Sawdust and Satin — Shirley Penick

Chedwick, Washington is on the verge of extinction. The economic downturn sent people fleeing from the remote town on Lake Chelan, businesses closed, the hotel is run down, and the population is under 1000 people. But those who are still living in Chedwick have no intention of letting their town die, so they need to come up with some ideas to revitalize tourism. Stat! One of those ideas comes from Chris Clarkson, who dreams of building an amusement park. He is excited about the idea, but also fearful of taking on such a large project. He has one tiny other problem to work on, his marriage. He and his wife of nine years have grown apart as they have both followed their personal dreams. Married right out of high school their relationship was immature when they said 'I do' and if truth be told they were immature also. Almost ten years later it's time to grow up their marriage and get back to working as a team. Barbara Clarkson is working feverishly on her business to build a nest egg. Traumatized at a young age by her father leaving her mother for a younger woman, Barbara believes it's just a matter of time before Chris walks. When her father walked out it left the family destitute and her heart broken, so she guards her heart and is determined to have enough money to see her through when Chris leaves. Their ten-year anniversary is nine-months away and she's heard many horror stories of marriages breaking at that milestone. So she has to be ready for Chris to leave and that means every second goes to her business.