His Alaskan Redemption: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance


 
 
 
 “I’ll do whatever I can to help...”
 Gus smiled weakly through his pain. “I’m here for you.”
 Mia looked away, flustered by his kindness.
 He winced as he shifted in his chair.
 “You need to lie down.” She stood and started clearing the table. “When did you take your last dose of medication?”
 “I’m supposed to wait another hour,” he grunted.
 “I’ve got to get going. I need to get over to the clinic. Will you be okay by yourself for a little while?”
 “Yep.”
 “I’ll help you get back to the couch.” She put the dishes and cups in the sink, then morphed into caretaker mode.
 It was easier that way. Then she didn’t have to think about how Gus and Abner had been closer than brothers. Or how these complicated feelings for her late fiancé’s best friend were clouding her judgment. Falling for Gus was not an option.
 Because if she wasn’t careful, those piercing blue eyes and his calming presence would just keep reeling her in. And she wouldn’t allow herself to love another man who might surrender his life to the sea...
 
 
 Heidi McCahan is a Pacific Northwest girl at heart, but now resides in North Carolina with her husband and three boys. When she isn’t writing inspirational romance novels, Heidi can usually be found reading a book, enjoying a cup of coffee and avoiding the laundry pile. She’s also a huge fan of dark chocolate and her adorable goldendoodle, Finn. She enjoys connecting with readers, so please visit her website, heidimccahan.com.
 Books by Heidi McCahan
 Love Inspired
 Home to Hearts Bay
 An Alaskan Secret 
 The Twins’ Alaskan Adventure
 His Alaskan Redemption
 The Firefighter’s Twins
 Their Baby Blessing
 An Unexpected Arrangement
 The Bull Rider’s Fresh Start
 Visit the Author Profile page at LoveInspired.com.
 
 
 HIS ALASKAN REDEMPTION
 Heidi McCahan
 
 
 
 When thou passest through the waters,I will be with thee; and through the rivers,they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
 —Isaiah 43:2 
 
 
 For my sweet friend Anna—you are one of the best people I know. Thank you for encouraging me and cheering me on as I chase a big dream. 
 
 
 Contents
 Chapter One
 Chapter Two
 Chapter Three
 Chapter Four
 Chapter Five
 Chapter Six
 Chapter Seven
 Chapter Eight
 Chapter Nine
 Chapter Ten
 Chapter Eleven
 Chapter Twelve
 Chapter Thirteen
 Chapter Fourteen
 Epilogue
 Dear Reader
 Excerpt from The Bronc Rider’s Twins by Danica Favorite
 
 
 Chapter One
 Mia Madden rarely second-guessed her decisions.
 Raised on an island in the middle of an unforgiving ocean, she’d learned to adapt to severe weather, grounded flights, even delayed package deliveries. Living in Hearts Bay, Alaska, often required embracing a Plan B. Despite the obstacles and harsh elements of island living, she thrived in her role as a physician assistant. Nothing brought her more satisfaction than responding to illnesses, acute injuries and even life-threatening emergencies.
 Until tonight.
 Tonight, she wished she’d silenced her phone. Or left the thing charging on the kitchen counter, instead of falling asleep with it lying on the mattress beside her. She blamed the late-night internet sleuthing. Ever since her mother’s health had rapidly declined last summer, Mia had embarked on a desperate quest to find a viable treatment. The specialist they’d visited in Seattle had recommended a bone-marrow transplant as the best option to combat the aplastic anemia.
 Mom had insisted they take a break from searching for a donor and focus on the holidays, but Mia hadn’t backed off. They didn’t have the luxury of slowing down. How was she supposed to sit back and do nothing when Mom was battling fatigue and frequent infections? Mia had done enough research to know that if the condition wasn’t treated effectively, heart failure was a real possibility.
 And they couldn’t lose Mom. Her family had suffered enough loss already.
 Finding a donor wasn’t the only challenge keeping Mia awake at night. Someone she’d never met, Lexi Thomas, had contacted her three weeks ago and insisted they’d been switched at birth. How was it possible? Did her parents know? She hadn’t worked up the courage to ask them. The notion that she might have a different family in a small town in Georgia wasn’t something she wanted to think about. It was too shocking. The kind of thing that only happened in a book or a movie. She couldn’t ignore Lexi forever, though. Other than acknowledging she’d received the message and needed time to process, Mia hadn’t initiated a follow-up conversation. The woman deserved an answer, and Mia felt a little sick admitting it, but they might need Lexi in the very near future.
 That was a dilemma to resolve another day. Tonight, her patients deserved her full attention.
 She trudged across the hospital’s dark parking lot, one gloved hand clutching the hood of her parka over her head as she hunched her shoulders against the blowing snow. When she’d answered Dr. Rasmussen’s midnight call a few minutes ago, the tremor in his voice had sent an uneasy feeling skittering down her spine. The man was a legend. Hearts Bay’s beloved physician of over thirty years. If he was overwhelmed, how in the world would she handle whatever waited inside the emergency room?
 Floodlights beside the building illuminated the bright orange Coast Guard Jayhawk sitting on the helipad, its rotors spinning. She averted her gaze then quickened her pace, determined not to let the sight of that stupid helicopter undo her. Almost four years had passed since her brother, Charlie, and her fiancé, Abner Rossi, passed away in a boating accident. She still couldn’t look at the rescue helicopter without thinking of that horrible day.
 Don’t. Not now.
 Revisiting those painful memories would only send her mentally to a place she couldn’t afford to go. Before she could swipe her employee badge, the automatic doors opened with