STANDALONE STORIES
Chompy the Gator: Making Wishes Come True Since 1966
Sunshine State University senior Bryce Tanner has never considered himself a superstitious guy. So, when he grabs one of the coveted Chompy the Gator souvenir bath toys during the annual Gator Dash, he doesn’t think much of it. Legend has it that the seniors who manage to get their hands on their own little Chompy will spend the rest of the year cruising on Easy Street. Any wish they make, their little gators will grant. Bryce can’t deny that having a touch of good fortune wouldn’t be such a bad thing. But then, just after he decides to get into the spirit of the tradition and make a wish or two…tragedy strikes. Is Bryce bringing bad luck on himself and everyone he knows? Is Chompy the Gator to blame for granting all those wishes?
Participating in this baking competition could change her life. But how much more change can Bailey really take?
The holidays used to be the happiest time of year for Bailey Rizczech. She and her older sister, Audrey, allowed themselves to get carried away each season, spending time baking cookies, watching old movies, and serving delightful delicacies to their friends and customers who patronized their bake shop, Day of Fun. But after losing Audrey to a six-year long struggle against cancer, Bailey is facing this holiday season, for the first time in her life, all on her own. She mostly just wants to coast through the holiday, doing her job, remembering, and honoring her sister by keeping the bakery running. But then, the Rockobee brothers appear on her doorstep, hoping to convince her to become a contestant on a televised baking competition.
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Dillon Rockobee is stuck in a tough situation. Ages ago, when his grandma and grandpop decided to give their bakery to him and his older brother, Mikey, it seemed like they were making a prudent decision. Mikey had a head for business and knew just how to charm the customers. But Dillon was an expert baker. His cakes were scrumptious and beautifully decorated, a recipe that was certain to guarantee lasting success. But when Mikey got it into his head that he wanted to expand the family brand and sell their goods nationwide, Dillon wouldn’t agree to compromise on taste and quality for the sake of earning a few extra dollars. So, the brothers parted ways, keeping equal shares of the company, and agreeing not to encroach on each other’s turf. That plan worked rather well until suddenly Mikey came back to their hometown of Sunshine, hoping to goad his brother into being a contestant on a baking show. Dillon isn’t sure what to do. He wants to take the challenge and prove once and for all that he’s the one with the real baking prowess, but he also doesn’t want Bailey to become a pawn in whatever game Mikey is really playing.
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Do Dillon and Bailey agree to participate in the baking show? Can they trust Mikey not to rig the whole thing? And what happens when both Rockobee brothers show an intense interest in Bailey? Are they just flirting as a way to play the game and excite the audience? Or are there real feelings there?
There’s only one question no gentleman has ever dared ask her before. Will he be the first?
Caroline Bingley has resigned herself to a life of spinsterhood. At the age of one and thirty, she is content to live with her brother and help him raise his family. She fell in love once, many years ago, but has long since given up the hope of finding a gentleman who is her match—a person who is her true equal in every way.
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Jasper Soulden has always adapted easily to his environment. He is a jubilant, comedic playactor who loves the theatre, but must leave his work to better provide for his ailing mother and younger sisters. It is with a heavy heart that Jasper bids adieu to the stage and begins his life anew as Mr. Charles Bingley’s valet.
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When Caroline and Jasper bump into each other, she is dazzled by his smile and charms, but quickly realizes he is a penny stinkard and worth no more of her time. But when he turns up at Harker House, the Bingley family’s London residence, she finds herself drawn in by his playful impishness.
Will Caroline allow her sense of propriety to falter so that she might learn to love and appreciate Jasper? And will he see through her air of disdain so he might be granted the privilege of getting to know the real Miss Caroline Bingley?
He’s guilty and they know it.
When Lydia Wickham is struck down in the middle of the day, everyone turns to her husband, George Wickham, for answers, but he has nothing to tell them. He has no idea what happened to his wife.
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The task of investigating the matter falls to Kitty, Lydia’s sister, and Mr. Andrew Selkirk, a neighbor who is recuperating from an injury sustained while working as a member of the Bow Street Horse Patrol. Is George Wickham as innocent as he claims? Or did he hurt his wife and hope to get away with it?