A modified version of posts.php from my Anchor theme: Manifesto. (https://github.com/daveis/manifesto-anchor-theme) This code will show the latest article - with just the image, heading, description, and read more link - on the homepage, posts page, and category pages.

posts.php

<?php theme_include('header'); ?>

<div class="content-bg">

		<section class="article-posts">
			
			<!-- Check for posts -->
			<?php if(has_posts()): ?>
					
					<!-- Show the full version of most recent post ->
					<?php posts(); ?>
					<article class="article-post">

						<!-- Does it have a featured image? Let's show it. -->
						<?php if(article_custom_field('featured-image')): ?>
						<div class="featured-image" style="background-image: url(<?php echo article_custom_field('featured-image', 'http://s13.postimg.org/w3p4tc5pz/article_img_default.jpg'); ?>);">
							<div class="overlay"></div>

								<?php if(article_custom_field('featured-image-credit')): ?>
								<div class="featured-image__credit"><?php echo article_custom_field('featured-image-credit'); ?></div>
								<?php endif; ?>

								<header class="post-header">
									<div class="container">
										<h1><?php echo article_title(); ?></h1>

										<div class="article-meta">
											<time class="article-meta__time" datetime="<?php echo date(DATE_W3C, article_time()); ?>"> <i class="fa fa-calendar"></i><?php echo relative_time(article_time()); ?></time>
											<!-- Maybe use this later?
											<span class="article-meta__author"><i class="fa fa-user"></i> by <?php echo article_author('real_name'); ?></span>
											-->
											<span class="article-meta__category"><i class="fa fa-folder-o"></i> in <a href="<?php echo article_category_url(); ?>"><?php echo article_category(); ?></a></span>
											<span class="article-meta__read-time"><i class="fa fa-clock-o"></i> Read Time: <?php echo dg_est_reading_time(); ?></span>
										</div>

										<?php if (article_description()): ?>
											<p class="lead"><?php echo article_description(); ?></p>
										<?php endif; ?>
										
										<a class="article-exceprt__readmore" href="<?php echo article_url(); ?>"> Read More &#8594;</a>
									</div>
								</header>
						</div>
						
						<!-- No featured image? Show just a text header -->
						<?php else: ?>
						<header class="post-header">
							<div class="container">
								<h1><?php echo article_title(); ?></h1>

								<div class="article-meta">
									<time class="article-meta__time" datetime="<?php echo date(DATE_W3C, article_time()); ?>"> <i class="fa fa-calendar"></i><?php echo relative_time(article_time()); ?></time>
									<!-- Maybe use this later?
									<span class="article-meta__author"><i class="fa fa-user"></i> by <?php echo article_author('real_name'); ?></span>
									-->
									<span class="article-meta__category"><i class="fa fa-folder-o"></i> in <a href="<?php echo article_category_url(); ?>"><?php echo article_category(); ?></a></span>
									<span class="article-meta__read-time"><i class="fa fa-clock-o"></i> Read Time: <?php echo dg_est_reading_time(); ?></span>
								</div>

								<?php if (article_description()): ?>
									<p class="lead"><?php echo article_description(); ?></p>
								<?php endif; ?>
								
								<a class="article-exceprt__readmore" href="<?php echo article_url(); ?>"> Read More &#8594;</a>
							</div>
						</header>
						<?php endif; ?>
						
					</article>
					
					<!-- A little line break between article and posts list -->
					<hr>
					
					<!-- look for the other posts, but only display titles and descriptions -->
					<?php while(posts()): ?>
						<article class="article-excerpt">
							<div class="container">
								
								<h2 class="article-excerpt__headline"><a class="dark" href="<?php echo article_url(); ?>"><?php echo article_title(); ?></a></h2>
								
								<div class="article-meta">
									<time class="article-meta__time" datetime="<?php echo date(DATE_W3C, article_time()); ?>"> <i class="fa fa-calendar"></i><?php echo relative_time(article_time()); ?></time>
									<!-- Maybe use this later?
									<span class="article-meta__author"><i class="fa fa-user"></i> by <?php echo article_author('real_name'); ?></span>
									-->
									<span class="article-meta__category"><i class="fa fa-folder-o"></i> in <a href="<?php echo article_category_url(); ?>"><?php echo article_category(); ?></a></span>
									<span class="article-meta__read-time"><i class="fa fa-clock-o"></i> Read Time: <?php echo dg_est_reading_time(); ?></span>
								</div>
								
								<?php if (article_description()): ?>
								<div class="article-excerpt__intro">
									<p><?php echo article_description(); ?><a class="article-exceprt__readmore" href="<?php echo article_url(); ?>"> Continue Reading &#8594;</a></p>
								</div>
								<?php endif; ?>

							</div>
						</article>
					<?php endwhile; ?>
					
					<?php if(has_pagination()): ?>
					<nav class="pagination container clearfix">
						<?php echo posts_prev('<i class="fa fa-chevron-circle-left"></i><span> older posts</span>', '<a><i class="fa fa-chevron-circle-left"></i><span> older posts</span></a>'); ?><?php echo posts_next('<span>newer posts </span><i class="fa fa-chevron-circle-right"></i>', '<a><span>newer posts </span><i class="fa fa-chevron-circle-right"></i></a>'); ?>
					</nav>
					<?php endif; ?>

			<?php else: ?>
			<div class="container">
				<p>Yeah, I haven't actually written anything yet.</p>
			</div>
			<?php endif; ?>
		</section>
		
</div>

<?php theme_include('footer'); ?>