“I like being alone,” I say. “Honestly. Groups just aren’t my things. It’s actually fun not having friends.” I don’t know why I said that. It was supposed to be funny, but it sounds pathetic. Van’s face is more transparent even than mine. He doesn’t embarrass easily but he definitely looks annoyed. “I don’t think sarcasm suits you,” he says stiffly. I’m tired of talking about this. I stand up and stretch. “Have you ever seen Renegade?” I ask. “Who’s Renegade?” says Van. “A horse,” I say. “Come on.” Before Thea can move forward, she has to go back. Thea and her dad are always on the move, from one small Cariboo town to another, trying to leave behind the pain of the death of Thea’s mom. They never stay long enough in one place for Thea to make friends, but when her dad gets work renovating a guest ranch on Gumboot Lake, she dares to hope that their wandering days are over. At the ranch she makes friends with Van, a local boy, and works hard to build the trust of an abused horse named Renegade. When Thea unearths the decades-old story of a four-year-old girl who disappeared from the ranch and was never seen again, she enlists Van to help her solve the mystery. When some disturbing facts come to light, she finally starts to come to terms with the losses in her own life.