Page 28 of Christmas Treasures

“This just came in last week. Hand-stitched from an artisan in Vermont.” She held it out toward Max. “Too much?”

Max brushed his hand over the fabric. “No. It’s perfect.” He looked at Charlie. “Do you agree, or am I all off here?”

“I love it,” Charlie said.

Ivy grinned and turned to Charlie. “Now, what do you think about layering this over a white ruffled duvet with little embroidered bees?”

Charlie’s eyes sparkled. “You know my affinity for bees, but Max, do you think she would like that?”

“Who doesn’t like bees?” Max asked. “I mean, they make honey.”

Ivy grabbed more swatches. “We’ll do gauzy curtains in yellow and white, maybe a sunflower wall decal above the bed. I have a sunflower rug in the back room that I ordered for another client, but they didn’t like it, so I was going to send it back. I think it’s fate. And we can find some frames to put in photos of her family.”

Max swallowed, overwhelmed by the enormity of what he was about to do. Or try to do. “I don’t know what photos she’ll bring with her, but I have some on my phone of her mom.”

Ivy’s eyes softened. “She lost her mom too?”

“That’s right. Lucia was a special friend of mine. She died of cancer when Bianca was five.”

“Oh, how sad. And now her grandmother?” Ivy asked. “We absolutely have to make this room perfect.”

Charlie nudged his arm gently. “I knew this was a great place to start.”

“And what about a reading nook?” Ivy asked. “We could find a little chaise or armchair and stack a few shelves with books.”

“She used to sit in a window seat back at the trattoria,” Max said. “This old tuxedo cat just showed up one day, and Lucia let it stay at the trattoria. Bianca loved to curl up with the cat and a book while everything bustled around her.”

“You can find a stuffed one over at the store,” Ivy said. “One she can hug at night.”

“What about a bed frame?” Ivy asked. “And a dresser?”

“We need both of those,” Max said. “Don’t we?” Actually, he had no idea.

“I was thinking creamy white?” Charlie said. “But how fast could we get a whole set?”

“This is weird, but I just got a load of kid’s bedroom furniture from a client who didn’t need them any longer. Dresser, bed frame, nightstand, and a set of shelves. They’re high quality. But they need sanding and painting. I was going to do the work myself, but there’s no way I could do them in time.”

“My dad and I can handle that,” Max said. Finally, something he could do that felt comfortable. The Hayes men had refinished a lot of furniture over the years.

“Really? That’s great.” Ivy grinned. “I could use you two around here more often.”

“We can throw them in the back of my SUV,” Max said. “I’ll take them out to my folks’ place this afternoon.”

Ivy made a pretend check mark in the air. “Done.”

Charlie tilted her head, clearly thinking. “Do you have any of those mini chandeliers for a bit of sparkle? I saw one in a magazine article recently.”

Ivy tapped her pen against her chin. “I don’t have one in stock, but I can order it and have it here by Tuesday. The one I’m thinking of has crystal beads and brass details. Just the right amount of fancy. What do you think?”

“Yes, this gives us enough time before she arrives,” Max said.

“This might be the fastest design job I’ve ever done,” Ivy said. “But don’t worry. I’ll come out and help you both put it all together.”

“Bless you, Ivy MacRae,” Max said.

As Ivy bustled around the shop gathering everything, Max enjoyed watching Charlie. She was completely in her element, flipping through pillow samples, considering textures. This was unexpected. That’s what he was starting to realize about Charlie. She was layered and complex. Perhaps too much for someone as uncomplicated as himself. He was the class clown back in school, compensating for his lack of academic ability by making everyone laugh. He could imagine Charlie as the opposite. Serious and studious, sitting in the front row soaking up knowledge.

Ivy returned from the back of the shop with her arms full—fabrics draped over one elbow, a lamp in the crook of the other, a woven basket hooked onto her wrist, and a pillow with “Bee Yourself” embroidered into the surface and another in the shape of a sunflower.

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