One Golden Summer

Alice has spent years behind the lens, capturing other people’s stories while staying safely on the sidelines. As a photographer, she’s grown accustomed to observing life rather than living it—but lately, the quiet ache for something more has become impossible to ignore. When her grandmother Nan suffers a fall, Alice seizes the chance to return to the magical lakeside cottage in Barry’s Bay where she spent one transformative summer at seventeen, hoping the familiar rhythms of the water and pines might reignite her spirit.

The peace she seeks is shattered the moment a yellow speedboat roars across the lake, piloted by none other than Charlie Florek—the same boy she once photographed from afar, now all grown up with a disarming smile and a knack for making Nan laugh. Charlie’s easy charm and sun-warmed presence pull Alice into days filled with lazy afternoons and starlit evenings, slowly chipping away at the walls she’s built around her heart. For the first time in years, she’s not just watching life happen; she’s feeling it, deeply and dangerously.

Nan’s cottage becomes the heart of this summer, a place where laughter echoes off the porch and the phrase “good things happen at the lake” takes on new meaning. Through Charlie’s unwavering attention—how he truly sees her, listens to her silences, and offers help before she can ask—Alice begins to question everything she thought she knew about independence and love. Nan, with her wisdom and warmth, reminds them both that healing isn’t a solo journey, and that some connections are worth the risk of being vulnerable.

As the season unfolds, Alice’s camera, once a shield, becomes a tool to rediscover her own joy in creation. She learns that photography isn’t just about capturing moments for others—it’s about framing her own place in the world. With Charlie by her side, she confronts the fear that’s held her back, realizing that asking for help isn’t weakness but the bravest step toward belonging. The lake, with its ever-changing light and quiet constancy, mirrors her transformation: messy, beautiful, and utterly real.

Carley Fortune wraps readers in the golden haze of a perfect summer—where the scent of pine mingles with sunscreen, the water holds secrets, and every sunset feels like a promise. This is a story about second chances, the quiet magic of being truly known, and the courage it takes to step out of the shadows and into the light. No grand gestures, just the steady pulse of connection that reminds us we’re never as alone as we think.