Hot Flashes and Hockey Slashes by Marika Ray

He’s a hot, shirtless hockey player…and he’s my fake date for my ex-husband’s wedding. Talk about a hot flash to beat all hot flashes.

The wedding bells are ringing and my ex-husband is the groom! When my grown kids hook me up with a fake date to my ex-hubby’s tropical island nuptials, I expect sun, sand, and plenty of fruity cocktails – not steamy nights with a shirtless pro hockey player!
Roman might be all swagger on the ice, but this growly, egotistical male model of perfection has a soft side too. While I battle dresses made for twenty-somethings, awkward run-ins with my ex, and unwelcome hot flashes, Roman is there to distract me with flirty compliments, stay up late with me when I can’t sleep, and make me feel vibrant and ageless.

As good as it feels, none of this is real, and Roman is way out of my league. Who’s going to believe this gorgeous, famous, muscle-bound athlete would ever date a scatterbrained, hot-flashing, insomniac nerd with twenty stubborn extra pounds around the middle?
But as the big day approaches, we grow closer. Wedding activities lead to beach walks at sunset, and his oh-so-talented fingers twist my hormones up in a whole new way. Gazing into Roman’s eyes, I start to wonder if he could be my shot at a real happily ever after.

That’s the thing about vacations, though; at some point, you need to return to reality.