The Other Side of Goodbye (Welcome to Redemption, Alaska #1)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

She had never forgotten the feeling of Redemption.

Tisha Binford slowed down as she cruised into town on a cold Saturday afternoon, pausing at the blinking caution light.

A green-and-white sign protruded from the snowbank, declaring that this small Alaskan town had won last year’s high school basketball championship.

Drumming her thumb on the steering wheel, she quickly surveyed her surroundings and braced for the onslaught of memories.

The same bank, gas station, motel, and gift shop claimed each of the intersection’s four corners.

As she picked up speed and headed down Main Street, Sadie, her seven-year-old daughter, squirmed in the passenger seat.

“Are we almost there?”

“We’re here. This is it.” Tisha smiled, then pointed through the windshield. “In a few minutes, we’ll drive up that hill over there, and then we’ll be at Grandma and Grandpa’s place.”

Sadie craned her neck. “Where’s their restaurant?”

“The café?” Tisha slowed to a crawl and gestured to a one-level building barely visible one block off Main. “Quick, peek down that street. It’s the blue one with the gray roof.”

Sadie twisted in her seat. “Where? I didn’t see it. Can we go back?”

Tisha hesitated. Oh, how she wanted out of this car.

It had been a long, tedious five-hour trek from Anchorage.

She wasn’t used to driving on snow-covered roads or traveling for several miles without passing another car.

Or gritting her teeth to keep from complaining about the playlist Sadie had curated and insisted they listen to on repeat.

“I’ll take you by tomorrow. Since I’ll be helping with the baking, you’ll spend plenty of time there.”

Too much time, probably. She tamped down the guilt already trying to rear its ugly head. A few minutes later, she turned onto Hillside Drive, wound her way around a curve, then pulled into her in-laws’ driveway and turned off the engine.

Sadie pointed. “Mama, look. The snow is almost as tall as their windows.”

“It sure is.” Tisha peered through the windshield at the snowbank. “Your grandpa has to use a special machine called a snowblower to clear the driveway. He zings the snow back into his own yard.”

“A snowblower?” Sadie giggled. “That’s funny. Can I see it?”

Tisha smiled, then reached across the center console and gently tugged on one of Sadie’s long braids. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to show you how it works.”

“Right now?”

“Let’s go inside and say hello first.”

Tisha unbuckled her seatbelt. “Come on, sweetie. You’re going to love it here.”

She climbed out of the car, the cold air biting at her cheeks as she slammed the door behind her.

After she gave the hood of the new-to-her SUV an appreciative pat, she zipped up her coat, shivering as a brittle January wind swirled across the driveway.

Though she and Chase had visited his parents in winter before, the sheer volume of snow blanketing everything gave her pause.

Are you out of your mind?

Her mother’s critical voice echoed in her head. Tisha pushed the thought aside and took Sadie’s hand.

“Wait. I need Ollie.” Sadie tugged free and turned back toward the car.

Tisha bit back an impatient sigh. Ollie the stuffed Orca whale Chase had given Sadie as a birthday gift—their last one together—went everywhere Sadie went.

“Ollie will be safe in the car for a few minutes. We’ll be right back to grab our things.”

Sadie tugged the car door open. “What if he gets scared being alone? This is a strange place.”

Hard to argue with that. Tisha jammed her hands into the pockets of her teal green puffy winter jacket, purchased exclusively for this grand adventure, and waited while Sadie collected her beloved stuffed animal from the front seat.

“Got him.” Sadie slammed the car door, then closed her eyes, tucked the black-and-white killer whale under her chin, and whispered something Tisha couldn’t hear.

A prayer? A pep talk? Who knew. Was it weird how much Sadie talked to her stuffed animals? Add that to her list of problems to worry about later.

“All right, Sadie and Ollie, here we go.” Tisha took Sadie’s hand in hers again and together they hurried up the freshly cleared driveway, the crunch of snow beneath their boots punctuating the silence of the winter landscape.

As they approached the one-level ranch house, painted a muted gray with crisp white trim, the door swung open before either of them could ring the bell.

“There’s my girls!” Melinda Binford stood in the doorway, her salt-and-pepper hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Her ice-blue sweater mirrored the color of her eyes, which crinkled at the corners with warm familiarity. Those eyes—Tisha’s heart pinched at the reminder of Chase.

“Hey, Melinda.” Tisha swallowed hard against the tightness in her throat as she stepped into her mother-in-law’s warm embrace. The comforting scent of detergent wafted in from the laundry room just off the entryway.

“I’m so glad you both are here.” Melinda’s soothing voice wrapped around her like a soft blanket.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my sweet Sadie!” Tom Binford joined them, adjusting his wire-framed glasses on the bridge of his nose. His hair, what remained of it, had turned completely white. Maybe grief had aged him too.

“Hi, Grandpa!” Sadie flung her arms around his waist. “We saw piles of snow taller than our car today.”

“How about that? Quite the change from North Carolina, isn’t it?” Tom patted Sadie’s shoulder, but his gaze shifted to Tisha, a flicker of empathy shining in his clean-shaven face.

“Hey, Tom.” She offered him a wobbly smile. Had she made the right decision? Moving in with the Binfords so she could keep Chase’s memory alive for Sadie wasn’t the worst life choice. But uprooting her daughter from everything she knew in North Carolina might be even harder than she’d expected.

“Welcome back.” Tom kept one hand on Sadie’s shoulder, then leaned over and gave Tisha’s cheek a quick peck. The tender gesture from a stern man who rarely expressed his emotions startled her.

Thankfully, Melinda didn’t miss a beat. “We’ve got the cabin all ready for you. Want to come inside for a snack or get settled first?”

“Oh, I love snacks.” Sadie hopped from one foot to the other, thrusting Ollie into the air.

Tisha reached down, tucking a strand of her daughter’s blonde hair behind her ear. “Let’s settle in, and then we can focus on food. Remember, you just had a snack in the car.”

“I know, but I’m hungry again,” Sadie said. “Ollie and I need more Goldfish crackers.”

Melinda chuckled and retrieved her coat from the hall closet. “Let’s go out to the cabin and I’ll show you, Ollie, and your mother where I put the groceries. I bet we can find something delicious. Tom, why don’t you grab their bags?”

“Absolutely.” Tom gestured to his slippers. “Let me change into my boots and grab my coat, then I’ll be right out.”

“Thank you so much for letting us stay with you,” Tisha said, leading the way outside. “This means a lot.”

“Of course.” Melinda pulled the door shut behind her. “We’re thrilled to have you, and when you’re ready, our café customers will be glad you’re here as well. We’ve had trouble keeping up with the demand for our baked goods since two of our employees up and quit before Christmas.”

“Sorry to hear that happened.” Tisha zipped her coat up to her chin. “I’m excited to get started.”

“Mama, did you pack my hat?” Sadie’s teeth chattered. “My ears are cold.”

“Let’s try this for now.” Melinda gently covered Sadie’s head with her coat’s hood. “We’re only going to be outside for a minute. Take my hand.”

Melinda offered her hand to Sadie, and the little girl eagerly threaded her fingers through her grandmother’s.

As they walked along the wide path Tom must’ve cleared with the snowblower, Tisha paused, looking up at the stunning sunset. The sky was awash in glorious shades of cotton-candy pink, casting a soft glow over the snow-covered landscape. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them back.

Melinda stopped walking and looked over her shoulder. “You coming, Tisha?”

She gave a quick nod because she didn’t trust herself to speak. Falling apart right now would scare Sadie.

“Everything all right?” Melinda asked, her gaze steady and concerned.

She hesitated, then cleared her throat. “Chase loved it when the sun hit the mountains like that.”

Melinda tipped her head to one side, her smile bittersweet. “He sure did.”

“Are you talking about my daddy?” Sadie chimed in, looking between Melinda and Tisha.

“We are. We talk about him all the time, don’t we?” Tisha pointed to the snowcapped mountains that ringed the small coastal community. “Your daddy loved that pink light on the mountains. It was his favorite.”

“Grandma, can you tell me about his other favorites?”

Melinda winced, then turned toward the cabin. “You bet. Let’s start with this cute little place back here. Your daddy loved to stay here when he came to visit.”

The Craftsman-style bungalow tucked against the tall spruce trees at the back of the Binfords’ property had the same gray and white paint as the main house.

Lamplight spilled through the curtains hanging in both of the square windows flanked with white shutters.

When they climbed the three wide steps, Tisha took Sadie’s hand as Melinda pushed open the door.

The scent of pine mingled with something sweet and warm in the air.

“I brought fresh towels out here earlier. We had the place all fixed up for Jennifer, but then she surprised us and took that job in Wyoming, so now it’s all yours.”

“I hate that she’s not here. I bet you miss her, but it’s nice for us. Look, Sadie. We have a cozy place to live.” Tisha turned slowly, taking in the space. “Oh, you still have the Christmas decorations up.”