Chapter 1Noah knew he hadn’t been gone long enough to see any real changes, but he was still surprised when he drove into town and everything was exactly the same. The Welcome to Mountain View sign was slightly more faded, and the light board advertising that night’s football game seemed to be half burnt-out, but those were the only things he noticed right away. The streets were mostly empty, the sidewalks covered in a light dusting of snow. The gray afternoon light reflected off the storefronts and into his eyes, forcing him to slow down.
He knew that if he cruised over to the high school, the small lot would be full of battered pick-ups, the football team would be practicing on the muddy, slushy field, and the drive-in next door would be packed with kids buying shakes and chicken basket
