Page 15 of Christmas Treasures (Sugarville Grove #6)

After Laney rang up their choices and neatly stacked them into a cloth tote bag bearing the Clever Fox logo, she leaned against the counter, glancing between them. “What are you up to next?”

“I’m hoping to take Charlie to dinner to thank her for helping me today.” Max stole a glance at his companion.

“Can we go to the Moose?” Charlie asked. “Anything but pizza.”

“I’ll take you wherever you want to go,” Max said.

Laney looked a little too pleased with herself. “There’s a band playing at the Moose tonight. You could dance.”

“Unlikely,” Charlie said drily.

As they stepped back out onto Main Street, Max adjusted the bag over his shoulder, smiling at Charlie. “Let’s drop these in my truck and go eat.”

“Lead the way. I think we deserve a nice meal.”

“Yeah, shopping’s exhausting,” Max said.

Just then, a fat snowflake landed on his cheek. He glanced up to see more coming. “Look at that. Snow.”

She stopped right there on the sidewalk and tilted her head toward the sky, looking like a kid. “We never had this in California. It thrills me every time. There’s nothing more beautiful.”

He disagreed. The woman standing next to him was without question the most beautiful of all sights.

Inside the Moose, a fire roared in the hearth, and a local band played a folksy rendition of “Silver Bells” on a small stage in the back.

The musicians wore Santa hats and ugly Christmas sweaters.

Almost every table was full, but the hostess cleared a spot for them, and soon they were seated next to the window.

Through the frost-edged windows, snowflakes danced in the light shed by a streetlamp and the glow from the restaurant.

Over burgers and fries, Charlie told him more about her company and how she’d gotten the idea for software to help restaurants with inventory, accounting, and staffing.

He found it interesting and slightly terrifying how easy it felt between them.

As if they’d known each other a lot longer than they actually had.

“I can’t thank you enough for today,” Max said.

“It was fun. Truly.”

“I was thinking about something—would you go with me to pick Bianca and Camilla up from the airport? I’m feeling nervous, and I could really use someone fluent in Italian.”

She looked down at her plate and picked up a fry, then held it aloft, as if contemplating its future. “I keep wondering if this is all a terrible idea, but yes, I would like to go with you.”

“Why would this be a terrible idea?” Max asked.

“I would hate to hurt a child because of something I did or didn’t do.”

“You’re not going to hurt her.”

“I don’t know anything about kids.”

“They’re just like us, only smaller.”

Just then, the band shifted into a slow, lilting waltz. Max stood and extended a hand. Behind him, the enormous stone fireplace crackled. “Dance with me?”

She blinked. “Are you serious? ”

He wiggled his fingers. “Come on. I promise not to step on your toes.”

To his surprise, she slid her hand into his and let him lead her out to the dance floor.

They moved together, her head barely brushing his shoulder. Max kept it to just a slow sway, her hand resting in his, her other tucked near his heart. Outside, the snow continued to fall.

Inside, Max continued to fall for Charlie Keene.

Max hadn’t expected to be assembling a white twin bed with sunflower finials on a weekday afternoon, but here he was—on the floor of the room that would soon belong to Bianca, fumbling with a bag of bolts while two women orchestrated magic around him.

“I swear this Allen wrench is designed to make people question their life choices.” Max dropped to his knees, scrutinizing the bed. “That’s the last one.” He shook one of the legs, but the bed didn’t move. “I don’t think it’ll crumble. And I’m sorry about the bad word I said.”

Charlie glanced over from where she was setting up the dollhouse. “No man has ever put together anything for a child without a curse word or two.”

Ivy, sleeves rolled and curls pulled into a plaid-printed scarf, nodded enthusiastically. “You and your dad did so well with the furniture. I wish you didn’t already have a job, or I’d offer to hire you.”

“Thanks, ladies. Normally, I would be boasting about what a fine job we did, but I’m too busy trying not to throw up from nerves.”

“You’re going to be a great dad.” Ivy stepped back to assess the corner reading nook she’d styled. A cozy chair, sunflower-yellow knit throw, the velvet footstool, and a small lamp with a scalloped shade turned the space into something off Pinterest.

“Ivy, that looks amazing,” Max said.

Together, the three of them unwrapped the ceramic sunflower bookends, the hedgehog-in-a-teacup art print, and the soft honey-gold bud vase filled with baby’s breath and dried daisies. Ivy placed the vase on the nightstand, adjusting it slightly before giving a satisfied nod.

The ladies made up the bed while Max put together the bookshelf.

“Now for the finishing touch.” Ivy hoisted the giant sunflower wall decor into position over the headboard. “It’s bold but sweet at the same time. Just like you, Max.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

“I really think she’ll like what we’ve done.” Charlie smoothed the sunflower quilt at the foot of the bed. She glanced toward Max, her expression softer now. “If I were a kid, I’d be in heaven.”

Ivy put the books on the shelves and added a few more decorative touches, like the sunflower bookends and a few other knickknacks she’d brought over from her shop.

Charlie moved to the bookshelf to tuck the last book onto the shelf, running a finger across the embossed cover of Owl Moon . “I can’t wait to read this one to her.”

She was planning on reading to Bianca? This was a good sign. She might be warming up to the idea of the two of them being more than just friends.

“We’ve done good.” Max looked around the room—sunflower rug underfoot, the vintage dollhouse in the corner, the closet cleaned out and ready for little girl dresses and shoes.

His dad had painted the walls a sunny yellow, and new gauzy white curtains swayed slightly from the heating duct on the floor .

Ivy chimed in from the closet, where she was arranging hangers and a few dresses his niece Sophie had outgrown that his mother had sent over. “This is a little girl’s dream room.”

Tears threatened. He pressed his fingers into his eyes to stop them.

“Max?” Charlie asked.

“I’m fine,” he said, his voice just a little rougher than usual. “This is a lot.”

“You’re doing very well keeping it together, under the circumstances.” Ivy placed the tiny stuffed tuxedo cat against the sunflower-patterned pillow.

Charlie smoothed the quilt one last time. “You should get her a real cat.”

Ivy laughed. “Let’s give him a chance to get used to a girl before adding a rude cat to the mix.”

“Not all cats are rude,” Charlie said, sounding offended.

Max looked at both women. “Thanks, you guys. Really. Your support means so much to me.”

Charlie’s eyes met his. “It’s all going to be all right.”

From her mouth to God’s ears.