Benched

Max Montgomery was at the height of his career, playing the best hockey of his life, and lucky enough to have a starting spot on a team that was actually a contender for the Cup.

And one by one his friends were falling in love.

Love. Now that was a dirty four-letter word if he'd ever heard one.

Max had experienced love and all of its aftereffects and where had that gotten him?

Lonely, living in an apartment, and paying alimony to a woman who'd left him at the merest sign of a hiccup in their marriage.

His only bright spot was his son. Brayden had moved back in with him a few months ago, after his mother had taken off to God knew where. Max loved having him home, but with his son only seven and him on the road for forty-two games a year, they'd struggled. Still, they'd found a way to make it work.

But then Brayden threw Max a completely new curve ball.

He wanted Max to find a wife.

Max had been there, done that, got the...