Tales Across Summer
The One Who Missed the Ferry
He missed the ferry. So did I. Eight days on an island with a stranger and a café that closes at six.
Reading time: 5 minSummer love stories
Summer does not ask permission. It walks in through the open window, stays on the skin as saltwater, and sometimes brings two people closer in a single day than they were in years.
The Tales Across Summer stories are about long evenings, plans that go wrong, and decisions made when the sea is blue and the ferry has already left. Some characters miss a boat, some find themselves on an island, and some simply decide not to return to the life they planned.
Each story can be read on its own. Reading time: around 4–5 minutes.
Stories in this collection
Tales Across Summer
The Parasol
Every parasol on the beach is taken, so she stops at the forty-second. Under it sits one man, with two empty chairs beside him.
Reading time: 5 min
Tales Across Summer
Before the Storm
The storm gathers over the far shore of the lake, and somebody is already in the boathouse: a woman with wet hair and a folded newspaper in her hand.
Reading time: 5 min
Tales Across Summer
The Longest Day
A summer novella. Ten years away. The fire on the hillside, and the man by it who once was mine.
Reading time: 5 min
Tales Across Summer
After the Fireworks
On the twentieth of August I lose my friends on the embankment, and during the fireworks a stranger asks me why I am looking at the water.
Reading time: 5 min Tales Across Summer
The Skating Hour
The pavilion rink is the only cold place in Marden during the heatwave. A man in a winter coat books the four o'clock session every day, pays in coins, and skates badly, always at the same end of the ice.
Reading time: 5 minFrequently asked questions
What stories can I find in this collection?
Romantic short stories about summer encounters, journeys, and decisions. Each one can be read independently.
How long does it take to read a story?
Most of the stories take around 4–5 minutes to read.
Are these stories for adults?
Yes. They are romantic, emotional stories told in a restrained tone.
How do they connect to the Strangers stories?
Summer often provides the stage for meetings with strangers, so some stories connect thematically with the Strangers collection.
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