To the folks in Conway, South Carolina, Duncan Mayor (Andy Garcia) is a very cranky guy. To his wife Suzy (Mary-Louise Parker), he's a doting pussycat. But Suzy is just home from the hospital and cared for 24/7 by nurse Natalie (Mandy Moore), whom Duncan tries his best to ignore. Duncan decides the best medicine Suzy could possibly have – and a Christmas present she'll never forget - is a ride on a real Ferris wheel set up in their own back yard. Why a Ferris wheel? Because it was while riding one many moons ago that Duncan asked Suzy to marry him.
Dr. Lauren Brunell (Bure) has her whole life planned out. As a third year surgery resident, she is counting on being accepted into a prestigious hospital fellowship to follow in the footsteps of her supportive father, Henry (Pine). But when those plans quickly fall apart, and Lauren is put on the wait list, she must take the only other opening available: a head doctor position in the small, remote town of Garland, Alaska. Convincing herself it is only temporary, Lauren moves to Garland where she is immediately charmed by Andy (O’Donnell), a handsome local who soon starts to show her the importance of living in the moment and enjoying her unexpected adventure. As Lauren excels as Garland's trusted doctor, she warms up to the friendly town. But Andy's father, Frank (Doyle-Murray), is hiding something from her in his top-secret shipping warehouse. Just as Lauren decides to get to the bottom of her suspicions, she receives news that will force her to make a life-changing decision, while knowing for certain that the Christmas season will never be the same.
