Crossroads

West wonders whether Indya is right about her being the only one who can fix the ranch. He goes to Jax’s cabin and bangs until Jax opens the door. West tells Jax that he needs to get back to work and start doing guided tours again, and Jax resists, not wanting to work for Indya. He repeats Deb’s comment about Indya being a “bitch,” and West warns Jax never to speak about Indya in that way. Jax wonders why West has changed his mind, and West knows that he’s really doing it for Indya but deflects and says that it’s about staying connected to the ranch.

West goes to his father’s house next, where he finds Curtis inebriated and his place in shambles. West worries about his father’s mental state but is frustrated by Curtis’s indifference toward losing the ranch. He demands that his father help with the cattle, whether he wants to or not, and urges him to stop drinking for the day. Curtis tells West that some of the money from the sale of the ranch will go to West and Jax. The thought of the money only matters to West because it means that he might be able to buy back the ranch.

When West finds out that Indya hired a man named Jonathan to remodel the cabins, he goes over to her place to tell her that Jonathan has been known to harass West’s mother. Indya promises to hire someone else, and West stares at her in her nightgown. Unable to resist any longer, he moves in for a kiss, and the moment takes him back to all their previous encounters. West starts to think about following Indya inside, but after the kiss, she pulls away and slams the door.

At age 13, Indya and her family returned to the ranch for another summer vacation. Indya had been feeling out of place at school lately, as her “tomboy” personality and lack of interest in boys was separating her from her peers and making her mother wonder about her sexuality and gender identity. When Indya finally found West at the ranch after a few days of not seeing him, she found him with a girl his age. Indya watched as West and the girl kissed and then snuck away, hoping not to be seen. Seeing West with another girl made Indya feel uncomfortable, but she wasn’t entirely sure why. When West came up to her later with some cards to play poker, Indya asked about the girl, and all West would say was that her name was Vanessa.

Indya is thinking about her plans for the ranch when West walks into the office. Suddenly, all Indya can think about is the kiss the night before. She stares at his lips as they talk about the ranch and its progress. Later, Indya overhears Deb and a temporary co-worker complaining about the job and gossiping about whether Indya and West are seeing each other. Indya feels certain that she wants to fire Deb, but she needs to wait until she finds a replacement. When she catches Deb taking a carton of eggs out of the kitchen for her own personal use, Deb looks embarrassed and quickly puts them back. The chef manages to create some vegetarian menu options—one of the few things going according to plan. Outside, Indya sees West with Vanessa, and memories of them together as teenagers come flooding back. He puts his arm around her, and Indya wonders if they’re together. She starts to become more eager than ever to leave Montana behind.

West looks out over the land and thinks about how it has been both a blessing and a curse for him and his family. He had dreams of starting a life here, and sometimes those dreams even included Indya, but now he has no idea what to do or expect. He thinks about the possibility of leaving, particularly if Indya never sells him the ranch.

West goes to talk to Jax and apologize for being harsh with him the day before, but he ends up blowing up at him again when Jax asks West if he’s sleeping with Indya. West also finds out from the sheriff that his old girlfriend Courtney is back in town. Afterward, he goes to see Indya at her cabin but can’t find her. Instead, he finds her sitting outside his house, crying.

Indya refuses to admit that she was crying and asks West about Vanessa. He explains that she’s an old friend with two kids and a husband and that she’s only here because her husband is the new contractor. Hearing this is a relief to Indya, and soon she and West lock eyes. They embrace for a long, intense kiss, followed by passionate sex. Everything unfolds exactly as it did years before, and the passion between them is undeniable. When it’s over, Indya frantically grabs her clothes and leaves without much of a word, leaving West confused and unsettled.

Indya came to the ranch with her parents at 16, and it was during this time that her father’s cancer returned. Indya was upset and told not to cry, so she ran off to cry on her own. That was when West found her and took her for a ride in his truck. Being around West helped Indya feel calm. West started flirting with Indya and tried to cheer her up by tickling her. The flirting led to a kiss, which made Indya feel an intense emotion that no other boy had ever inspired in her. She and West spent much of that week together, getting to know one another in a different way.

Indya waits nervously for the meeting she called with West and Jax. She hasn’t spoken to West much since their romantic encounter, and she has no idea what he’s thinking or feeling. To pass the time, Indya goes to see how the work on the cabins is going and is impressed when she finds them looking new but with more character than before. When the meeting time finally arrives, Indya shows West and Jax the new ranch website and name, and Jax feels offended that Indya would rename it at all. West says nothing, but after Jax leaves, Indya asks West if he likes the new name, and he says yes. Indya named the ranch for West, and the relief she feels in hearing his approval is overwhelming.