It's the first day of December, snow is in the air, and Gracie Singleton Saylor's shopping for a Christmas tree when she runs smack into Merett Bradmoore, her high school hero. She can tell at once he's not the happy-go-lucky guy he used to be.
Fifteen years ago, Gracie's family faced a holiday without food or gifts and the handsome high school senior came to their rescue. Gracie, a freshman, fell a little in love with Merett that night and she's believed ever since that dreams do come true. Seeing that Merett, widowed with a seven-year-old daughter, has changed, Gracie is determined to return his gift of optimism. But can she return his hope without losing her own?