in a rocky meadow. Despite the discomfort, it was a romantic moment and one in which they really connected. West talked about his plans to take over the ranch some day and rename it after the Haven family, and he admitted that he would be with Indya every day if he could. As usual, they both wished that they had more time together.
Chapters 15-20 Analysis
Indya remembers her first time having sex with West as a defining moment: She believed that she was meant to be with him, and that feeling has never fully left her. Their reignited connection, despite all the tensions between them, is both passionate and emotionally intense. West visits her to find out why she returned, leading to a night of playing cards and a kiss that reignites old feelings. The card game between Indya and West symbolizes both nostalgia and emotional connection. Playing poker, a game they used to enjoy as children, becomes a way to reconnect and momentarily escape the tensions surrounding them. Additionally, the name of the ranch holds deep significance. West had once suggested “Haven River” when he was 23, hoping to name it after his family. The name symbolizes his emotional attachment to the land and his desire for stability despite the turmoil it has endured, and it also comes to symbolize Indya’s understanding of this and her love for him.
West has always understood Indya deeply, recognizing her emotions even when she doesn’t voice them. They eventually have sex again, leading Indya to believe in the possibility of Renewal Through Second Chances, but West leaves before morning, leaving Indya questioning why she is so vulnerable around him. His absence in the morning suggests to her that this encounter has been just another of the “collisions on crossroads” that have defined their relationship over the years. Later, they share a night of raw honesty, discussing their pasts and the ranch, allowing West to truly know Indya for the first time. Their bond has only strengthened with time and with their increasing maturity. The novel’s sex scenes serve a purpose beyond physical intimacy, acting as moments of emotional revelation and vulnerability between Indya and West. They are narrated with depth and vivid emotional detail, emphasizing their deep connection rather than mere physical attraction: “His fingers skated over my skin. It was that worshipping touch I remembered from years and years ago” (167).
West initially struggles with Indya’s presence, constantly questioning why she bought the ranch and why she named it after his family; however, he slowly begins to see the changes as positive, realizing that Indya has the courage to make the difficult decisions that he and Curtis avoided. Curtis, by contrast, remains bitter and unwilling to adapt, neglecting his health and refusing to let go of past failures. Curtis’s resistance and his emotional disconnect create tension between him and his sons that carries on well into the future. As West’s perspective shifts, he challenges Curtis to acknowledge the necessity of change, stating, “Maybe all these changes were what this place needed. I’m man enough to admit that. Are you?” (157). Meanwhile, Indya and West’s conversations force them into Personal Growth Through Confrontation With the Past. West questions Indya about her divorce, while she demands answers about his decision to expand the ranch despite financial instability. Indya’s ability to move forward sets her apart from both West and Curtis, as she gives the ranch a second chance after its decline due to Curtis’s secrecy, Courtney’s scam, and the poor financial decisions that drove it to near ruin.
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