Original subtitles

Jack, could you give me a hand?

Got it.

- What do you think? - It's cool.

You're just saying that.

No, it is.

How's your second-place ribbon coming?

It's... It's okay.

Here.

It's too bad they're not giving out ribbons for making ribbons.

How are the awards coming?

Oh, my gosh. Amy, that's beautiful.

- Thank you. - Oh, Jack!

That's lovely. That is really, really special.

- Thank you. - Yes, and, uh...

Is something wrong?

Oh, I thought I packed my recipe tin.

Uh, oh, will you hand it to me?

Thank you, a true gentleman. Amy, take note.

All right, we'd better get going.

Jack, will get the Santa Sparks boxes for the show?

- Sure. - Okay.

Put your coat on, sweetie.

You're running low.

That's because they're so special,

I only make them at Christmastime.

There you go, sweetie. You look like a princess.

And you, a prince, Jack. Shall we?

- Yes. - Okeydoke.

My gingerbread men are gonna walk all over

the competition this year.

Not if the judges get a taste of my Holly Jollies.

Oh, they're beautiful. Hi.

- That's beauti... Oh, my gosh. - Thank you.

Good luck, okay? They're amazing. Amazing.

I'm speechless. We'll put 'em right here.

You know, if I pull the fire alarm,

we can have all these cookies to ourselves.

I'd settle for some of my aunt's Santa Sparks.

I think you dropped something.

- What are you doing? - What am I doing?

I'm not the klutz who dropped all the cookies.

Knock it off, Dylan.

That's awesome.

Jack Evans needs a girl to protect him.

Go on, Amy, protect him.

Leave her out of this.

Say what you want to say, Evans,

but everyone knows what you really are.

Coward.

Hey, knock it off!

- Jack, you okay? - I'm fine.

Now don't let that bully bother you.

- I said I'm fine. - All right, come on.

Give me your hand. Let me help you up.

Who wants a cookie?

Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please.

For all you latecomers out there,

and you know who you are,

my name is Earl Pratt,

the voice of Chestnut Radio

and the host and the judge

of the 20th Annual Christmas Cookie Contest!

Thank you very much.

Now, before we can find out this year's top cookie,

I'd like to mention a few of the wonderful people

who have made this all possible.

First and foremost,

a special thank you to Mr. Frank O'Brien,

who lends us his diner every year

to accommodate all of you lovely people.

Frank, take a bow.

Thank you.

My pleasure, my pleasure.

Every year, Frank whips up a batch of his Melted Snowmen.

How many times have you won, Frank?

- Never. - Aww...

And yet, every year you keep coming back.

Of course! This could be the year. This is it!

Now, see, folks? That is the spirit!

Let's hear it! Thank you, Frank.

Now I would like to acknowledge the woman

who, for the past 20 years,

has made this an annual event not to be missed.

I want you to put your hands together and give it up

for the sweetest woman you'll ever meet,

pun intended,

Linda Sullivan!

Come on up, Linda! Come on up!

Hi, everybody!

Thank you so much for coming tonight.

Remember, the winner of tonight's contest

receives a featured spot on my bakery's menu for a full year,

with the sales proceeds benefiting

Chestnut Elementary's after-school programs.

Yes. Also...

a special spot alongside previous champions

in my famous recipe tin.

Pretty big deal, right?

And last but not least, a year full of bragging rights.

Thank you, Linda. Thank you very much.

Now for the prizes.

First, our runner-up.

If you will.

Edna's gingerbread men!

There you are, Edna! Wonderful!

Thank you very much.

Nice work.

Now the moment you have all been waiting for.

May I have the grand prize ribbon, please?

Oh, thank you.

Oh, my, my.

Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?

Don't tell me you made this all yourself.

- Yes. - Well, it oughta be.

She's been making these since she was four years old.

And just in case you didn't know,

little Miss Amy there

just happens to be Linda's niece.

Alrighty now, fasten your seat belts.

The winner of the 20th Annual

Christmas Cookie Contest is...

Mary Mansley and her Holly Jollies!

There you are, yes!

Whoo!

That's wonderful!

Hey, Amy, I have a surprise for you.

Everyone get a picture of that.

You'll get 'em next year, Frank.

Next year will be the one.

My aunt will kill us if she found out.

Then we'd better eat the evidence.

Well?

Perfect.

Merry Christmas, Amy.

Merry Christmas, Jack.

♪ Ooh ♪

♪ Can you feel it in the air ♪

♪ This Christmas ♪

♪ It's the holiday spirit ♪

♪ All around the world ♪

I need those data sheets ASAP.

Oh, and tell Becca to have the layouts to me by noon.

- Amy. - Bradley.

Don needs to see you.

Oh, did he say why?

He didn't say. You know how Mr. Dupree gets.

When he wants something, he wants it...

- Yeah, I know, pronto. - Yeah, pronto.

Hello?

- Amy. - Jeanette, hi.

This is a surprise.

I'm about to step into a meeting.

Can I call you back?

Look, I just need a minute.

I need a minute.

What am I supposed to tell Don?

You're supposed to tell Don I need a minute.

Okay. I don't think he's gonna be very happy about that.

- It's your job. - All right.

What's going on?

It's about your aunt.

- Time for a caffeine break. - Excellent!

Thanks, Pop.

You know, I'm retired from the military now,

so you might want to think about retiring that old coffee mug.

Oh, never!

That thing looks like it's had a few tours of its own.

Your service to our country is my proudest thing in life.

Ah, thanks, Pop.

That being said,

I can't wait to see what you got planned for a second act.

Pop, don't start.

We're not trying to push you, son.

- Really? - It's just that...

everybody in her book club,

they all have grandkids already.

Wait a minute. Are you seriously trying to guilt me

with Mom's book club right now?

Dad, I just retired two months ago.

- I'm gonna figure it out. - And then?

I know what's happening here.

Mom sent you out here armed with caffeine

to do reconnaissance work on my love life, am I right?

You're not gonna send me back in there empty-handed, are you?

I don't know. Kinda sounds like a personal problem to me, Pop.

All right, Jack.

Oh, I'm glad you're enjoying this.

Yeah, I'd hate to be you.

Get back to work, pal.

Good luck.

Luke.

- Hey, Jack. - Hey, last time we spoke,

you were headed to Panama. How was it?

I got to meet some of Jeanette's relatives. It was nice.

Listen, I wish I was calling to catch up,

but I got some bad news.

So accounting should get all the invoices

for Keller Department Stores submitted and paid, pronto.

Mr. Dupree?

I'm sorry. This isn't a good time.

It's okay, Bradley. Let her in.

- You may come in. - You can go.

Okay.

Stone, please, have a seat.

Thank you.

Am I in trouble?

You think I just call people into my office

when they're in trouble?

Is that the reputation I have out on the floor?

Don't answer that.

I asked you to come in

because I had a very interesting phone call this morning

from Logan Keller.

Logan Keller, the CEO of...

Keller Department Stores.

Thanks to the campaign that you spearheaded,

profits for the holiday season are up 25% from last year.

- Wow. - 30% from the year before that.

Well, if you're gonna thank anyone,

it would be Gordon Royce

because he's the star of the campaign.

Yeah, but who's idea was it

to put Gordon Royce in the ads in the first place?

Mine, sir.

Stone, I've made a decision.

It's time to promote you to junior partner.

Junior partner?

More responsibility, more money,

brand-new office and an assistant.

How's that sound?

Unless you're not interested.

No, of course I'm interested.

No, I'm sorry, it's, uh...

I just found out that my aunt passed away.

I am sorry to hear that.

- That's okay. - Were you close?

Yeah, I was, actually.

She... She raised me after my parents died.

Well, then...

what are you doing?

What do you mean?

You should be making travel plans.

I can't. I'm too busy.

Stone, believe me when I tell you

nothing is more important than family.

- You were married three times. - Exactly.

And what was the name of that town that you grew up in?

- Walnut? - Chestnut.

- Must have been quaint. - It is, actually.

Believe it or not, I grew up in a small town myself.

Population, 500.

Well, Chestnut's not that much bigger than that.

For heaven's sakes, go.

- Pay respects to your aunt. - Are you sure?

Yeah. Just be back in time for the Christmas Eve party.

That's where we'll be making announcements

for new junior partnerships.

I will. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

That was sweet.

♪ My holiday ♪

Taxi!

♪ Is a blue holiday ♪

♪ Without you ♪

♪ My mistletoe ♪

It was a beautiful service, don't you think?

Yeah.

She was so wonderful.

The whole town loved her.

Luke said they even had a moment of silence at the high school.

I don't understand why she didn't tell me she was sick.

'Cause she didn't want you to worry.

I know, but I could have at least been there for her.

I didn't get to say goodbye.

Well, she was so proud of you.

Living across the country,

New York City,

your big job.

The last thing she would have wanted was to pull you away.

Then why didn't you tell me?

Because nobody really knew how serious it was.

Not even her staff.

She closed the bakery.

Yeah, well, that was while she recovered.

She seemed fine after they put her on this heart medication.

We were supposed to reopen after Christmas, but...

Come on.

You know how Linda was.

Always so upbeat.

Always looking out for everyone else.

Yeah.

But still, I...

She shouldn't have died alone.

- Thank you. - Sure, no problem.

- You want me to go in with you? - No, it's all right.

I think I need to do this by myself, but thank you.

Maybe you should just tell Dylan to do this another day.

- I'll be fine. - I'll be at O'Brien's

- if you need me, okay? - All right.

-Thank you for bringing me home. -All right.

Thank you.

Amy?

- Amy Stone! - Earl.

You know, Luke said you were coming back to town.

Yeah, you know, I had to come back for my aunt's funeral.

Oh, I was so sorry to hear about your aunt.

She was a sweet, sweet lady. No pun intended.

Thank you. She was, wasn't she?

Chestnut will never be the same without her bakery

and especially without her annual Christmas Cookie Contest.

Yeah, she sure did keep that tradition alive, didn't she?

You know I host it now?

I took over hosting for my dad a few years after he died.

Oh, that's great.

I'm so sorry, though, about your dad.

It's okay, yeah.

Would you believe this would have been the 50th anniversary?

It's a shame it's over.

Wow. 50 years. Wow.

Anyway, it's super great catching up with you,

but I gotta get back to the studio, you know?

The voice of Chestnut never rests.

Great seeing you.

Hey, since you're in town, why don't you come on by?

You can go on the air, tell stories about your aunt.

Oh, I would love that.

I have to take care of this and get back to New York.

My work.

Let me know if you change your mind.

Thank you, I will.

So great seeing you!

Amy Stone, as I live and breathe.

- Hi. - Can I help you?

- Yeah, I'm here to see... - Amy!

Dylan?

I expected your father.

Ah, yeah, Pop retired about a year ago.

- Oh, really? - Yeah.

Oh, huh.

No, thank you.

Wow. Dylan Carruthers,

the boy who stole my bike in fourth grade

and shoved a kid in a locker in high school

is now a lawyer.

A lot changed since you left.

I bet. I would've thought you'd be on the other side of the law.

No offense.

Well, you're just in time.

So since we're all here,

why don't we go in and get started?

We?

Yeah. You remember Jack.

Jack?

Hello, Amy.

Uh, what's he doing here?

Nice to see you too.

Well, he's mentioned in the will.

What?

I loved your aunt just as much as you did.

Okay, let's have a seat.

Your aunt was very precise with her will.

She was short and sweet.

Basically, you two are equal partners.

- Equal? - Partners?

Yeah, to put it simply,

she gave you both her entire estate:

her house, her car, savings account,

had about $4,000 in it,

and of course, the bakery.

The bakery?

Like I said, short and sweet.

- I don't understand. - What she really wants to know

is why she has to share with me.

Look, if this is what my aunt wanted, then fine.

We'll sell everything,

split the proceeds 50/50 and go about our lives.

Happy?

It's all yours.

Dylan, are there documents or something

that we need to sign for this?

Well, I, uh...

- In a rush? - Actually...

Heaven forbid you actually have to spend time

in your hometown.

You know, with us lowly people.

Actually, I have a life in New York

with a job and a promotion to junior partner.

- Ooh, junior partner! - Yeah.

I have to be back for a meeting on the 24th.

Christmas Eve. Who do you work for?

Ebeneezer Scrooge?

Well, if you must know,

I happen to work for the biggest agency in New York City.

I know. I saw the Keller Department Store campaign.

Very impressive.

Oh, really? Like you would see that.

Question for you.

Are those Gordon Royce's real teeth?

I mean, just break it down to me

because no human really has teeth that look like that.

You cyberstalked me.

- I didn't cyber anything. - Yeah, you did.

I mean, is that even really a word?

Oh, sorry. What would you call it then?

- Curiosity. - Whatever.

You stalked me. Anyway...

If God didn't want people to know about each other,

he wouldn't have invented Google.

Okay, are you two quite finished?

- Sorry. - Okay.

- There's just one more thing. - Mm-hmm.

Linda has a letter for you.

"Dear Amy and Jack..."

"I hope you know how proud I am

of the adults the two of you have become.

I don't want my passing to be a sad occasion.

That's why I'm asking the two of you

to reopen the bakery for the holidays

and to present the 50th Annual Christmas Cookie Contest.

After that, you and Jack are free to do whatever you want

with the bakery and my house.

I just want one last hurrah

before the bakery closes for good.

Will you please do that for me?"

"All my love, Linda."

Reopen the bakery?

I mean, we haven't worked there since we were teenagers,

and she has a whole staff, doesn't she?

Well, you know, uh, to be honest...

lately it's been kind of lean.

Jeanette's worked for her for years.

Why couldn't she do it?

You're not obligated to do any of these things.

It's just the last wish of a dying woman.

Oh, great.

I mean, this is seriously one heck of a guilt trip.

- A guilt trip? - Yeah, a guilt trip.

That's what you took away from that? A guilt trip?

I can't even look at her right now.

You know what, Jack?

I'll make it easy for you.

Goodbye.

- Amy! - What?

Does this place really mean that little to you?

Did I say that?

That bakery has been in your family for years.

We practically grew up there.

You could have at least given your aunt a moment's respect

before you threw the whole idea out the window.

- Christmas is a week away. - So what?

So you think that we can reopen a bakery

and hold a cookie contest in a week?

- Why not? - It's impossible, Jack.

The Amy Stone I knew didn't even know the meaning of that word.

You know what? I have responsibilities

that I have to get back to in New York.

I'm sorry. I just thought you might want to do

something nice for the woman that raised you,

but you have a life to get back to, junior partner.

- Yeah, I do. - Nice to see you again.

Uh-huh, you too.

Let's have a little more flour here.

Can you put some flour here, Amy?

Thanks, Jack. Boom, boom, boom!

Oh, my gosh!

It might be a little overdone, but no worries.

Yeah, they are. It's okay.

- That's fine. - All right! Well...

We can make another batch.

Uh, well...

So divide the eight into this.

Okay.

That's great!

You are gonna do so well on that test tomorrow.

Thank you.

What are we gonna do?

Amy was right.

Even if we did it, it would've taken a Christmas miracle

to turn that place around so quickly.

And getting the word out about the contest at this point,

I don't see how we could've done it.

Amy?

She's on her way to the airport.

Jack, Amy, she's here.

Hey!

- Hey, guys. - Hi!

So, thought you'd be eating peanuts at 39,000 feet by now.

I'm sorry about earlier.

You're right.

My aunt deserves better than this,

and if the contest is that important to her,

then we're gonna make it happen.

What about your big promotion?

Well, if I'm good enough to make junior partner,

then he's gonna have to cut me some slack.

Sounds like you're rehearsing.

Haven't told him yet, have you?

No, not yet.

Ah.

Well, just treat him like you treat me,

and you'll be just fine.

Well, guys, it's the 16th.

We've only got nine days till Christmas.

That's all we need when you got good friends to help.

We'll get the bakery up and running.

We'll have the cookie contest on Christmas Eve.

Jeanette, you're rehired with a 10% raise.

Luke, you're done teaching until school starts again

- in January? - Yeah.

Could you use your economic skills

and please help us with our finances?

Whatever it takes.

I'll take the marketing campaign,

since that's my area of expertise.

So what do I do?

You'll... just figure it out.

Okay, well if you guys are done eating, let's go.

What just happened?

I don't know, but don't knock it.

Linda's bakery is back in business!

Frank, check, please.

Let's go.

Anything?

I got her voicemail.

Give it to me.

I can handle a voicemail.

Bradley.

Stone, it's Don.

Listen, when we announce your junior partnership,

I'd like you to make an acceptance speech.

90 seconds. No reading off index cards. Memorize it.

And by the way, when exactly are you coming back?

We'll have Bradley pick you up at the airport.

Call me.

- I don't have a car. - You don't have a car?

This is New York City. Who doesn't have a car?

You don't have a car.

I don't need a car. I have a driver.

- Well, send the driver. - Bradley, this is Christmas.

The poor woman had to go home for her aunt's funeral.

I'm trying to do something nice for a change.

I'm sorry.

How many people did I fire today?

None.

Exactly. Yesterday?

- None. - Exactly.

And the day before that? None.

No, actually you did fire Mr. Lundberg from legal.

Oh, yeah, yeah, I did.

Yeah, okay, well, but I'm trying to make a change.

Yeah, of course.

- To be nice. - Be nice.

So be nice and...

I'll make arrangements for a car service ASAP.

That's the spirit.

- And, Bradley? - Yeah?

- Let's send Mr. Lindberg... - Lundberg.

Lundberg, a fruit cake.

Let him know there's no hard feelings.

Okay.

Good.

Well, what do you think?

Really hasn't changed that much, has it?

Linda was always big on tradition.

Well, that's exactly what we're gonna do,

run things the way she used to.

Honey, where did Linda keep all her financials?

AP, invoices? Need to get a handle on where we're at.

Oh, yeah. Hold on a second. Let's see.

Yup, right here. Here we go, hon.

You've got to be kidding me. Really?

Maybe she had an abacus to go with it?

Mind if I talk to you for a second?

- Sure. - A couple of hours ago,

you were taking a cab to the airport,

so who made you leader?

No one. Why? You want the job?

No, no.

You've always been type-A, so by all means, you take it.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

And just to clarify, that was a compliment, right?

Maybe.

So what does that make you?

- Silent partner? - Good.

So shush.

She did not just shush me.

She just shushed me.

Yup. You were shushed.

You just shushed me.

Yes, I did. Let's go check out the kitchen

and see what we need to do in there, guys.

Yeah, I'll check the pantry for Linda's recipe tin.

You guys weren't kidding.

This place really hasn't been updated.

You know, for a silent partner, you talk a lot.

- What? - So when do we open?

I think we can get this up and running in a day or two.

Not here.

Guys, we got a problem.

Just one?

I can't find Linda's recipe tin.

Oh, come on. She still didn't keep her recipes in it.

- Seriously? - Well, she was old-fashioned.

Would it have been too much for her to get a computer?

Yeah, tell me about it.

Well, come on, it's gotta be around here somewhere, right?

Well, you know what? I'll just keep checking.

And in the meantime, I have some cookbooks at home.

No. We can't open Linda's bakery without Linda's cookies.

That tin was her prized possession.

It had every secret recipe in it.

Well, I don't see it around here anywhere.

All right, why don't you guys keep looking? I'll call Dylan.

- Okay. - Okay.

Mr. Carruthers, Amy Stone for you, line one.

Thank you.

Amy!

How's it goin' down there so far?

Could be better.

I can't find Linda's recipe tin.

Do you have any idea where it's at?

What does it look like?

You know exactly what it looks like.

Remember, when we were kids

and you knocked it over and it took Aunt Linda

three days to put every card back?

- Oh, that. - Yes, that.

I can't believe after all these years

you still think I did that on purpose.

Yes, because I saw you do it.

No, see, that's where you're mistaken.

It was an accident. We were kids.

We were playing around.

And no, I haven't seen it.

Okay, thanks. We'll keep looking.

All right, you guys get those cookies done.

- Bye now. - Bye.

I don't know why, but talking to him kinda makes my skin crawl.

It's been a long time. People change.

Doubt it.

Linda must have taken the tin home for safekeeping.

Well, lucky for us, I have a key to her house,

so if it's there, I will find it.

Great.

Nice! It's starting to look like the bakery again.

- It's coming along, huh? - It is.

Are you sure you're able to get all the baking done tomorrow?

Well, as long as we find Linda's recipes,

I'll stay as long as I have to.

I think that we should bring cookbooks just as backup.

- Plan B? - Plan B.

- You got it. - Okay, well, good night, guys.

- Mañana. - Mañana.

Good night, Jack. See you tomorrow.

Good night, Amy.

Day or two, huh?

♪ Christmas is coming ♪

♪ It's that time of year ♪

♪ When family comes calling ♪

♪ From far and near ♪

I told you to go pay respects to your aunt, Stone,

not revive the family business.

I hope you're not this easily swayed with our clients.

No, of course not. It's just...

It's a little bit more complicated than I expected.

The only thing that's gonna get more complicated is your promotion.

You must be there for the announcement on Christmas Eve.

I understand, and I'm not asking for any extra favors

after everything that you've done for me.

You're right about one thing.

I have been way too generous lately.

I'll give you two more days, but that's it.

Mr. Dupree, I don't think I...

What is that?

Don't try to change the subject.

- I heard something. - What?

There it is again.

Stone, what's going on?

I don't see anything.

I think it's in the bathroom.

Stone, get out of there.

Stone, are you all right?

I have to call you back. Sorry.

Stone!

Jack, what are you doing here?

What do you mean? I'm taking a shower.

Why? Why here?

Wait, Dylan didn't tell you?

Tell me what?

- Stone, you okay? - Don, yes, I'm fine.

A slight misunderstanding, but everything's okay.

- And the man in the house? - Oh, he's so not a threat.

A pain, but not a threat.

I'm glad you're okay. I was afraid I was gonna lose

my new junior partner.

No, everything's fine, honest.

Call me in the morning.

We need to get you back here ASAP.

You got it.

I can't believe he gave you a key

without talking to me first.

Co-owners! Where did you think I was gonna stay?

Oh, I don't know. Maybe your parents' house, a hotel?

- Anywhere but here. - For your information,

my parents moved out a long time ago.

Well, we both can't stay here.

Trust me. I will be a perfect gentleman.

I am sorry, but you are gonna have to stay somewhere else.

I'm sorry. I have just as much right to be here as you do.

- And besides, I've unpacked. - That shouldn't be a problem.

Don't they teach you to pack light in the military?

That's a good one. Look, I get it.

It's a lot to process: this, you, me, everything.

But you stay in your old room, I will stay in the guest room,

and we will stay out of each other's way.

- Yeah, fine. - Fine.

Fine!

Fine, fine, fine!

Aunt Linda, what were you thinking?

This is Earl Pratt Jr. What's crackin', Chestnut?

I've got some breaking blast from the past news for you

straight from the streets.

You'll never believe who I ran into on a walk.

None other than the class of '91

homecoming queen, head cheerleader,

and all around It girl Amy Stone.

Be still my heart.

Remember, you heard it here first on KNUT 100.5, The Nut.

Rise and shine, get up.

Hmm?

Ohh.

What? It's 6 a.m.

Exactly. We need to find my aunt's recipe tin.

Wake up, come on.

Coffee?

Can you put on some coffee, please?

Maybe.

Please.

Ooh. Not bad.

You're welcome.

Thanks.

The tin is not in here.

You know what? I think we're gonna have to search the garage

and the living room next.

I don't know what the big deal is.

All we need is some cookies.

Oh, come on.

Have you been gone that long?

We're not just celebrating any cookies.

We need Aunt Linda's cookies. They're a brand.

Oh, got it.

Don't you remember the peppermint ones

that would melt in your mouth?

Oh, those were so good.

That's what I'm talking about. What were they called again?

- Oh, um... - Santa Skippies.

- Santa... Snazzies. - No.

- Sparks! - Yes!

Santa Sparks!

I haven't thought of those in so long.

Wow. Those were amazing.

Yeah, they were amazing. Mm-hmm.

Mmm.

- Jack? - Hmm?

Go search the garage.

Okay.

- Now. - Got it.

I'll go search the living room.

We're just gonna have to do the best that we can.

No. We're gonna find it. I really think we will.

- Hey. - Hi.

- Did you find it? - I didn't.

- Find what? - The recipes.

We're gonna have to get cooking.

- You guys wanna go in? - Yeah, let's go in.

You're not cooking anything.

What? I'm a better cook than you.

- Oh, come on. - I'm a good cook!

I gotta say I was a little surprised to get your call.

I thought you were in a hurry to leave town.

Well, I wanted you to be the first to know

that we're gonna reopen the bakery for the holidays.

- Really? - Yeah. We're gonna move forward

with the 50th anniversary of the Christmas Cookie Contest.

- You are? - Christmas Eve.

We would be so honored if you would keep the tradition

of being our host and judge.

I thought you'd never ask.

Jeanette and Luke already told you, didn't they?

Yeah, but it was fun hearing you say it again.

It wouldn't be the same without you.

I wouldn't let you do it without me.

Well, perfect! It's settled.

I do have one favor though.

You want to come on the air and promote the grand reopening.

Yeah, I do. It would be such an amazing way to get the word out.

Absolutely. How's the day after tomorrow?

Perfect.

I can do a whole little countdown,

like the 12 Days of Christmas,

only sweeter and just a little shorter.

I love it.

Guess I'd better start baking.

Right! You don't need old Earl Pratt

talking your ear off the whole time.

What is that, nutmeg you're putting in there?

Ah, no, it's good.

All right, I'll see you tomorrow.

Yeah! It'll be just like Christmas,

with the smell of cookies in the air.

- Like old times. - Thank you.

Kids tasting the cookies, all the frosting.

- Bye, Earl! - And the cherries and...

Hey, Jeff! Jeffrey!

Ugh! That guy!

Has more wind than a hurricane.

- Did he agree to everything? - Of course he did.

I'm going on his show in a couple days.

You?

- Yes. - Why you?

Marketing's my thing. I know what to say.

Uh-uh.

If you go, this guy goes.

50/50, remember?

Fine, just don't do any talking during the interview, okay?

What do we do in the meantime?

Can you start baking?

Plan B?

We don't actually have a plan B.

Can you whip up a batch of cookies in an hour?

- You got it. - What's the rush?

The rush is nothing spreads the word

like the smell of fresh-baked cookies

wafting through the town.

Edible advertising. Genius.

Exactly.

Hey, Luke, how are the finances?

Well, applying the same criteria I give to my students,

I'd say we're looking at about a D-plus.

That is passing, right?

I mean, theoretically, D-plus is passing.

Yeah. For you, Jack, that's passing.

- Oh, ha ha. - If you're asking me

if we can get this place up and running, sure.

Great. I say we start decorating for Christmas.

Whoo! Let's do it.

Get the decorations!

- Perfect. - Mm-hmm.

What did I tell you?

♪ I'll bring those oh, oh, oh crumb cookies so sweet ♪

12 minutes. Should be just perfect.

Is that it?

Oh, no!

♪ I know they can't be beat Got gingerbread ♪

♪ Chocolate chip Sugar-covered treats ♪

♪ Nothing could be sweeter than bakin' and eatin'♪

♪ Those cookies for Christmas ♪

♪ The best time of the year ♪

♪ Is about putting that love in your heart ♪

♪ And there ain't nothin' wrong with filling that tummy too ♪

♪ So we're counting down the days ♪

♪ And I know that we can start ♪

Three, two, one!

We did it!

Yeah.

No, just calm down, all right?

Look, the bakery's only gonna be open during the holidays.

It's two weeks.

Cocolita's is now open again.

Please take a cookie, sir.

And don't forget the 50th anniversary

of the cookie contest.

Christmas Eve. Yeah, should be fun.

Make those same things you used to make when I was younger.

Take a cookie. There you go. You sure?

Hey, Merry Christmas. What do you think?

Cocolita's is back in business.

Christmas Eve, cookie contest.

- What do we have fresh today? - Everything is fresh!

Today we have sugar shakes, Christmas Crusties,

gingerbread men, snowmen s'mores.

We have chocolate, we have peanut butter,

we have jelly presses, sprinkled Pringles.

- Snickerdoodles. - Snickerdoodles!

- Snickerdoodles? - Great choice.

Excellent choice. That'll be 9.99, sir.

All right, look, I'm doing everything I can

to make sure the bakery's not too successful.

That's all I'm gonna say.

You're just gonna have to trust me on this, all right?

Here's your cookies, and please come back again.

- We'll be here. - Excellent.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas. Thank you so much.

Merry Christmas, ma'am. How are you?

Today we have fresh sugar shakes,

Christmas Crusties...

Here you go. Take care, enjoy.

Thank you.

These are selling so fast.

I know.

Oh, hi, how are you?

Jack, what kind are you making right now?

- These are peanut butter. - Peanut butter?

- Okay, turn it. - I just did turn it.

We got nothing. Here, let me give it a shot.

What do you know about this stuff?

When I was in Germany,

I used to hang out with the motor pool guys,

and I paid attention. Come on!

Yeah, like an armored Humvee

has so much in common with at '66 pickup.

Come on, son, step aside. Let me show you how it's done.

Mm-hmm, let's see it.

All right, well, first of all,

looks like these distributor cables are all out of order.

- You see that? - No, show me. What?

Right here.

- All right. - I'll bet you that's it.

Okay, all right.

So whatever happened to that Becky girl

that you met in the pro shop?

She's probably still taking tee times in the pro shop.

Couldn't see yourself hanging out at a country club?

No, not really my scene. Want to give it a shot now?

I got a six-pack says it doesn't work.

Well, you're on, and I'm thirsty.

Hit it.

Nada.

- Nothing? - Nothing.

Did you hear from Leigh?

Oh, Leigh started officer training school last year.

I guess, what I mean, Jack, is did you hear from Leigh?

Well, I checked her online status once,

saw that she was in a relationship.

I think it's with somebody from the program,

and she seemed very happy.

- Are you? - What's up?

You're my therapist all of a sudden?

Listen, man, there's all these girls,

and they're all terrific girls.

What about the one, the waitress you met at the steak house?

The one you showed me the picture of.

She was so smoking hot.

Oh, man, those were the best steaks.

I was talking about the girl, Jack, the girl.

Well, Luke, she wasn't the one.

I mean, not for all the steaks in Jacksonville was she the one.

What are you waiting for, man? You're not getting any younger,

and you're certainly not getting any better looking.

Yeah, and I'm also not gonna settle.

So when I fall in love,

when I find the one, I, you'll see,

this guy will not hesitate to pull the trigger.

And in the meantime, how about we fix this truck?

Give it another shot.

- Whoa! - Yeah!

Let's take her for a spin. Come on!

It's time for one of my favorite segments, local eats.

And I've got big news.

Keeping our Christmas cookie town tradition alive,

are the new co-owners of Cocolita Cakes,

Amy Stone and Jack Evans.

Thank you, Earl.

We're very happy to be here.

Now, for those of you that don't know,

Amy and Jack used to help run this contest

when they were kids.

Yes, we did.

What's it like being back,

doing it again after all these years?

Oh, it's so great.

We're so excited about this contest...

No, I mean you and Jack?

Everybody with a memory that goes back that far

knows that you two lovebirds were the hottest ticket in town

back in the day.

I don't know.

'Cause we're here to talk about the contest.

- So no sparks then? - That was a long time ago.

Alrighty then. What can folks expect from this contest?

We're celebrating the 50th Anniversary

of the Christmas Cookie Contest.

We're asking everyone to bring a treat down,

and you can sample it, maybe win,

and in the end, you know, you can have a cookie or two

or, you know, share some holiday cheer.

Speaking of cheer, are you two going to be toasting

anything in particular this holiday?

Just the bakery.

Jack, do you have a girlfriend right now?

- I don't... - Don't answer that.

So you're single. And, Amy, are you single?

I'm going to be baking.

We are talking about these wonderful cookies

and keeping Aunt Linda's tradition alive.

Okay, let's take a caller. Caller? You're on the air

with Jack and Amy from Cocolita's.

I'm so glad I got through!

Amy and Jack, I was a freshman when you guys were seniors.

Every girl wanted to be just like you guys.

What happened?

We're just here to talk about the bakery.

Contest. Remember, it's the cookie contest

- that we're talking about. - Sorry. The contest.

Yeah, the contest.

Okay, caller, thanks for the call.

And I recommend everybody here in Chestnut

come on down to this contest

and see what Amy and Jack are up to for themselves.

Great.

We look forward to it.

♪ Whoa ho ho ♪

♪ Meet me underneath the mistletoe ♪

♪ Whoa ho ho ♪

♪ Won't you spend Christmas here with me ♪

Hey, who's trying to be a baker?

Hey, not trying, my friend, doing.

I think I finally figured out the difference between

your very mediocre sugar cookies and Linda's Santa Sparks.

Yeah, this coming from a guy who struggles

to reheat a slice of pizza.

Oh, ha.

You know, I watched her bake these my entire childhood.

I'll bet you I nailed it.

Look who it is.

I hate to admit it, but it looks like all those marketing skills

that you picked up in the big city are finally paying off.

And why would you hate to admit that?

That came out wrong.

Okay, I guess so. I'm gonna get some fresh air.

Do you want to help me pass out some flyers for the contest?

Sure, but before we go, the guys baked some cookies.

No, no, no. Jack baked some cookies.

I made some cookies.

Oh, really?

Mm-hmm.

Hmm. Shall I try one of them?

Closest thing to the Santa Sparks, am I right?

- No. - What?

Ugh. Now I know you're trying to kill me.

Oh, come on.

Go ahead.

What? They can't be that bad.

Hmm. Ooh.

- They're bad! - I know.

I don't get it. I used just normal cookie ingredients.

I used butter, flour, and sugar.

Yeah, well, I hate to break it to you, Jack,

but this isn't sugar.

It's salt.

- Oops. - Whoops.

Okay, well, while we're gone, don't let him bake anything,

and you might wanna write "salt" in big letters

on that container.

With permanent ink.

I understand, Jack. They both look alike.

Better luck next time.

Don't forget to enter the Christmas Cookie Contest.

It's in four days.

So how many people have entered?

Not many, but there's always a last rush,

so I'm not worried.

I wish I could be as relaxed as you are.

Oh, please.

Hi.

Oh, hi.

I heard you and your boyfriend on the radio the other day.

Oh, he's not my boyfriend.

Nothing to be embarrassed about.

With a pretty face like yours,

I'm sure he'll come around in no time.

Well, thank you, but it's not really like that.

- Mm-hmm. - What?

Maybe the universe is trying to tell you something.

Oh, really? And by universe, you mean the town gossip?

Well, the two of you were the envy of high school, so...

Please, stop.

- What? - What do you mean, what?

Prom king and queen.

The whole school just swooned

when the two of you took the dance floor.

That was a long time ago.

Time moves on, and so have we.

Please! He still looks at you like that.

Oh, my gosh, just stop. Come on, let's go over here.

- What? - We have a...

- For real. - I don't care.

I'm telling you!

Don't tell Amy, but...

that's the one.

Your secret is safe with me.

Speaking of Amy, what's going on with you guys?

What do you mean?

Come on. You're together as kids,

you're on again, off again, you guys are both here now.

You know the story, Luke.

She left me.

That was 20 years ago.

Well, we had plans 20 years ago.

- You could have gone with her. - It doesn't matter.

The only thing that matters is doing what Linda wanted,

which is reopening this bakery,

holding the celebration, and that's it.

After that, I'm gone.

Mm-hmm. You sure about that?

Well, evidently, you're not sure about it,

so why don't you just come out and say it?

Maybe you don't see it, but the rest of us see it.

Jeanette, I, everybody.

There's still chemistry between you guys.

I just think you're a little quick to write it off.

So what am I supposed to do?

I don't know. Ask her to dinner.

After everything that's happened?

I'm pretty sure she still has to eat.

But hey, it's none of my business, man.

You'll figure it out.

I nailed it.

I think it's time we call it a night.

Thanks.

- Good night. - See you tomorrow.

Good night.

- Tomorrow, my man. - Yep.

Well...

Yeah, well, I will have you know

that I'm getting very close to cracking the code

to Linda's Santa Sparks.

Oh, wow, really?

Yeah. No, I mean, sorry, Luke is getting close.

Not me because...

- Right, because you don't bake? - Right, I'm not allowed.

- I would never bake. - No, I didn't think so.

Has anyone ever told you you're a terrible liar?

Yeah, I've heard that once before.

- I'm sure you have. - Mm-hmm.

Well, I think we wasted enough cookie dough

for one day, so...

- Amy. - Jack.

Faith.

Faith. Come on.

I want you to put that on.

I want you to follow me. Come on.

Okay.

- Flour. - Two cups.

- Sugar. - Half a cup.

Uh, you said... There's the half a cup.

Salt. Two cups, right?

Uh, let's do a teaspoon this time.

Good idea. You're the boss.

I know.

Teaspoon?

And I'll need a rolling pin.

Rolling pin, here we go.

Watch this.

Wow. You look like a professional baker.

It's all coming back to me now.

Wow. Some of my best memories are right here in this room.

You know, the first time I ever saw you

was right at this table.

You were helping Linda bake,

and you were stealing chocolate chips out of the bag.

I was.

Uh, I think I need more flour.

Let's get you some flour.

You know what, Amy?

I think it's time for a peace offering between us.

And as a token of peace,

I would like you to please accept this bouquet.

No. Don't you dare.

No! What are you doing?

Flour!

I cannot believe you did that.

It's not my fault!

The newscaster said there was a slight chance of flurries.

- Well, you know what? - What?

His forecast is way off because you know why?

- Why? - You wanna know why?

- Why? - We got hit with a blizzard!

You think there's ever any chance

of this storm letting up?

It's clearing.

That's good.

I'm hungry.

Would you like to...

Maybe we should go out and have dinner.

- Have dinner. - Okay, if you don't...

- Yes, I mean, if you... - You do?

- I do. - I do.

Yeah, I do if you do.

- I do. Great. - Okay.

- Great. - Let's do that.

Okay.

♪ The snow comes down Santa Claus just came to town ♪

- May I remove the evidence? - Please.

- All done? - Yep.

It's nice to see you sitting at your old table again.

Oh, I forgot we had a table.

We had everything.

Well, it was delicious.

Back in New York, I'm always eating on the run

or jumping in on my coworker's order,

which is usually gluten-free food and grain smoothies.

Yeah. Food in the military is not exactly the best either.

I practically survived on Linda's cookie care packages.

- Oh, you got those too? - Yeah!

Santa Sparks and all.

When it would come every month,

I was the most popular guy in the unit.

She was an angel.

Oh, we didn't order this.

I know.

Ho ho ho.

- Shall we? - Yeah.

♪ The first time I saw you I knew ♪

♪ A spark that I couldn't undo ♪

♪ Not even if I wanted to ♪

♪ And in this moment ♪

♪ I saw my life pass before me ♪

♪ And I knew that it was love ♪

♪ Oh, love ♪

♪ Come on, let's find a way ♪

Whatever happened to us?

I knew this was coming sooner or later.

Do we really have to do this tonight?

I mean, we were having such a lovely evening.

Well, if not now, when?

You're gonna run off to New York

the first chance you get.

I'm not running anywhere,

I mean, going home is not running.

Is that where you call home?

When people ask you where you're from,

what do you tell them, New York?

Yep, because that's where I live.

That's not where you're from.

Do you remember what my Aunt Linda used to say?

Bloom where you're planted.

- Right? - Yeah.

Originally, you were planted right here with me.

Okay, but I put roots down in New York,

and I asked you to come with me,

and you said no, you didn't want to leave Chestnut.

You moved away too.

Well, you had your reason, and I had mine.

Okay.

So what were your reasons?

This place,

no matter where I walked,

the smell of the air,

every face...

reminded me of you.

I had to leave.

♪ Come on, let's find a way ♪

♪ Find a way home ♪

♪ Find a way home ♪

♪ Oh, oh ♪

♪ Find a way home ♪

♪ Ooh ♪

Morning.

Morning.

Refill?

No, I'm good.

Could you help me with this for a second?

Yeah.

Can you please hold this while I cut the ribbon?

Thank you.

Don't forget, Dylan asked us to stop by his office

on the way to the bakery.

That's right.

All right, cool, thank you.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Well, I guess I'll take a shower then.

- Okay. - Okay.

Um...

We don't need to talk about last night.

All right, I didn't think so.

All right.

Sir...

- Did Stone call back? - No, but...

I guess she's having too much of a good time at Hazelnut.

Chestnut.

Maybe I was just too hasty...

- Sir! - What is it?

Something horrible happened.

It's all over the internet.

My ex-wife is getting remarried.

- I don't... - My new wife is getting a divorce.

- Just, just look! - I can't imagine anything...

It's Gordon Royce. Look what he's done.

Oh... Clear my schedule.

- Consider it cleared, sir. - Get me Stone, pronto!

Pronto, sir.

This is the voice of Chestnut, Earl Pratt Jr.,

reminding you that the countdown is on, people.

We've got less than one week to go

until the 50th Annual Christmas Cookie Contest.

Now, some of you have tried to get ahead

and bring some cookies by the radio studio to bribe me,

and I want to say

I am not above being bribed with cookies.

Let me get this straight.

You're offering us $400,000

for the bakery and the house as a package deal?

Not a bad Christmas bonus, huh?

I took the liberty of having the contracts drawn up.

Well, shouldn't we have the property appraised first?

Ah, yes, the property has been appraised

by a neutral third party,

and you'll see that it appraises

for far less than what I'm offering you.

Look, I know you two aren't gonna be sticking around here.

You've got your life in New York,

you've got your life in Florida.

Think of this as me helping you guys out.

What about the bakery?

The bakery? Well...

that's a historic landmark.

I mean, you can't put a price tag on that.

And I'd like to see to it that it's taken care of

in a proper manner.

I understand. I just don't know

if this is something that my aunt would've wanted, you know?

Well, consider it a peace offering

for all the crap I put you through when we were kids.

Well, I guess that puts us right back where we started

- with liquidating the assets. - Mm-hmm.

Unless, of course,

there's some outside chance

that you might be thinking of staying.

I can't. I have to get back to my job.

No, of course.

- And you have Florida. - Yeah.

You have to figure that out.

Doesn't seem to make sense to, you know.

- No. - All right, well, let's do it.

- Okay. - Where do we sign?

Right by the little red flags.

Or orange, in this case.

Thank you. That's nice and handy.

All right.

Mr. Carruthers?

Mr. Brewer's on line one.

Okay, thanks, Jillian, I'll be right out.

Will you excuse me for one second?

- Oh, no problem. - Take your time.

It shouldn't be too long.

I've been waiting on a phone call.

- There you go. - Thank you.

Thank you.

Your worries are over.

- Amy? - Hold on.

What are you doing?

Shh. One second.

Property's been safely secured

under my name.

No, I got the signed documents right here in my hand.

I'll transfer the title over to Espressos "R" Us January 1.

Espressos "R" Us.

- What? - Yeah, I knew it.

Wait. You don't think that he's trying to...

Yes, I heard him.

Well, maybe you misheard him.

I did not mishear him.

Oh!

Jack.

- No! - Yes!

Snooping?

Espressos "R" Us?

You caught me. There's no crime in flipping property, right?

Especially when said property does belong to me.

Oh, that I found this morning.

I was just about to give it back to you.

You're unbelievable.

You know...

you haven't changed a bit.

You gonna punch me in the face?

Is that what they teach you in the military?

No, no, I'm gonna do something much, much worse.

Merry Christmas.

Oh, guys.

You are so fired, got it?

- Is that it? - Yep.

Behold, for in my hands,

I hold the top secret ingredients

to Linda's Santa Sparks.

- Let's see. - What were we doing wrong?

Oh.

- "Peppermint extract." - Peppermint extract!

- Why didn't we think of that? - I don't know.

- It's so simple. - Deceptively simple.

All right, guys, let's start baking the Santa Sparks.

Do we have any peppermint extract?

- I'm sure we have it somewhere. - We gotta find some.

Hello? Hey, Don.

I am so sorry that I haven't gotten back to you.

Oh, zip it, Stone. If you work for me,

you take my calls 24/7, you got it?

- Got it, sorry. - We are in crisis mode here.

Why? The Christmas Eve party isn't for three days.

With everything that happened, there may not be a party.

If you hadn't fallen off the radar,

you'd know that the charming movie star

you hired for the Keller's campaign,

was just seen online in a photograph that's gone viral.

- Naked? - Worse.

- Arrested? - Worse! He got caught cheating

with a Christmas shopping bag from Luff's.

- Luff's? - You can imagine the reaction

from our friends at Keller's.

They've canceled the whole campaign

and given us 48 hours to come up with a new one

with ads, billboards, TV spots, the works.

Don, we can't turn a campaign around that quickly.

- I mean, it's just impossible. - Well, it's gotta be done

or we lose our biggest client.

- I understand, but... - There's no buts about it!

You get on that next plane back to New York

or you're out of a job!

Have I made myself clear?

Yes, sir.

I'll be on the next plane to New York.

- Good! - See you then. Bye.

What?

That was awesome.

- Get out of here. - Okay.

So that's it, huh?

One phone call, and you're leaving.

You're eavesdropping?

I guess some things really haven't changed, have they?

I don't have a choice.

No, no, you always have a choice,

but it's clear where your heart lies,

so just do what you've gotta do.

Come on, you know I had to be back.

You made a commitment to see this through,

to honor your own aunt's wishes, her final wishes.

And I honored that commitment.

The bakery's open, the contest is set,

we found her recipes.

You don't need me here.

The three of you, you guys can finish this without me.

But that's not really what this is about, is it?

Then tell me, what is this really about?

It's about you and me!

You're taking this personal!

I also have a commitment to my job that I've neglected.

And I'm sorry you don't understand that.

Well, good. You know what?

'Cause there's that job again in New York.

Amy.

- What happened? - Good!

Then do what you do best, walk away!

I'm gonna check inside.

Call Jeanette, see if she's called her.

Hey, babe.

Is she still there?

Jack's checking, but I don't think so.

I tried to call, but I just keep getting her voicemail.

I'll try again.

Let me know if you hear anything.

I will. How's Jack doing?

I don't know. He's too...

Honey, he's coming out right now. I gotta go.

- Love you. - I love you too.

Well?

I blew it.

So what do you think?

I don't know, man.

By the time he got to the house,

she had cleared all her stuff out.

Oh, hey, buddy.

- Hey. - So?

Anything?

Nothing, nothing.

Left a bunch of voicemails. She's gone.

Look, whatever you decide to do, we're behind you.

Yeah, it's your call, man.

The contest is on.

You sure?

We're gonna honor Linda

by keeping her tradition going.

Can't just throw it away

because I blew things with Amy again.

Come on, don't beat yourself up.

People are expecting it. They're excited.

I'm not gonna let everyone down.

Hey, like I said before, we're in.

Linda would have been so proud of you.

Yeah, well,

wish things would've turned out a little differently.

Okay, so if we're gonna do this,

we have three days before the contest.

We gotta light a fuse for Linda.

- For Linda. - For Linda.

Once again, this is the voice of Chestnut,

Earl Pratt Jr., reminding you

that the Christmas Cookie Contest

is just around the corner.

So get those ovens preheated, those cookies baked,

those recipes out of the mothballs

because this year is going to be a doozy.

♪ Won't you come home ♪

♪ Come home for Christmas this year ♪

- Thank you. Here you go. - ♪ And spend it with me ♪

Don't forget to register for the contest.

Sure.

♪ No, it ain't easy ♪

- ♪ You got so much going on ♪ - This one.

♪ But without you this Christmas ♪

- ♪ It would feel ♪ - Thank you.

♪ Oh, so wrong ♪

- Amy! - Bradley.

- Hi. - Hi.

Don is requesting an update, pronto.

Okay, well, the update is

he's going to be very happy and so is the client.

Is that what you want me to tell him?

Yep, I do.

Don't forget, everybody,

Santa Sparks are now on sale at Cocolita's.

You only have one day left to get your cookie

submitted for the Annual Christmas Cookie Contest.

Get those recipes together

here on KNUT 100.5, The Nut.

- I did it! - You did it!

Yeah, that's good, definitely. I like that.

♪ This Christmas Day with me ♪

♪ Oh, baby, baby, baby ♪

♪ Baby, I know you're gone ♪

♪ Gone so far away ♪

By Keller's Department Stores.

Well done, team.

Stone, fantastic.

Glad you're happy.

♪ Won't you come home ♪

♪ Come home for Christmas this year ♪

♪ Won't you come home ♪

♪ Come home for Christmas this year ♪

♪ Won't you come home ♪

♪ Come home for Christmas this year ♪

♪ And spend it with me ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

Can you please hold this while I cut the ribbon?

Thank you.

Don't you dare!

No! What are you doing?

Flour!

- I forgot we had a table. - We had everything.

Hello?

Where are you, Stone?

Party starts in five minutes.

Don, um, I'm sorry.

I've decided I'm not coming.

What do you mean, you've decided?

Well, I'm demanding that you get over here, pronto.

Look.

I did what you needed me to do. I came back.

I whipped up a new campaign for Keller's in record time.

The client's happy, you're happy.

But I realized that I'm not happy.

You're in Hazelnut, aren't you?

Chestnut.

I just landed.

You know what this means?

Yeah, I do. I do, Don.

But you don't have to fire me because I quit.

Goodbye.

Wow, she really blew it.

That's why you're still an assistant.

What do you mean?

Everyone who works at this agency

should have that kind of passion.

Bradley, it's all about passion.

Yes, sir.

Attagirl.

Here you go, James.

Thanks for making it out tonight.

Tell Earl my jelly presses better win this year.

Wouldn't be the holidays without your jelly presses.

Thank you. Good luck.

James is pushing his jelly presses again.

Oh, babe, you and your jelly presses.

- Hey. - Hey, Jack.

- What's going on? - It's going. Where's Amy?

Oh, you didn't hear.

She has another obligation in New York,

so she's not gonna be able to make it.

- Oh, sorry to hear that. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, I guess we'll just have to make Linda proud without her.

We will. I'm gonna check on Earl.

We might as well get this show on the road, huh?

- Tell Junior to get it in gear. - Yeah.

Your silver snowflakes should not have salt.

Your silver snowflakes should not have salt.

I'm actually allergic to coconut.

Earl?

I'm actually not allergic to coconut,

but food allergies add drama.

You ready now?

Yes, the pipes are ready.

The golden voice is ready to lay its golden egg.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?

My name is Jack Evans.

I am the new co-owner of Cocolita Cakes.

My business partner, Amy Stone,

couldn't be with us tonight.

On behalf of her and my incredible business partners,

Luke and Jeanette Crowder,

and Frank O'Brien for letting us use his diner once again...

Yes! Frank!

...it is my great honor to welcome you

to the 50th Annual Christmas Cookie Contest.

Yeah!

Now as most of you know, Linda Sullivan,

the founder of the bakery and this great tradition

is no longer with us.

So we would like to dedicate tonight to Linda

as a celebration of her inspirational life.

And now without further ado,

I would like to introduce to you

your host and cookie judge for this evening,

the voice of Chestnut radio,

Mr. Earl Pratt.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now, as many of you know, my father, Earl Sr.,

hosted this event for many, many years,

and I am so happy and honored to be here tonight

on this very special occasion,

the 50th anniversary of the Christmas Cookie Contest.

Yes! Yes!

Linda, we miss you, but we are gonna do you proud tonight.

So who is my very first extra brave, vic...

Extra brave soul who wants to come on up here and be judged?

Don't be shy, come on.

Come on up here.

These yours?

Yes. What's your name?

- Shari. - Shari, it's nice to meet you.

Now, I know you made these cookies,

but I'm pretty sure you made that sweater too, am I right?

- Yes. - How do I know that?

Because the cookies match the sweater. Look at that!

The cookies match the sweater! I'm not lying!

This lady is coordinated.

Moment of truth, Shari. Here we go.

Now, before I do this, though,

I want to remind each and every one of you

that I will be judging each cookie tonight

by the very scientific D-A-T method.

And if you think D-A-T sounds like I made it up,

you're right, I did, I made it up.

But what does it stand for?

Well, the D stands for design.

The A, aroma.

And last but not least, T for taste.

That's good. It's very good, Shari.

Thank you so much. All right, who's next?

Let's get this party started, all right?

- Am I getting ginger? - That's a good nose, Earl.

I was always more of a Mary Ann man myself.

I smell pine. You smell the pine? Smells like pine.

Red velvet, interesting. Red for Christmas, right?

I have to commend you. You do understand decorating.

I've only been practicing for 30 years.

Aroma.

Smells like Christmas.

Fruit filling, bold choice.

That is good. Okay, thank you so much.

Ugh, I got kitchen cleaner. I'm sorry.

Oh, come on!

Very cloying on the tongue.

Like a milk or a cocoa or something.

Mmm! Mmm! Mm.

- This is really good. - I think he likes it!

Okay, thank you so much.

Do you have a favorite yet?

- You know, I think I do. - Good.

Now, have I missed any entries?

Good, because I am stuffed like a Christmas turkey.

Now after very careful and highly subjective deliberation,

I have settled on a winner

for the 50th Annual Christmas Cookie Contest.

May I have the grand prize ribbon, please?

I thought you had it.

No, I thought you did.

I don't have it.

- Do you have it? - No, I don't.

I've got it!

Amy?

Sorry. I knew I forgot something.

You flew all the way back from New York to deliver a ribbon?

All right, Earl, let's do this.

Okay, everybody, fasten your seat belts.

The winner of the 50th Annual Christmas Cookie Contest is...

Luke, could I get a drum roll, please?

Frank O'Brien and his unbeatable Melted Snowmen!

Thank you, thank you.

- And you know what this means? - What?

You get your recipe in Linda's tin.

- Yes! - And it's about time too, huh?

Oh, thank you so much.

Thank you, Linda. Thank you, Santa.

Thank you, Chestnut.

I have a surprise for you.

What is the big sur...

Santa Sparks?

No, they're better. They're mine.

And I promise I didn't use any salt.

Hmm.

Not bad.

That's it? Not bad?

They're perfect.

I thought tonight went really, really well.

Yeah, it was perfect for the 50th, don't you think?

Yes, and thank you guys so much for your hard work.

Here it is.

The award-winning Melting Snowman recipe.

- I feel honored. Thank you. - Thank you.

- It's in the tin. - Yes, it is.

Finally in the tin, Frank.

- What is that? - I don't know.

It's Aunt Linda's handwriting.

Let me hold that for you.

Open it up. What's it say?

I don't know.

Oh, wow.

"Dear Amy and Jack, if you found this,

it means you've decided to take me up

on my request to reopen the bakery

and hold the contest again."

"You might have wondered

why I chose you two for this assignment,

and with any luck, you've already figured it out.

You two always had a special place in my heart,

but most importantly,

you had a special place in each other's.

I don't want to sell my bakery to some big corporate entity.

I started it as a place for the families of Chestnut

to come and enjoy themselves.

I want you to continue the tradition,

and maybe one day you'll have a family of your own.

Until then, this bakery and all of the joy it brings

is my Christmas gift to you both."

"Merry Christmas with all my love, Aunt Linda."

It's too bad you missed the contest.

There's always next year.

Next year? What do you mean by that?

Well, we can't let tradition fade away, right?

We have a responsibility to the town and to Aunt Linda.

Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?

Yep. I'm moving back.

I'm gonna live in Aunt Linda's house

and run the bakery year round.

Do you want to be my head baker?

- I do. - Accountant?

- Oh, yeah. - I can do promotions.

Yes, you can, Earl.

Now wait a minute. I am your partner

and, uh, I was not consulted in the making of this decision.

Silent partner.

Oh, yes, well, after all that we've been through,

you're gonna play hard to get with me now?

Shush.

Merry Christmas, Jack.

Merry Christmas, Amy.