51 pages • 1 hour read
Liz TomfordeMile High (Windy City, #1)
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 16-27Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 16 Summary: “Stevie”
Stevie and Zanders go back to Zanders’s hotel room and have sex. During the encounter, Stevie feels uncomfortable at first, but when she realizes that Zanders has never once judged her body, she starts to feel better and enjoys the experience.
Chapter 17 Summary: “Zanders”
During sex, Zanders notices that Stevie feels uncomfortable about her body, so he tells her how beautiful she is and how much he wants her. Throughout the encounter, Zanders finds himself doing things that he doesn’t normally do with women. Afterwards, he realizes that he enjoyed the experience “more than [he] should have” (137). He is surprised when Stevie immediately starts getting dressed. He finds himself begging her to stay. When he walks her to the door, he accidentally locks himself out, and Maddison finds him naked in the hall.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Stevie”
Back at home, Stevie wakes up feeling as if last night was a mistake. She enjoyed sleeping with Zanders but fears that she will never have such good sex again, given that she and Zanders agreed that the encounter would be a one-time thing. On the plane, Indy immediately realizes that Stevie had sex and gets excited when she intuits that Stevie slept with Zanders. Throughout the flight, Stevie tries to act normally whenever she has to interact with Zanders.
Chapter 19 Summary: “Stevie”
Back in Chicago, Stevie volunteers at SDOC. She talks to Rosie, a five-year-old Doberman that she wishes someone would adopt. She also chats with Cheryl, the rescue owner. Cheryl started SDOC with her late husband, but the rescue has been struggling because they don’t charge much for adoptions and the rent is high. Stevie wishes that she could adopt Rosie, but Ryan is allergic.
After her shift, Stevie discovers an online picture of Zanders with a new woman. She tells herself that she isn’t jealous. Back home, she finds an envelope taped to the door. It’s a note from the Maddisons, asking her and Ryan to participate in their building’s trick-or-treating on behalf of their daughter. That evening, Logan, Maddison, Ella, and Zanders drop by in costume. Stevie teases Zanders for wearing a princess costume, but she secretly wonders if this kinder version of him is his authentic self. Zanders tells her that he lives across the street and promises that he’ll see her around the neighborhood.
Chapter 20 Summary: “Zanders”
Zanders has a therapy session with Eddie. They talk about hockey and family. Eddie pushes Zanders to talk about his mom and his lingering frustration with his dad. Zanders argues that no one loves him and that no one will appreciate who he really is. Finally, he admits that he wants to be loved but is too scared to commit. Eddie challenges him to show his real self to at least one person. If the person doesn’t accept Zanders for who he is, Eddie will “double [his] donation to Active Minds” (158).
Outside, Zanders spots Stevie, who is crying. She reveals that a dog at the shelter just died and explains her work with SDOC. Then she invites him in and introduces him to the dogs, including Rosie. Zanders realizes that he has never seen Stevie looking so happy. Rosie likes Zander, and Stevie tells him that this is what love feels like.
Chapter 21 Summary: “Stevie”
Stevie doesn’t see much of Zanders in November and December because of the Raptors’ schedule. However, when she saw him on Halloween and at the shelter, she felt even more attracted to him.
On Christmas, Stevie’s family attends Ryan’s game and returns to Ryan’s penthouse afterwards. The dynamic is tense, and Ryan doesn’t notice how unkind their mom is to Stevie. Stevie goes into her room to change and opens a present that she received earlier in the day. The gift is from Zanders; he has given her several pairs of designer sweatpants in different sizes. Thrilled, she changes into a pair and rejoins her family. However, the conversation becomes more tense when the topic of Stevie and Brett’s relationship resurfaces. Frustrated, Stevie grabs two beers and leaves.
Chapter 22 Summary: “Zanders”
Zanders celebrates Christmas at his house with his sister, Lindsey, and their dad. Zanders hasn’t talked to his dad recently and has a hard time being friendly. When Lindsey takes a call, Zanders gets into an argument with his dad, accusing him of abandoning him as a kid. Frustrated, he leaves and runs into Stevie in the hall. She thanks him for the sweatpants, and they sit in the hall, drinking beer and talking about their familial frustrations. They encourage each other and admit how much they enjoy talking together.
Chapter 23 Summary: “Zanders”
Rich scolds Zanders for leaving the arena alone after another game. Zanders hasn’t seen anyone since he met Stevie, but he can’t tell Rich why. Rich insists that Chicago won’t re-sign Zanders if he doesn’t maintain his bad-boy image. Afterwards, Zanders and Maddison discuss the issue.
The team takes a flight on New Year’s Day. On the plane, Zanders asks Stevie if she’ll go to the Active Minds gala with him. She explains that she’s already going with Ryan. Zanders is glad that she’ll be there and that he won’t have to compromise his public persona. At midnight, Zanders sneaks into the back of the plane, and he and Stevie kiss. Zanders is shocked by how much he enjoys the experience; he normally doesn’t kiss women.
Chapter 24 Summary: “Stevie”
Stevie and Ryan attend the gala together. Stevie is preoccupied by her thoughts about Zanders. She doesn’t know what’s happening between them, but she enjoys being around him. Then she runs into Brett. She tries to get away from him, but Brett won’t listen, and finally, Zanders intercedes. Then Zanders and Maddison make a toast on stage. Stevie is shocked to learn that Zanders runs the charity with Maddison. Logan explains that Zanders isn’t who everyone thinks he is. Stevie doesn’t understand why he hides this more authentic version of himself.
Chapter 25 Summary: “Zanders”
Zanders chats with Stevie, who asks why he hides his real self from the world. Zanders tries to explain. They also talk about Brett, and Stevie explains what happened between them. Then Ryan notices Stevie and Zanders together. Ryan takes Zanders aside and warns him about embarrassing Stevie with his reputation. Zanders promises not to and suggests that Ryan keep Brett away from Stevie. Afterwards, Zanders and Stevie dance the last dance together. Zanders asks Stevie to go on a date with him, but she dodges the question and disappears after the song.
Chapter 26 Summary: “Zanders”
Zanders plays poorly in his next game and gets into a fight on the ice. He feels confused about Stevie and can’t focus. Afterwards, Logan confronts him about his behavior. They talk about relationships and love. Logan realizes that Zanders really likes Stevie and encourages him to show her who he really is.
A few days later, Zanders visits the Maddisons and asks to take Ella to SDOC. He wants to adopt a dog, but he wants to make sure that the dog is comfortable around Ella first. His friends tease him about being in love with Stevie.
Chapter 27 Summary: “Stevie”
Stevie is shocked when Zanders and Ella come to the shelter, and she is even more surprised when Zanders reveals that he will adopt Rosie, whom he’s been visiting regularly. When he writes Cheryl the check, he gives her $50,000 instead of $50, insisting that she take the money as a donation. Afterwards, he puts his number in Stevie’s phone so that they can work out a home visit before finalizing the adoption.
Chapters 16-27 Analysis
Zanders and Stevie’s developing relationship furthers the novel’s exploration of The Transformative Power of Love, for many early details hint that this new connection is more than just a frivolous fling for them. The more time that they spend together in different contexts, the more they reveal their authentic interests to one another, and these mutual glimpses into each other’s private lives provide new fuel for their burgeoning romance and make them realize that they just might be a good fit for one another. Additionally, their first sexual encounter marks a distinct turning point in their relationship and ushers their dynamic into the private domain. By daring to connect with one another on such an intimate, physical level, they both realize that there are new depths to their interest that transcend the physical; although their night together is only supposed to be a one-time thing, both Zanders and Stevie feel that this encounter is far more meaningful than those they have experienced with other partners in the past, and this realization sparks the true beginning of their inner transformations.
For Stevie, being with Zanders makes her realize that he’s the first person who’s “never made [her] feel self-conscious” and that she’s “the only person worrying” (127) about her body. Zanders makes her feel comfortable and cherished, and his approach makes her realize that she needs to treat herself the same way rather than internally criticizing her physical appearance. Likewise, Zanders realizes that he likes the unique version of intimacy that he experiences with Stevie; for example, he usually doesn’t enjoy eye contact or kissing, but he finds himself enjoying both with Stevie. Thus, the author takes a fairly conventional plot point in most romance novels—the protagonists’ first mutual sexual encounter—and uses it to further the story’s meaningful themes about internal growth and self-esteem.
In the wake of this initial sexual encounter, Zanders’s and Stevie’s opinions of themselves and each other begin to evolve. Their unexpectedly “wild unspoken connection” (140) accelerates their individual development as well. For example, Stevie begins to wonder if she can engage in a new sort of intimate relationship despite all the hurt she endured from Brett in the past. Her sexual connection with Zanders also makes her consider that she might be able to achieve a new level of confidence and pride in her physical appearance, silencing her trauma-born inner critic on this point. Similarly, Zanders finds himself redefining his views on sexual relationships and changing his notions about what he truly wants from a relationship. In this way, his encounter with Stevie does what all of Maddison’s scolding has not, and he finally begins to reconsider his approach to his public persona as well.
Throughout this section of the novel, Zanders and Stevie’s interactions progressively tighten their unexpected bond, and to this end, the author also employs the common romance trope of forced proximity, for the protagonists’ coincidentally convenient living arrangements in the same general area precipitate many chance meetings that further their connection. For example, their conversation about the frustrations of the Christmas holiday captures the similarities between their traumatic pasts and their familial problems, and when they share their trauma with each other, they learn how powerful and transformative it can be to open up to another person. Both Zanders and Stevie want to be loved, but in the past, they were never able to find the affirming and supportive romantic relationships that they needed. With each other, however, they feel safe, and this new connection provides them with the confidence to pursue the possibility of emotional intimacy as well as physical closeness, once again demonstrating The Transformative Power of Love.
While the characters’ private interactions do much to develop their connection, they still struggle to navigate The Tension Between Public and Private Personas. The author therefore designs the scenes at the Active Minds gala and at the dog rescue to complicate the protagonists’ understanding of themselves and each other, even as their mutual interests continue to draw them together. At the gala, for example, Stevie’s encounter with Brett makes her realize that “[n]o piece of [her] wants to be with him now” because of how he “messed with [her] self-worth” in the past (203). This private revelation captures Stevie’s desire to grow and change and to find new relationships that make her feel “worthy of being chosen” (203). Meanwhile, Stevie also learns new things about Zanders at the gala when she discovers that he and Maddison co-founded the Active Minds charity. With this revelation, she finally begins to understand why she has felt so connected to Zanders, for although she previously believed that his personality was the antithesis to her own, his clear interest in activism dovetails with her own commitment to animal rescue, suggesting that both characters are equally civic-minded in different ways. As Logan explains to Stevie, Zanders “loves hard and cares about his people” (212). At the gala, Stevie finally gets to appreciate a new side of Zander—one that she only glimpsed on the night of Halloween. She now begins to understand that Zanders is hiding his true self from the world and that he is struggling to reconcile his public and private personas.
Significantly, the scenes at SDOC further reinforce Zanders’s positive character traits. At the dog rescue, Stevie discovers that Zanders is genuinely interested in her life and also cares deeply about the animals that she has grown to love. When he brings his niece to the rescue and offers Cheryl a generous monetary donation, these actions contrast with his tough-guy hockey façade and intrigue Stevie. As both characters dare to reach out to one another, they strive to become more confident and caring people on one another’s behalf. However, because they are still trying to balance various versions of themselves and work through their past traumas, several crucial conflicts remain to be resolved before their private relationship and their public lives begin to mesh.
