Emily is jolted awake by a nightmare in Fletcher’s Grove, a quaint little town where time moves slowly, and everyone knows each other. Emily is relatively new to town, and values her privacy.
She heads to her year-round Christmas shop, Under the Mistletoe. Her employee, Violet, asks for training on the cash register, but Emily explains she needs to close early—her cat Doyle has a vet appointment. Before leaving, Emily grabs cookies for her trusted friend and veterinarian, June Hubble.
At the vet’s office, June reveals some big news: she and her ex-husband, Marcus, are back together and planning a May wedding. Emily congratulates her, offering her support and the cookies. Later that night, Marcus takes June on a romantic horse-drawn wagon ride at the local Christmas tree farm. When he says he has to leave for “business,” June gets irritated—until Marcus promises it’s all part of a surprise. She gives him the cookie to tide him over until their dinner.
The next morning, Detective Sam Wellner (Violet’s dad) arrives at Emily’s shop with grim news: Marcus was found dead at the tree farm. A cookie wrapper was discovered near his body, making Emily’s shop’s cookie stash part of the investigation. Sam confiscates the entire stock as possible evidence.
Concerned for June, Emily rushes to her house and spots a man leaving. June explains he’s Marcus’s supervisor from the bank, dropping off flowers. Distraught, June mentions that Marcus had recently ended a relationship with Lizzy Klein, who happened to be at the wagon ride. Emily finds it suspicious and decides to investigate.
Emily visits Lizzy at the daycare, pretending to be interested in enrolling a friend’s child. Lizzy admits she and Marcus broke up months ago because they wanted different things. Emily notices Lizzy is pregnant and wonders if Marcus knew. Lizzy says she was only at the farm to check it out as a possible field trip, but Emily isn’t convinced.
At the farm, Emily notices Gordon, the farm owner, nursing a hangover and sporting a bruise. Meanwhile, Detective Sam confirms that Marcus was poisoned with Pentobarbital—a drug that can also be found in vet offices.
Determined to find answers, Emily combs the woods and spots a scuff mark on a tree, as if someone had been hiding or spying. A red ribbon, usually marking sold trees, raises further suspicion. Seeking more clues, Emily distracts Gordon’s daughter, Anna, and sneaks a look at the reservation log. On her way out, she runs into Sam, who questions why she’s there. She covers by saying she’s picking up her Christmas tree.
Emily digs into Joey Vaughn, a name listed in the log, but comes up empty. Later, June calls Emily in a panic—the police are searching her house, and soon after, Sam arrests her for Marcus’s murder. At the police station, Emily defends June, insisting she’s innocent. Sam reveals they found traces of the poison, linking June to the crime.
Still determined to clear June’s name, Emily speaks to Ray, a local, who mentions that Marcus had turned down a loan request from Gordon. Suspicious, Emily asks Sam to investigate. When Emily visits June in custody, June says Marcus had been more focused on her than ever and seemed excited about something new.
Emily sneaks into Marcus’s house and discovers an ultrasound photo hidden inside a book, and a USB drive. She barely escapes when detectives arrive. Back home, Emily examines the drive, finding bank forms, loan agreements, and an unsigned contract for the sale of the Christmas tree farm.
Emily follows up with Trent Hadley, Marcus’s co-worker and former rival turned friend. Trent reveals that Marcus had given his notice at the bank, wanting to focus on June. Emily notices a signed baseball in Trent’s collection—autographed by none other than Joey Vaughn. Why would Trent use a fake name at the tree farm unless he had something to hide?