Holly is a successful businesswoman living in New York City. When her grandfather passes away, she reluctantly returns to her hometown to handle the family business, a department store called "Heritage." She plans to sell the store and move on with her life, but when she arrives, she finds out that the store is in financial trouble and is on the brink of foreclosure. Holly's father was supposed to be running the store, but he passed away tragically, and her mother is not up to the task.
Holly's mother, Gail, forces Holly to take over the store's Santa Claus duties, as the usual Santa is sick. Holly isn't happy about it, but she agrees to help out. She's surprised to find out that the new Santa, Nick, is young and attractive. Nick is also very talented, and he quickly becomes a hit with the kids, drawing big crowds to the store.
Holly and Nick develop an instant rapport, and Holly finds herself falling for him. She's shocked to find out that Nick has been hired by the store's landlord, Spencer, to sabotage the store by scaring away customers. Spencer wants to buy the land and turn it into a mall.
Nick explains that he was hired by Spencer because he needed the money to take care of his sick mother. However, he started to feel guilty about what he was doing to the store and decided to help Holly save it instead. Nick disappears, and Holly is left to find him with only one clue: his left black boot.
Holly and her best friend, Grace, search the town for Nick. They finally find him at his mother's house, where he's taking care of her. Holly convinces Nick to come back to the store and help her save it. Together, they come up with a plan to boost sales and draw in customers.
On Christmas Eve, Holly and Nick work together to put on a spectacular event at the store. The event is a huge success, and Holly is able to save the store from foreclosure. In the end, Holly and Nick realize they have feelings for each other and decide to give their relationship a chance.