Page 14 of Christmas Treasures (Sugarville Grove #6)

Ivy then held up a small ceramic sunflower lamp with gold detailing on each petal and a soft ivory linen shade. “Soft light, no glare. Good for bedtime stories or a late-night worry or two.”

Max ran his fingers along the curved ceramic base. “A late-night worry? I don’t know anything about what to say if she has any of those.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out,” Ivy said gently. “You were raised by Grace and Walter Hayes. I have a feeling you’ll be a natural.”

Ivy pointed at a bundle of fairy lights strung with tiny gold stars. “We can hang these over the bed or in her reading corner. She’ll feel like she’s sleeping in a storybook.”

Charlie’s fingertips grazed a swatch of white eyelet-trimmed bedding with dainty embroidered bees along the hem. “This is incredible,” she whispered.

“Just a few more ideas,” Ivy said, grinning.

First came a mini velvet footstool in soft blush—just the right size for a little girl’s reading nook—followed by a framed watercolor print of a hedgehog curled inside a teacup, steam rising in delicate heart-shaped swirls.

She gently unwrapped a pair of ceramic sunflower bookends and placed them on the table, then added a tiny glass bud vase in warm honey gold, already filled with dried daisies and baby’s breath.

Finally, she held up a small porcelain trinket dish shaped like a sunflower, its petal edges delicately rimmed in gold.

“And for storage”—Ivy pointed toward the front display—“I’ve got these wicker baskets lined with yellow-and-white checkered fabric. One for dress-up, one for toys, and one for whatever collections kids start hoarding at this age—rocks, buttons, shiny things.”

Max swallowed the lump in his throat. “Ivy, you’re a genius.”

Ivy touched his sleeve, smiling. “That might be an overstatement, but I do enjoy my work. I’ll bundle everything and send it out for delivery tomorrow. I’ll bring in a team to help set it all up. Like we did at your house, Charlie.”

“You and your elves were nothing short of miraculous,” Charlie said.

Ivy beamed. “The most important thing about a children’s room is that it makes them feel loved and safe. If there’s anything she doesn’t like, we’ll switch it out.”

“Yeah, I really hope she still likes sunflowers,” Max said.

Charlie laughed. “If she’s suddenly into Goth, we’re in trouble.”

Please, God, let it be sunflowers , Max prayed silently.

After saying goodbye to Ivy and arranging to have everything delivered, Max and Charlie headed to Treasure Chest Toys.

The toy shop looked as though it belonged in a storybook, with its Victorian-style window displays showcasing toys nestled among twinkling lights, evergreen garlands, and drifts of fake snow.

Max paused a moment at the storefront, taking in the wooden rocking horse, an elaborate train set with miniature towns and villages, and beautifully dressed dolls.

Inside, every shelf overflowed with whimsy—stuffed animals in all shapes and sizes, puzzles stacked neatly, and dolls so delicately crafted they seemed almost alive.

High on a shelf behind the register was a Victorian-style dollhouse, its intricate wallpaper and tiny furniture visible even from across the room.

Max gestured to the dollhouse. “That one’s perfect. I wonder what it costs?”

“Doesn’t matter. My treat.”

“I don’t know about that,” Max said.

“We’ll see.” Charlie smiled up at him, and his stomach fluttered.

The owner, Travis, emerged from the back room. “Max, Charlie, happy holidays. How can I help?”

“We’re shopping for a little girl,” Max explained. “She’s eight.”

“You’ve come to the right place. What are you thinking?” Travis asked.

Max scanned the shop again, slightly overwhelmed. “Um, I’m not sure.”

Charlie took charge. Thank goodness. “We like the dollhouse there.” She nodded toward the display above them. “And maybe some dolls to go with it.”

Travis reached behind him to pull the dollhouse from the shelf and placed it on the counter. “A popular choice. It comes with furnishings for each room, and we have these lovely dolls in vintage dresses sold separately, but I highly recommend them. She’ll want people for her house.”

Charlie picked up one of the dolls, carefully smoothing its lace dress. “I don’t know about Bianca, but I would have loved this.”

“And how about a tea set?” Travis suggested, gesturing toward a delicate porcelain set painted with flowers and trimmed with gold. “Perfect for hosting imaginary tea parties.”

“She might need a small table and chairs,” Charlie said.

Travis led them over to a corner of the shop to show them a child’s dining set. For whatever reason, the sight of those small chairs nearly brought him to tears. “Yes, we’ll take that for sure.”

“Do you have any tuxedo cat stuffed animals?” Charlie asked.

Travis chuckled before heading over to a shelf primed with stuffed animals. He picked up a plush tuxedo cat with velvety fur, white paws, and a charming pink nose. “What do you think?”

“Exactly like the one she adored at the trattoria.” Max turned it over, smiling softly. “I have to get this.”

“So cute,” Charlie said. “Although not as good as the real thing. Like Figgy.”

“Figaro is at least four times as big as this guy,” Max said.

Charlie nudged him in the ribs. “So rude.”

Travis’s eyes gleamed with obvious excitement that they were buying out the store. “Anything else?”

Max looked around, eyes lingering on the train set that wound around a miniature Christmas village, tiny lights blinking cheerfully from tiny shop windows. “I’d like the train for myself, but I’ll have to ask Santa.”

Travis nodded in understanding. “Hopefully you’ve been good this year. That’s a highly coveted train set by most of the boys who come in here, regardless of age.”

“I don’t think I’ve been too good,” Max said.

“I’ll get this all packaged up for you and bring it out to your place, if that helps?” Travis asked. “I need a few things from your store anyway.”

“That would be fantastic. Thanks, Travis.” For a flatlander, he wasn’t so bad.

Stepping back onto the street, Max felt lighter. This wasn’t so hard. Despite the cost of everything, which he did not have in his budget, the day was turning out to be a great success .

“One more stop. Let’s go find some books.” Max offered his arm to Charlie.

To his surprise, she took it.

Clever Fox Books was bustling when Max and Charlie stepped through the door, welcomed by a wave of warmth and the murmur of cheerful voices. Laney stood behind the counter, her brown hair in a ponytail as she rang up a customer.

Charlie inhaled deeply, smiling as she looked around. “I adore this bookstore.” She gestured toward wooden shelves reaching the high ceiling, snug reading nooks lined with plush chairs, and strings of twinkle lights winding around bookcases.

Laney glanced up, her eyes lighting in surprise, as her customer headed out. “Hey, guys. What’s going on?”

Max shrugged out of his coat, quickly warming in the cozy shop. “We’re putting together Bianca’s bedroom and thought we should get some books for her shelves.”

“Oh, wonderful!” Laney said, stepping from behind the counter. “Do you have anything in mind?”

“I’m not sure,” Max admitted, rubbing a hand over his neck. “I think we should get some in Italian and some in English.”

“I can order Italian editions, but it’ll take a bit,” Laney said. “Off the top of my head, I can think of three series that are popular for middle-grade readers in Italy. Fairy Oak, Valentina, and Geronimo Stilton.”

“Never heard of them,” Max said.

“I have,” Charlie said. “They’re popular enough that I would guess Bianca has either read them or knows of them. They could make her feel more at home. ”

“Great. For now, I can get you set up with some popular picture books that you could read to her.” Laney guided them toward the children’s section, where bookshelves overflowed with brightly illustrated covers and plush reading pillows scattered across the floor.

Above the shelves, paper stars hung gently swaying, and at the center, a Christmas tree made entirely from stacked books glowed softly with fairy lights.

Laney pulled several picture books from a display.

“These might be just what you’re looking for.

” She handed Max one titled The Snowy Day , its colorful cover showing a child exploring fresh snow.

“Simple text, beautiful illustrations. And here’s one of my favorites— Corduroy . Everyone loves that little bear.”

Charlie smiled fondly. “I loved that one as a child. But you don’t think these are too young for her?”

Laney set the book aside. “I’m thinking they’re a great tool for learning English, plus the illustrations are wonderful. You can’t go wrong with classics— Madeline , maybe? And some fun books for early readers. Mercy Watson books are hilarious—about a pig who eats toast.”

“I love toast,” Charlie said.

Max laughed, flipping through a Mercy Watson. “These look fantastic.”

“Oh, this one for sure,” Charlie said, holding up a beautifully illustrated book called Miss Rumphius . “It’s about making the world more beautiful. It might resonate with her.”

“Good choice.” Laney chose another. “And this one— Owl Moon .

It's a beautiful story about a child going ‘owling’ at night with her father. The illustrations are stunning, and it captures that quiet magic of special moments shared with someone you love. Then, you could take her ‘owling’ if you wanted. ”

Max nodded, feeling excited. “My dad took us every year.”

“What a wonderful tradition to pass on to her,” Laney said. “I’m going to ask Nolan if he’ll take me this winter.”

“Given his life work of studying transcendentalists, I’m sure he’ll be happy to take you,” Max said.

Laney gently squeezed his arm. “We’re all excited for you, Max. Bianca’s going to love it here.”