Hope Landing - 12 hours before Chapter 1
Finn eased out of the diner's glow and let the cool night wrap around him like an old friend. Main Street was half-lit—enough illumination for families hanging bunting with more enthusiasm than skill, not enough for cameras to pick out a face that preferred anonymity.
He couldn't help but smile at the chaos. Hope Landing took its Fourth of July seriously, apparently.
He drifted past a truck full of teenagers decorating a flatbed with red-white-and-blue...