As the deuteragonist of the story, Rodeo Sunrise is Coyote’s father and her only surviving family member. His journey through grief and healing is central to the novel and to Coyote’s own journey. A deeply complex character, he is portrayed as a loving but imperfect parent who has struggled for years to cope with the loss of his wife and his other two daughters. After the car accident that claimed their lives, he chose to adopt a transient lifestyle on the road, thereby avoiding anything that might force him to confront his grief. This avoidance shaped both his life and Coyote’s upbringing as the two developed an unhealthily codependent relationship.

By the time the sequel begins, Rodeo has started to change. He is no longer running from his grief and is beginning to accept the past with the help of counselling and his daughter. This shift is evident in his willingness to scatter his wife’s ashes, which he had previously been unable to do. Coyote reflects on her father’s quirks with both honesty and compassion, disjointedly musing:

My dad who was very far from perfect but who just wanted everyone to be happy. My dad who always tried to treat every soul he met with kindness and had taught me to do the same. My dad who had spent the last six years trying not to be sad. And failing, a lot. My dad who had just, finally maybe, actually started moving on. Who had, finally maybe, made a friend that wasn’t his weirdo daughter (183).

This quote exemplifies both his flaws and his growth and shows how deeply Coyote understands him, even as she struggles to accept Candace’s presence in her father’s life.

Rodeo’s kindness can be seen in his habit of inviting strangers into the bus, and he demonstrates a fundamental belief in the goodness of people and the importance of human connection. This openness contradicts his emotional avoidance in his personal life, but he deals with this contradiction by never staying attached for long. However, in his newfound romance with Candace, Rodeo is finally allowing himself to move on and find new possibilities for happiness. His choice represents the idea that healing is a central part of Appreciating the Journey of life. Rodeo is far from perfect, but he is trying to improve, and that effort defines his character. His journey parallels Coyote’s, as both father and daughter must learn to let go of the past even as they continue to cherish their love for their lost family members.

As Rodeo’s new love interest, Candace initially represents an unwanted, invasive presence in Coyote’s life, as the girl is not ready to accept the idea that her father needs to make new connections after the death of his wife. From the moment Candace is introduced, Coyote is suspicious and resentful of her, largely because Candace represents change. Coyote’s resistance illustrates The Past’s Hold on the Present, for she begins seeing anything or anyone new as a threat to what little stability there is in her life. In Coyote’s mind, Candace’s growing relationship with Rodeo threatens the exclusive bond that Coyote has relied on since the loss of her mother and sisters. As a result, the girl judges Candace harshly and focuses on superficial details such as her preferences and habits; however, the narrative makes it clear that these patterns reflect Coyote’s defensiveness, not the truth of Candace’s actual character.

In contrast to Coyote’s emotional and impulsive nature, Candace is practical and organized, preferring planning over spontaneity and seeking out forms of stability. For example, she criticizes the long bus ride and expresses trepidation over picking up strangers like Wally, and Coyote finds Candace’s caution offensive. However, despite these conflicts, Candace is consistently shown to be kind and understanding—even when she suspects Coyote of lying, and even when Coyote expresses unreasoning anger toward her. When Coyote eventually reveals the truth about the lost book and apologizes for her misbehavior, Candace responds with empathy, compelling Coyote to realize that she should no longer hold her father back from finding happiness with another romance. Candace’s presence in the story challenges Coyote to confront her fears of being replaced and to adopt greater emotional maturity.

Salvador is Coyote’s closest friend and a source of comfort for her. While Coyote meets many people only once in her life, Salvador becomes a steady presence that promises loyalty and a lifelong friendship. He represents a source of stability and consistency in Coyote’s chaotic life, but he also shares Coyote’s sense of Appreciating the Journey. Their friendship began in The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, and in this story, their bond continues to grow as they take risks and find a new sense of maturity. Salvador is honest and often acts as the voice of reason when Coyote becomes overwhelmed, but he is also by her side whenever she gets into trouble.

One of Salvador’s key roles is to challenge Coyote when she avoids the truth. He encourages her to tell Rodeo about the lost book and points out the fact that she has failed to put effort into their friendship. His honesty is especially important because most people in Coyote’s life tend to accommodate her rather than confronting her about her flaws. At the same time, he is compassionate and supportive, and stays by her side during difficult moments, such as when she cries over her mother’s ashes. His presence allows Coyote to express a level of vulnerability that she hides around others.

Salvador also represents growth and change, which creates tension in his relationship with Coyote. He has begun to develop a life outside of their friendship by making other friends at school and finding a girlfriend. This shift makes Coyote feel left behind, and her reaction demonstrates her fear of change. Despite these difficulties, Salvador reassures her of his loyalty and reminds her that growing up does not mean growing apart.

Wally enters the story as a chance encounter during Coyote and Rodeo’s journey. He is introduced in Colorado when the group spots him sitting outside in the rain alone. Rodeo invites him to join the journey, as he and Coyote and Rodeo have been known to do for others during their travels. Once aboard the bus, Wally quickly becomes part of the “family,” getting along well with Coyote. As the events of the novel demonstrate, Wally experiences discrimination because of his Asian American features. For example, when he enters a convenience store, the owner immediately tells him to leave. Wally’s experience in this moment is designed to represent the prejudices that many real-life Asian Americans encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic; many people adopted racist attitudes toward people of Asian heritage, misguidedly seeing them as a “threat” because of the virus’s origins in China.

In the novel, Wally points out that because people are terrified of the pandemic, their fear is often expressed as hatred; however, neither Coyote nor Rodeo see this explanation as an excuse for the store owner’s racist behavior. Coyote, who froze in terror during the encounter, wishes that she had stood up for Wally, and she makes it up to him by offering him his favorite sandwich.