SYNOPSIS
The time is Christmas past. 1974 to be exact. Three 13-year-old girls are at the mall – Holly Grant (Kelli King) and her friends Beth Majors (Cindy-Lee Marsh) and Diane Layton (Kaleigh Sack). As they step off the escalator, they see a line of impatient children waiting to sit on Santa’s lap.
As Beth and Diane talk about boys, Holly declares, “Listening to you two makes me glad I don’t have a boyfriend!” But it’s obvious that she’s attracted to 13-year-old Ryan Hughes (Cameron McCutchan), who is waiting in line with his kid sister Darcy (Marki Meyer). After sharing a significant look with Ryan, Holly volunteers to escort shy little Darcy to meet Santa Claus (Charles Durning).
Santa can’t help but notice the looks that Holly and Ryan are exchanging. When he asks Holly what she wants for Christmas, she swallows her pride and admits, “I’d like a boyfriend.” Santa promises her that when she’s ready, “really ready … I’ll send you just the right one.”
On Christmas morning, Holly finds a box with her name on it under the tree. A snow globe is inside. When she turns it over, she discovers a message etched on the bottom:
A promised gift will come, my dear
A love that’s true and steady,
Between now and the end of the twentieth year,
When two hearts are ready.
The time is Christmas present. Now 33, Holly (Kelli Williams) is a hard-working child advocate. In court, she tries to arrange for a single mom, Sheila Denning (Laura Kirk), to regain custody of her two children in time for the holidays. Unfortunately, Sheila’s legal counsel, Ryan Hughes (Patrick Muldoon), isn’t present. He’s trying to convince his boss, a real estate developer, to allow Sheila and her fellow tenants to move back into their building once it’s been rebuilt. Realizing he’s late, Ryan rushes to the courthouse, but he’s too late. The judge has ordered Sheila’s two kids back into foster care. They won’t be with their mother for Christmas after all.
At Children’s Advocate Services, where she works, Holly tells best friend and co-worker Beth (Erica Gimpel) and assistant Theresa (Mary Margaret Robinson) about the “selfish jerk” who never showed up at court. Her mood changes when she opens a letter informing her that a foundation has given her a grant to hire a full time lawyer to represent the interests of the kids she advocates.
Ryan tries to get Mr. Lane, who knows the judge, to intervene on Sheila’s behalf. He refuses. Tempting Ryan with a possible promotion, Lane advises him not to take any more pro bono cases.
Holly and Beth join Diane (Maeve Quinlan), Holly’s mother Joanna (Shannon Wilcox), and sister-in-law Carol (Bridget Ann White) for lunch. Holly didn’t really want to go, as Joanna and Carol are constantly harping on her love life – or lack thereof. As they chat, Holly learns that her old flame, Ted Powell (Bruce Thomas), is back in town. He’s the new managing editor of The Chronicle.
Ryan manages to arrange for Sheila to spend Christmas Eve with her children at the foster family’s home. He offers to give her a lift – and to stop by a homeless shelter to explain that Sheila won’t be able to volunteer that night. When Ryan spots Holly and Beth entering the tree lot, he’s completely captivated by Holly and offers to help Santa out by selling trees. He approaches Holly but she’s busy on her cell phone, dictating a letter to Theresa. Ryan is shocked when he hears his name – and Holly lambasting him for his callous disregard for people. “I think you’re an ass, and if I ever meet you in person, I’ll say so to your face,” she dictates to Theresa. Ryan skulks off. Holly tells Theresa not to send the letter to him. She just needed to vent.
Before she leaves the tree lot, Holly is approached by Santa, who asks her if he can get her something. “I’ve got everything I need,” she says.
Ryan carries Beth’s tree out to the car and finds out that Holly is an advocate for the downtrodden. “A real angel, eh?” Ryan asks. “Holly believes in people, not miracles,” Beth replies. “At least that’s what she says.”
Ted pays a visit to Holly at Children’s Advocate Services. He wants to get back together. Holly gives him the cold shoulder. As the office Christmas party gets underway, Holly decides to stop by the homeless shelter to see if Sheila is doing okay.
At the shelter, Ryan is assisting Santa. When he leaves the room, Holly enters. She reminds Santa of his promise so many years before, then scurries off. When Ryan returns, Santa asks him a favor: “I wonder if I might prevail upon you to help me fulfill a very old promise.”
Realizing that if he tells Holly his name, he’ll be revealed as the “selfish jerk” she despises, Ryan introduces himself as “Douglas Fir … man” and offers to make breakfast.
Afterwards, while Ryan trims her new tree, Holly calls Beth, convinced that Doug is really a prank gift from Diane. Holly decides to bring Doug home to meet the family and introduce him as her boyfriend. (Maybe then they’ll get off her case!) Ryan is good-natured about the ruse and totally charms the family, especially Holly’s father, Martin (Martin Mull).
Back at her house, Holly and Ryan share a wonderful evening together, finally falling asleep together on the sofa. In the morning, Ryan slips out. When Holly wakes up, Ted is at the door, intent on making up. He kisses Holly just as Ryan returns with fresh croissants. “Doug, you don’t understand,” Holly says. “Yes I do,” he replies. “Christmas was yesterday.” He tosses Ted the bag of croissants and walks out.
Holly calls Diane and discovers that she did not send Doug as a Christmas present.
Ryan visits Santa at the homeless shelter and tells him what transpired between him and Holly. Then he offers to be a volunteer. “I know it sounds wacky, but I’ve kind of forgotten why I became a lawyer in the first place. I thought working down here might help me remember.” Ryan enters the shelter. Just as he does, Holly arrives. She shows the snow globe to Santa. “Did you send ‘A love that’s true and steady?’” Santa reminds her that souls meant to be together cross paths when, as the verse says, ‘two hearts are ready.’” Holly is afraid she may have missed the magic of that moment. Santa tells her not to give up. “The twentieth year has three more days.”
Ryan comes out of the shelter and sees Holly, who admits that the boyfriend Santa sent her was perfect. Ryan informs her that his warranty is good until the first of the year. But he hopes she will consider a “lifetime guarantee.”
Preparations for Joanna’s annual charity New Year’s Eve party are underway. Everyone participates in the set-up, including rivals Ryan and Ted, who are both injured trying to out-perform each other in a backyard football game. A jealous Ted wonders, “Who the hell is this guy, anyway? Is he for real or what?” Carol reminds him that he used to be a reporter and encourages him to find out.
Ryan tells Santa that he’s about to be offered a partnership in his law firm. But he admits that, in just a few short days, Holly has made him reconsider what’s really important in his life. Ryan is afraid that if Holly finds out who he really is, he’ll be “the first gift she returns after the holidays.” Santa advises Ryan to follow his heart, tell her the truth, and trust that she’ll understand. “But time is of the essence. You’ve got to do it now! Before it’s too late.”
To prove he’s serious – and that he’s changed – Ted offers Holly an engagement ring. She won’t allow him to slip it on her finger, so he leaves it on her counter and asks her to “think about it.”
At his law firm, Ryan is stunned when he the real estate developer informs him that he has no intention of rebuilding the low income housing unit – but an industrial park. All of the tenants are going to be homeless! Upset, Ryan storms out of the meeting.
Ryan and Holly go ice skating, eat hot dogs in the park, engage in a snowball fight. Holly tells Ryan that she could never be involved with someone who was dishonest. Later, on the phone, Ryan tells Holly that there’s something he needs to tell her, but he insists on doing it in person.
Meanwhile, Ted follows Ryan to his apartment building and learns from the landlady that “Doug Firman” does not live there. He also learns where Ryan works and pumps one of Ryan’s coworkers for more information.
Holly tells her father about Ted’s proposal, but confides her feelings about Doug. Martin assures her that “he might be just the one you’ve been waiting for.”
At the New Year’s Eve party, Ryan shows up with Santa, ready to tell Holly the truth. But just then, Ted spills the beans about Ryan. After Ryan leaves the party, Holly confronts Santa, who pleads with her to reconsider the situation. “It’s nearly midnight. The moment’s about to pass.”
In front of all the guests, Ted apologizes for all his past transgressions and proposes to Holly. She turns him down and runs out of the party. With Santa’s help, she finds Ryan. They both remember when they first met – at the age of 13 in the mall when Holly offered to help his little sister. Ryan admits that, thanks to Holly, he realized that his life was off course. Holly offers him the opportunity to be the attorney for Children’s Advocate Services. “I happen to be in the market for a lawyer.” Ryan smiles. “Timing’s everything, right?” Holly reads the verse on the snow globe in her hand. “’Between now and the end of the twentieth year, when two hearts are ready.’ She looks at Ryan. “For a long time I didn’t believe it would happen, and when it did, I almost missed it. But at last, my heart’s ready. Is yours?”
Ryan folds her into his arms and they kiss. And in the snow globe, we see Santa’s animated smile and playful wink.
- HALLMARK CHANNEL -
