Isobel Gray grew up with a mother who was obsessed with everything being perfect. Christmas for her was mostly a series of sharp rebukes to not play with the ornaments on the artificial Christmas tree. Isobel dreamed of having a Christmas of her own style and wrote a list of items that she would choose were it up to her - a real Christmas tree, singing carols, ice skating, a sled ride, etc. Now, a fashion designer for a high-profile firm, she has come across the childhood list and decides she can exercise her own control of Christmas this year. Her fiance, Brett Bishop, wants a tropical Christmas on a beach somewhere, but Isobel indicates she wants to spend the time in Fall River, Oregon, a small, snowy town set in the mountains. Brett, as one of the firm's executives, gets called to Rio on a business trip at the last minute, so Isobel has to set off on her own. After getting settled in her rental cabin, she goes in search of the perfect, real, Christmas tree. As she grabs hold of it on the lot, so too does Jamie Houghton. They bicker a bit because Jaime's nephew, Kyle, has his heart set on it as well. Kyle eventually finds another tree that is suitable, so Isobel gets the tree she wants. Jamie sees her struggling with it on the way home and offers to give her a ride. Shortly after that, he arrives as one of the fire crew responding to the fire alarm she tripped while trying to make gingerbread. He asks her to lunch. Brett finally arrives in town and is mostly disinterested in the items on "The List". It doesn't take too long for Isobel to see that Jaime is much more focused on her wants and needs than Brett ever was. She has the Christmas she always wanted with him.
—Garon Smith