That Summer by the Pond: A First Love Story

By Janice Bayne and HTJ Fiction Publications

A quiet Illinois summer was the last place Terry Brown expected to find anything that mattered. Sent away from Chicago to spend time on his grandfather's rural farm, he arrives uneasy, disconnected, and counting the days until he can leave. But the rhythm of the land has a way of working on him-through long afternoons spent repairing an old Camaro, early mornings of hard-earned labor, and still evenings by a shared pond that reflects more than just the sky.

When he meets Willow Bailey, everything begins to change. She is rooted where he feels lost-open where he is guarded, certain where he questions. What begins as chance encounters turns into something deeper, something neither of them fully understands but both begin to feel. As summer fades and the future pulls them in different directions, Terry must decide whether some things are worth the risk of not knowing how they'll end.

That Summer by the Pond: A First Love Story is a quiet, tender novella about growth, connection, and the kind of love that doesn't announce itself-it simply arrives, and changes everything.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GXZF3DH8
• ISBN13: 9798258191236
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 92 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.0" x 8.0"