Original subtitles

Are you a pilot?

Oh, yes, I am.

That's what I want to be.

So far, I'm good with my takeoffs, but my landings need work.

They do?

Oh, it's just an app, but it feels real.

Well, one day it will be.

Until then, here is your first set of wings.

Wow, pink.

You're welcome.

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Hi, Zoe.

Oh, hey, Phil.

How's the charter business going?

It's great. I just bought a bigger plane.

Oh, you're my role model.

Well, I'm auctioning off my old pipe for next month. You should bid.

Maybe I will.

I hope you do. Have a Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Phil.

Hi, Mom. Your dad's here, too. I'm putting you on speaker.

Hi, honey.

Well, um, I just got the letter.

The probate's cleared.

I've officially inherited Gus Henderson's ranch.

How are you feeling about it?

Well, honestly, I'm pretty sad.

I mean, I can't imagine the place without him.

And I can't believe he left it to me. Of course he left it to you, honey. He was

like your grandfather.

And he taught you how to fly.

I think Gus giving you his ranch is his way of helping you get your own plane.

I'd rather have guts.

But I'm on a plane tomorrow to Alaska. I'm going to sign the papers and take

a look at it one last time before I put it on the market.

But you are going to be back in Tampa. Time for Christmas.

That's two weeks away.

I'll be out of Alaska in one week. Top.

Can't wait to see you.

Love you.

Love you.

That's like how I remember it. Christmas time's the best.

Who rides a motorcycle in December in Alaska?

Otto, just try a peppermint brownie. The customers will love them, and they're

Christmassy. On you.

We serve apple pie, lemon pie, and chocolate pudding. Nobody orders the

chocolate pudding. Yes, they do. Nobody orders it twice.

Try one of the brownies. They're delicious.

I ate half a pan last night.

I'll think about it.

Merry Christmas.

Zoe! You're here early!

Hi. Hi, Brock.

And hello, Otto.

Do I know you? Otto, you remember Zoe.

My best friend from high school.

We used to hang out here all the time.

When I was a teenager, I used Gus's plane to buy you a replacement coil for

deep fryer.

The teenage pilot.

You saved my summer. I remember you. You were Gus Henderson's best student.

How are your parents? They're great.

Yeah, my dad's still working at the post office in Florida. They love the

weather.

I'm so excited that you're here.

You won't reconsider staying with me and Brock?

Oh, you know what? I'm going to stay at the Rand.

I think it might be my last chance.

Okay. Well, then let us bring over dinner tonight. We'll get caught up.

sounds great.

I'll send over some chocolate pudding.

Ooh, that's okay.

Call me Tracy.

I hear Gus left you his ranch. He did.

Are you going to do the Christmas festival this year? It hasn't been the

since Gus stopped.

Oh, I'm only in town for a little while. I don't think so.

Oh, well, maybe next year.

It's so good to see you.

You're all grown up.

Bye.

That takes care of the transfer fee. Now the property is officially

yours.

You know... I've seen people put their cats on these, but never a plane.

Yeah, it's there to motivate me.

I'd like to start my own charter airline.

Wow. And you've always wanted to fly?

Pretty much.

I remember when I was little, I would go with my dad to pick up the bags when

Gus would do a mail run.

I'd watch that plane land and just think, wow, I want to do that.

And now you are.

It's all that you hoped for.

Honestly, it's better.

It's like getting paid to have fun.

Sometimes I think I'm more at home in the air than on the ground.

How long did you stay here in town for? Just a couple of days, and then

Christmas in Florida and back home to Seattle.

Hey, you don't have a recommendation for a real estate agent in the area, do

you? Absolutely.

It's a small town. We all wear a lot of hats.

Well, you are hired.

Well, I'll go through my buyer's list, but if no one bites, we may not be able

to sell the ranch until spring.

Oh. Is that going to be a problem?

These Alaska winters can be rough.

No, it shouldn't be. Yes, a ranch like yours does need constant care, plumbing,

wiring, roofing, but you're very lucky that your caretaker, Alec, is really

good. Alec, yes. Gus mentioned him to me over the phone. He used to be a

wilderness guy. He still is.

He's been helping Gus out in the winters ever since Ida passed.

Gus already paid for the entire season, so... Thank you, Gus.

All right, well, let's go take a look at your ranch.

All right, let's go.

Well, it's a little isolated out here, but Alex is usually around. There's a

pickup. I love this place so much.

You moved away just before I came to Aurora.

Did you spend a lot of time here at the ranch? Well, Gus and Ida were like

grandparents to me, and I actually lived here my senior year when my dad was

transferred to Florida.

So this is like a homecoming for you.

Are you sure you want to sell?

Well, in a perfect world, I'd keep it, but my life is in Seattle.

Don't make me doubt myself. You'll lose your commission.

Forget I said anything.

You know, if it wasn't the middle of December, this place would be very

marketable. Oh, and there's a Jeep in the garage.

Hey, Gus and Ida's trees.

Oh, they've grown.

Such a sweet gesture.

Planning a live Christmas tree February we're married.

It's like a love letter written in trees.

this room.

It's amazing.

Is this you?

Yeah, that's the day I got my pilot's license.

Gus was such a good teacher.

He and Ida were so kind to me. Everyone in town loved them.

Oh, this brand new kitchen will completely sell this house.

Gus retired.

And he sold his Cessna to Jeff Peters. And then he put all that money into

building Ida's dream kitchen.

Oh, there she is.

Who?

Hi, Holly.

Oh, I remember when Gus and Ida found her. She just lost her mother and they

bottle fed her.

She must be 15 years old.

Now, you missed her.

Never met you before.

Oh, that's Palmer.

Gus got him last year. Alex has been taking such great care of both

Oh, quite an entrance.

Are you going to introduce me or should I introduce myself?

Zoe Hathaway. Meet Alec Lynn.

Oh, nice to meet you. I've heard such good things about you.

I've heard about you, too.

Well, I don't mean to be blunt, but you stay in or sell?

Actually, I'm selling.

Well, it was nice to meet you.

If you'll excuse me, I have a fence to repair.

Palmer keeps getting out.

Bye.

I like you as a good guy.

A little rough around the edges, maybe.

Yeah, I can see that.

Hey, come here.

Come here.

Hi.

Hi, Palmer.

I'm Zoe.

Nice to meet you.

Wow, it smells amazing.

You need to stop working for Otto and open your own restaurant.

That's the master plan.

Um, not for another few years or so.

Maybe open a restaurant or a B &B. What are you looking for?

This.

Ida had a secret recipe for Christmas with cookies.

Oh, I love those. They were so crunchy.

Everybody did. She made hundreds of them for the Christmas festival, and I am

dying to know how she made them.

It's not here.

On the plus side, if you need 20 ways to cook salmon, you're safe.

Thank you. Good to know.

I'm so glad you're here.

Video chatting isn't the same. No, it's not.

I love Aurora, but you see such fabulous places.

I bet you get to hang out with the cool people every night.

Guys, I'm up at four in the morning, and I'm in bed at eight o 'clock at night.

The cool people are being cool without me.

By the way, I met Alec Wynn today.

He was not very talkative. He talks at the diner the most I get as a please and

a thank you.

He's a nice guy.

I know Gus liked him. Yeah, so Gus mentioned him to me on the phone. He

trusted him. But I was actually picturing somebody more Gus's age.

So Alec is going to stay on to the play cell? Well, I haven't talked to him

about it yet, but he's paid through the winter.

So I just hope the play cell's really fast, and then we'll be totally covered.

Well, I think dinner's ready.

Who's hungry?

Me. I am. Let's go.

Good morning.

Feeding the reindeer.

I want to show you how to do it.

Oh, can't we do that later?

No.

Dress yourself more.

I know how to dress.

I'm here.

Oh, look at all these decorations from the Christmas festival.

It's the sleigh.

This is the sleigh.

All the kids from the town get their picture taken with Santa on this sleigh.

Oh, look at all these lights.

Holly and Palmer are waiting.

Oh, so sorry.

Didn't mean to delay your breakfast.

So the reindeer get fed twice a day. I aim for 6 a .m., 6 p .m.

Got it.

Good. They each get one scoop of these pellets and some hay.

You'll need more feed.

In a couple of days, you can get it at the hardware store in town.

Check.

Now the well.

Frees up in the pump house. The light goes out. You got to keep an eye on

Oil furnace needs delivery next month.

And there's a generator back there. The power goes out.

Okay.

Good luck.

Good luck? Where are you going?

He's charming, isn't he?

Are you leaving?

It's your place now.

Now you're here.

Now for me to move on.

But I'm not staying.

I need you here.

And Karen said Gus paid you through the winter.

And I gave you the money back.

All right.

I don't understand. What's really going on here?

Gus loved this ranch.

He built the house himself.

Him and I had planted all those trees.

He didn't leave it to you just so you could sell it to some strangers.

He left it to me so I could buy my plane.

Oh, yeah?

He tell you that?

Well, not in so many words, but he knew I lived in Seattle. He knew I was saving

up to buy a plane.

He had to know I'd sell the ranch.

Sounds like to me you're just planning on dumping.

I'm not going to sell it to just anyone.

I'm going to sell it to someone who loves it just as much as we do, and he's

going to care for it. And the reindeer.

Oh, what if the new owners don't want reindeer?

You haven't thought this through, have you?

Pauline Palmer deserve a good home.

I'm going to find them a good home, but I can't stay here.

Alec, my job is in Seattle.

I need you here.

What if you were involved in the sale?

We'll have a partnership.

Can't be a partnership.

Of course we can.

We'll work together to find the perfect buyer for this place.

You'll be an important part of the decision.

Oh. But you hold all the cards.

All right.

So I'll give you an A.

If you stay until this place sells, I'll give you 10%. Not about the money.

And I promise to listen to whatever you have to say about the buyer.

If you think I'm selling to the wrong person, tell me.

I'll listen. I'm a very good listener.

Sure are a good talker.

You ever get tired of flying, you go into sales.

Well, you're a tough customer.

What do I have to do to seal this deal? Throw in a toaster?

I don't need a toaster.

You don't know me.

Why does my opinion matter?

Well, Gus trusted you.

That means a lot to me.

This ranch is special.

It needs you.

So do I.

Deal?

Deal.

So I've only got four more days in town and I really want to spruce up the

place. All those real estate shows say that the little details make a big

difference. Like what?

Like, maybe put some Christmas lights up around the windows?

Only have to take them down in January.

But they'd be so pretty.

Do you want stockings and candy canes, too? Maybe a train set running through

the yard? Not much of a Christmas fan, huh?

Not really.

I love Christmas.

Why am I not surprised?

So what else are we going to do?

Well, clean everything, declutter. Oh, and I think that thermostat might be

broken on the furnace.

I installed the furnace. I can take a look at that. Great. Thank you. And if

need a new one, I'll just grab one at the hardware store. I have a project

too. Banister on the porch is loose.

Got to trim back those trees.

And we need to take a look at that barn.

We make a good team.

Yeah.

These boards are all worn out.

I have to clear the whole barn.

Oh.

Well, we can't have everything.

I guess the four can wait.

I promise that we will find you a good home.

Huh. That's a cool picture.

Who took that?

I did.

Whoa.

I saw some camera equipment.

So that... Are you a professional?

No, just a hobby.

Cool.

Okay, I'm going to go to the hardware store and get a little bit more radio

feed. Karen said something about me inheriting a Jeep.

Can you drive stick?

Can I drive stick?

It's got wheels, wings, or a rudder. I can make it go.

Merry Christmas. How can I help you? Hi. I need a new one of these.

Do you have one? Yeah. One thermostat coming up.

Anything else?

Um, yeah.

Is that everything?

Chart.

Cool.

Are you the pilot?

The one that used to live here?

Yeah.

I always wanted to learn how to fly and then got sold this plane before I could

take any lessons.

Could you teach me? Oh, I'm only here for a couple of days. I don't have time.

Too bad.

Oh, Zoe, you're exactly who I need to talk to. But just one second.

Hey, Danny, George is tying a Christmas tree up to my car. Could you ring it up

for me, please? Yeah, sure thing, Mrs. Yazzie. Thanks.

Fixing things up out there?

Yeah, starting to.

All right, well, no pressure, but I just spoke with a potential buyer. I cannot

believe how lucky we are, but they're actually very interested. Can I bring

out tomorrow morning?

Absolutely.

All right, try and make the ranch look as homey as possible. This might be our

last chance until spring. Like I said, no pressure.

You got it. Thank you, Danny. Merry Christmas.

I'll see you tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed.

You know what?

I'm going to go check out your Christmas trees out there.

I'll be back. Sure.

Here comes Santa Claus.

You bought a tree.

We have a buyer coming tomorrow.

Karen thinks we should make the place a little more homey. You own a mountain

covered in trees, and you bought one from the store.

Oh, good point.

A little late.

Well, I like this tree.

Oh! Oh!

Let me help. Thank you.

Stack the halls with bells of holly, fa -la -la -la -la, la -la -la.

Everybody, tis the season to be jolly.

Not a singer?

No. Why am I not surprised?

Want me to install the service then?

Yes, please.

Nice talking to you.

And heaven and nature sing.

And heaven and nature sing. You know you're going to scare the reindeer.

And heaven and heaven and nature sing.

Welcome to the ranch.

Gorgeous.

We've been looking all over, and so far this place checks all the boxes.

River Rock is so dated.

You think we could paint it white?

Well, we did that back at the Montana ranch. It looked great.

You own a ranch in Montana.

We used to, but we just didn't use it enough. But we've always wanted to own a

home in Alaska.

I'm not sure if this barn is big enough.

Oh, Alec, these are the upstins.

What kind of livestock you planted on? Oh, not livestock.

I have a lot of, well, Melissa likes to call them toys.

In Alaska, I'll need snowmobiles, a couple boats, some off -road vehicles.

Back home in Connecticut, he had to build a second garage.

What can I say? I like my toys.

It's plenty big enough.

We should just clear it out a little bit.

Oh, yes. Clearing out of the barn is definitely on the to -do list before the

sale.

That's me.

Come on.

Come on, pup.

Bye. Are they leaving already?

Hey, Alec. Great news.

They think this would make the perfect vacation house.

She kept nudging him to stop talking, and he said they're going to make an

offer.

A plane goes up for auction next month, and I never thought I'd be able to save

it, but I think I'm going to be able to make a bid.

What's wrong with you?

So when you said you wanted great people to buy the ranch, you just meant anyone

who would make an offer.

What? There's nothing wrong with the Epson.

You really think that?

Sure.

First they start with the bar, and then they'll tear the whole house down.

Are we partners in this or not?

We are.

Then I vote no.

Hey.

Hey.

You're already up.

Yes, I am.

Well, I feel like you're about to break up our partnership.

No.

No, I... I want to be partners.

I think I...

I was so focused on the sale, I wasn't thinking things through.

The Epsons are bad people. No, of course they're not. But they're not our

buyers.

But I've also flown charters with people like that before, and they're...

Careless? Exactly.

They're going to get bored with this place in a year, maybe two.

And then they're going to sell it without giving it a second thought.

I just wouldn't want the place to be empty most of the year.

And I definitely wouldn't want that fireplace to be painted white.

That's where Karen's best prospect.

Sorry.

So, I wonder.

We want to show the world how spectacular this ranch is, right?

Mm -hmm.

I was talking to Tracy Walker, and she asked me about Gus's Christmas festival.

Did you ever see it?

No.

Gus did talk about it, though. It's my favorite Aurora memory.

What if we revived it?

What?

Now? We're looking for the perfect buyer, right?

It's a great way to spread the word and show the place off. People used to come

from all over. Plus, I think it would be really fun.

The town would love it.

And when would this be happening?

Okay, Christmas is in nine days, so it would be next Saturday, the 23rd. Next

Saturday. Ooh, I'd have to change my flight to Florida, but I could do that.

You think it's a bad idea?

No, it's a lot to do in a very short period of time. Well, we could do that.

Come on.

Oh, okay. These go, okay, they go right outside the barn next to the sleigh.

We're going to need a Santa.

No.

No. All right. You know what? You have neither the physique nor the

Oh, my Christmas village.

And we're going to have our work cut out for us, organizing these lights. Oh, I

need a great picture of Gus.

Right here.

Oh, uh, what are you doing there?

You'll see.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

You don't look very merry.

This isn't my kind of thing.

How long do we have to be doing this for? Until all the flyers are gone.

I heard you were back.

Listen, stop by the dress shop. I want to hear everything about everything.

I will.

And this is fantastic.

The festival was always my favorite part of Christmas.

Yeah, me too.

I used to do half my shopping at the craft booth.

Oh, those booths were great. I don't think we'll have time to organize that

year.

I know all the craftspeople in town.

Let me handle the booth.

That would be great.

Oh, I'm happy to help. So good to see you.

Thanks.

That's huge.

Merry Christmas.

Tracy!

Hi!

So you're going to be in town long enough after all.

Kind of inspired me. I'm so glad.

I mean, the festival is always the heart of this town. Things just weren't the

same after it stopped.

You're doing a wonderful thing.

And so are you.

Bye!

My ninth grade teacher.

She's a hugger. I noticed.

This makes me so happy.

Can Brock and I be in charge of food?

Ooh, I'd have to check with my planning partner here.

Yeah.

Jeff Peters.

Oh, Zoe!

Hi. It's great to see you. You too.

Oh, man.

Kyle's got the plane.

Oh, she's a beauty.

I'm covering Gus's old delivery route every day. She's steady as can be. Oh,

great. Jeff, aren't you supposed to be on your mail run right now? Yeah, about

that. That reindeer of Gus has shut down the airstrip again.

And it's your reindeer now, right? Yeah.

Wait, you said Palmer had been getting out, but the airstrip's miles away.

We got to go get him.

Sorry,

Jeff. Yeah.

Come on, Bev. We've got to head home.

You know what?

I'm kind of a city girl.

Reindeer wrangling isn't really in my department.

What's the protocol here?

Do you get nervous if I come a little bit towards you? Nope.

Okay. I'm going to go back and see if Alec has gotten here yet.

You okay?

I wasn't talking to a reindeer.

Palmer?

Palmer? Come here, buddy.

Come here. It's okay.

Hey. Okay, buddy.

Well, you made that look easy.

Yeah, lots of practice.

So, he's been to this airstrip before?

Yeah, last month.

Why does he keep coming back here?

I have no idea.

Good. You got him.

Zoe Hathaway.

Chuck. Merry Christmas.

And, uh, welcome back to Aurora.

Thanks. How's the airstrip these days?

Oh, the airstrip's better than ever. It's just my knees.

They're getting a little creaky. But after 40 years on the job, I don't blame

them.

Come on inside.

I need to talk to you. Sure. Yeah, you got it. We'll be right back.

You're the legal owner of the reindeer now, right? Right.

And this is the second time you still late a flight. Yeah, I'm sorry about

I'll make sure it never happens again.

Well, I'm sorry, too, because with a second offense, there's a fine.

The FAA does not mess around.

Well, it'd be cash or credit.

Oh.

Um, debit.

Getting a lot of use these days.

I'm never going to get my claim.

Sorry? Nothing.

Mom, don't worry. I will be home for Christmas. I'm flying on standby with a

buddy pass on Christmas Eve day.

You know what? I have to go. I'm making coffee for the Christmas festival.

All right, I love you.

Okay, stir on the nut.

Okay.

Flying on Christmas Eve is going to be tricky.

Yeah, that's what she said. She's worried I'm not going to make it. She

be. No, it'll be fine. I always spend it with them.

Oh.

Dad, hello?

Would you stop?

Listen, even if I have to hitch a ride on Santa's sleigh, I will be home in

Florida for Christmas.

Bye. Bye.

Okay, I think we did it. All right.

Ready to test them? Yeah.

Okay.

Wait, what just happened?

We just blew the generator.

No!

Yeah.

I need a new generator.

No problem. And 500 strings of Christmas lights. That could be a problem. I

don't have that many lights at the store.

I mean, we got what you need in Fairbanks, but it wouldn't be here until

Christmas. Well, can they be overnighted?

We could send a truck, but... It's going to cost you a lot. Well, I've got to

have them.

Here you go.

My plane fund.

It's getting emptier and emptier.

Do you have to put on the festival?

I know people are looking forward to it. I'm putting it on so that people can

see the property.

If they come from out of town, they'll see Aurora at its best.

I love this place.

I forgot how much I missed everyone here.

So, what time does the barn dance start after the festival? I forgot about the

barn dance. Oh, you've got to have a dance.

You know, Gus and Ida used to always have Santa and the sleighs, lights in

trees, and that big Christmas star on top of the ranch house. I haven't even

seen that star.

Oh, you've got to find it.

But most of all, you've got to finish off with a big barn dance.

I mean, we have to celebrate.

Otto is a big grump all year, but at Christmas he's like a little kid.

I am not a grump.

You know, that barn floor is not in good shape.

There's reindeer living in there.

The reindeer are the guests of honor.

Oh. Otto's got an answer for everything.

I wish I did.

I'm back.

Do not tell me you need more lights. You are going to outshine the Aurora

Borealis. No.

Do you have any wide plank oak flooring? I need to pick the barn floor fast.

For the barn dance?

Everybody's looking forward to it.

Yeah, I have plenty of wide plank oak.

It's a little spendy. Of course it is.

So I was wondering, the hardware store used to do the Christmas ring toss

and it's for little kids, but, you know, it's really fun. I remember that.

Any chance you would want to organize that for the festival?

Really? You're sure?

Yes, I'm sure.

Yeah. Yeah, I could do that. Cool.

Great.

Where are the Christmas lights?

Oh, they're coming on the truck tomorrow.

And these are boards for the barn.

There's going to be a dance.

I know it's getting bigger and bigger, but I really appreciate all your work.

Not a mind. I kind of feel like I'm doing it for Gus.

He was sad that he had to stop the festival. He always said someday he'd

it up again.

I guess someday's now.

You know, um, there used to be this big star that all the kids... We'd make

wishes on.

Do you know what happened to that? Yeah, he lent it to a church in Greenville a

couple years ago.

You think we could get it back?

It's 150 miles away.

Oh. We could drive that.

In the past, it's already snowed in.

So we can't drive that.

No. Well, I guess we can't have everything.

All right, I got this guy. You got those.

After you. Thank you.

And how's the vibe?

Boring. There's the lights.

Okay, fine equals... The Hathaway Charter

Fund is not looking good.

And we're finished.

All right.

Thanks for the help. Yeah, no problem. You got a couple extra boards left over?

After I just throw them in the cabin.

You don't kind of surprise how much I'm liking that cabin.

I've always said, living outside, being in a tent's the way to go.

Having a roof over my head and a nice comfy bed.

Pretty nice.

You think that means I'm getting old?

Yeah, it does.

You don't have to be that honest.

Oh, hey, look at you.

One dance floor ready to go?

Well, good, because they just delivered 500 strings of Christmas lights in a

generator. Do you want to help?

I've got 27 trees that need lighting.

Oh, no, I got to get back to the diner.

Yeah, you kids have fun.

All right.

I see.

I know, right?

There's years of happiness in Gus and Iva's trees.

Those are the longest I've been earthbound since I got my license.

I got to get up in the air.

I like my feet on the ground.

Never been in a plane in my life. What?

How'd you get to Alaska?

I got these things called roads.

I got to get you up in the sky.

Yeah. No, thanks.

All right. It'd be you and me in the cockpit. We'd have the whole sky in

of us.

The best feeling in the world.

Oh, thank you. So how long have you been in Alaska?

Seven years now.

Never stayed in one place much until I started spending winters here with Gus.

Where were you before that?

All over, but I'd spend the rest of the year at a glacier tour company.

Ooh. That sounds interesting.

Cold. Yeah, it was.

Gus used to say, if I spent one more year there, I'd be Alec the snowman. I

just hear him saying that.

Yeah, he was a good man.

He was the best.

He always made me feel welcome.

Like he was happy I was here.

And now there's something about this ranch, just... It almost feels like...

Home.

Yeah.

Which is strange because home's a word I never thought I'd care about.

I mean, I do.

You know, I feel the same way.

Brock and Anya, I think they think I lead this glamorous life, but actually

can be a little lonely.

Really?

I figured you had loads of friends.

No, I do. I do.

I mean, no one as close as Anya. She's like family.

But I guess in Aurora, it's hard to be lonely because I know everybody.

And everybody knows me.

Yeah. To Aurora.

To Aurora.

All right.

Ready? Ready.

Oh.

Oh, I've got to get a picture.

Here.

You know what?

It's better in person. Yeah, let me try with it.

You brought your camera?

Of course.

Wait.

No, don't get me.

No, get the trees. Don't get me.

Okay, I'll get the trees.

No, stop.

I don't want you to get me. Stop. Oh, that's perfect.

Stop it. I mean it. Stop.

Okay.

Wow.

It's actually really nice.

That is good.

Oh, will you send it to me? I want to send a copy to my folks. Of course.

You know, it's the first time I've ever decorated a Christmas tree.

You've got to be kidding.

No.

My mom died when I was a baby, and my dad wasn't exactly a decorations guy.

You know, I look back on it, and I think Christmas probably made him really sad

and miss my mom.

But he always got me a present.

One year he got me a camera.

It was nothing fancy, just a little point and shoot, but I thought it was

greatest thing in the world.

I was a pretty quiet kid, and my dad said, you should let your pictures do

talking for you.

And you know what? He was right.

I really got into it.

Sounds like a smart man.

Yeah, he was.

So what about you?

What's your favorite Christmas present?

Oh, flying lessons.

14 years old.

Made my parents nervous, but they knew it was what I really wanted.

Well, here's my stop.

Yeah.

Good night.

Hello. Zoe.

I have some promising news.

Oh. What is it? Well, there's a boutique hotel firm that scoped out the property

a couple years ago. Gus thought about their offer, but he decided not to sell.

I'm surprised you thought about it. Well, they're very good people, and he

tempted. But anyway, they contacted me, and they want to arrange a meeting with

you. A hotel firm? Well, this might be your last year's offer before spring. It

doesn't hurt to talk to them. All right.

Thank you.

Hey, Ginny, sorry to bother you. Can I speak to Jeff for a minute, please?

Alec. Jeff?

Hey, Alec.

Hey, what's up, man?

I need a favor.

Yeah, sure.

Hello? Hi, Zoe.

I'm sorry to call.

Crack of dawn, but our pilot, Jeff Peters, can't make it in today.

And I'm desperate for a substitute, so I was wondering if maybe... I'll do it. I

can do it. I'll do it.

Hey. Hey.

Come on in. Thanks.

You need me at the airfield right away, but my cue won't start.

Oh, uh, do you want to borrow my truck?

Anyway, I could borrow your bike.

It'd be so much faster. I could take the trail instead of the main road.

Told you I could drive anything.

Yeah, it's just the trails are a little icy this time of year.

Here, let me take you. I'll grab my jacket.

Oh, that would be great. Thank you.

Oh, wow.

Did you take these pictures?

Oh, uh, yeah.

That looks a little barren here.

They're good.

He doesn't see them.

They're just for fun.

Okay, let's get going.

Okay.

Thank you. You're welcome.

You okay?

I'll pick you up.

What time?

Oh, uh, I don't know. Come on in. We'll check with Chuck.

Zoe, you are going to be one popular person today.

You see, it's the last big postal service delivery before Christmas.

six towns on your route.

Now, the planes are loaded and itinerary's right here.

You're going to be surprised how many boxes are on board, so it's a good thing

you brought a helper.

No.

No, I'm staying here on the ground. Come on.

You'll have a front row seat to the whole guy.

I've almost got to be here to feed the reindeer to fix, so I should just go. I

can call Brock and have him do that.

You could take pictures from the plane.

Alec?

Zoe, people who don't like to fly really, really don't like to fly.

Me? Hey, I'm a flyer.

And when I retire, that's all I'm going to do.

Oh, come on. You're never going to retire. You love this job.

I'm retiring at the end of the month. Oh, I can't imagine this place without

you.

Well, look who's a flyer after all.

Let's do this.

Stack the halls with buzz of hollies.

You really think that's going to help?

Got your eyes opened, didn't it?

You won't regret it. Promise.

Wow.

That's beautiful.

That's the 714 X -ray Delta. I do want to remind you, you are currently on an

open channel.

Isn't so bad.

Come on, this is the best.

So why do you love flying so much?

Oh, hard to put into words.

But I've loved being in the air since my first lesson with Gus.

And I knew right away the sky is where I belong.

Thank you so much. Merry Christmas.

Have a good one.

I can't tell you how happy I am to get these. We're delivering them tonight.

What are they?

Us troopers all chip in to make sure every kid in the district gets a

Everything okay?

The company said wrapping included. I thought that meant the presents were

to be wrapped.

I'll never get these done in time. Wait, wait. We only have one more stop. Do

you want us to help you?

Thank you.

I'll show you how it's done.

Oh.

How are you so good at this?

You're the guy that never had a Christmas tree.

You never had a Christmas tree?

It's a long story.

I've had a lot of jobs. One Christmas I worked for a mail order company.

When you get paid by the package, you learn to be quick.

Never a dull moment with this one.

Last stop is in Greenville, but it doesn't say what it is.

Do you know something about this?

Reverend said he'd leave it for us in this locker.

Leave what?

Open it and find out.

Christmas star.

Now you have everything you need.

Thank

you

for getting me this star.

I just made a couple of calls.

That's not all you did.

It wasn't a coincidence that Jeff didn't come into work today.

Did you talk to him?

You gummed me the Christmas tree.

I wanted to get you something, too.

Well, thank you.

Alec, get your camera.

What's happening?

Look.

It's magic.

I've seen the note of their lives before.

If the lights are here, that means we're going to be in a roars.

In time for the festival, I hope.

Me too.

So how are we going to get that star home?

Oh, I'll pick it up from Chuck tomorrow.

Okay.

Whoa. Did you see that?

No. Oh. You know what? I thought I saw a reindeer.

You don't think Palmer would... No.

I didn't see anything.

Yeah. I got visions of reindeer dancing in my head.

All right.

Okay.

So once I'm done sorting, I'm going to drop a box off at the thrift shop

downtown. Do you want to take a look at the starter on your Jeep?

Oh, that's okay. I already fixed it. It was just a loose connection.

My truck could use an oil change if you get the chance.

I won't.

Oh, my gosh. What a mess. Sorry.

Need some help?

Oh, wow.

I can't believe he kept them all that time.

Wherever I went, I would send Gus and Ida a postcard.

Look, this is the one I sent them when I first moved to Florida.

I'm in Tampa. The landing was bumpy. The pilot needed you for a teacher, Gus.

Sending love, Zoe.

Merry Christmas from Florida. Love, Zoe.

P .F., I'm coming up in the summer to visit for sure.

I sent that last Christmas.

I never made it up to visit him.

I just knew you loved him.

You showed me this.

Made him laugh.

So this is the first Christmas I'll be in Florida and I won't be sending Gus a

card.

I thought you were staying in Aurora.

Christmas is only two days after the festival.

Oh, I have to go back.

Christmas Eve.

It wouldn't feel like Christmas if I didn't spend it with my parents.

Right. Of course.

But you are coming back?

Oh, you know what? I have to work.

Oh.

Yeah. Yeah, once this place is sold, I'm going to be moving on, too.

Back to the glacier company.

Yeah, they always have a spot for me.

Anyway, I'm going to head to the airstrip, and I'm going to get Gus's

you later. Oh, okay.

See ya.

Hey.

Well, looks like everyone's getting back to their old lives.

You know what?

I wish that I could take this whole ranch and just fly it right back to

The whole town, but...

I guess I can't have everything I want.

Talking to a reindeer.

More coffee?

Sure.

You look depressed.

Alex

looks

depressed.

He always looks depressed.

Not since he's been working with Zoe. You need to go talk to him.

No, honey. Now.

How's it going?

Getting ready for the big shindig?

Yeah.

It's nice of Zoe to bring that back.

Anya asked you to come over here, didn't she?

Yeah, I promised her I would, but you don't have to say anything.

Zoe, did you catch any of the hockey game last night?

Tell Anya I'm fine.

You don't look fine.

You make good coffee, Brock.

I'm going to miss it.

In fact, there's a lot of things I'm going to miss about Aurora.

Just because Zoe fell on the ranch doesn't mean you have to go anywhere.

I'm sure we could find a roof and a bed for you somewhere in town.

I hear that's important to old people like you.

No, soon enough. I'll be sleeping in my favorite tent.

I'll just get a coffee.

See ya. See ya.

What did you guys talk about?

Hockey.

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Zoe's so excited for the festival. Oh, yes, in three days. Can't wait.

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Hi, Zoe.

Wow, she has a lot of shopping bags.

Yeah, she has five daughters, and she was buying them all dresses for the

What are you wearing? Oh, I have a sweet little dress for my parents for

Christmas. I'll wear that. It's nothing fancy, but it'll work. It's a party. You

need a party dress.

Like that one.

I do like red.

Come on.

Try it on.

Okay.

Hi.

You want to go in?

Okay.

What's going on? I spoke with the hotel company. Can we meet at the ranch

tomorrow morning?

Sure.

If you decide to sell us this beautiful property, this is what we propose.

Guests will check in at the ranch house and stay in one of 12 unique bungalows.

Each bungalow will have its own character and a spectacular view. People

come from all over the world to see the Aurora Borealis in all its glory. Can

you pause it, please?

Gus and Ida's trees are missing. We wanted to make room for that spectacular

view.

The trees have sentimental value. Is there any way that maybe they can be

transplanted? I'll look into it.

Okay, this ranch is really special, so we're going to need to find a buyer who

understands that. I agree. This place is special, and we do want to preserve

what's here.

So let me talk to my team, and I will get back to you with a revised proposal

and an offer.

Sorry.

Great.

Oh, wait and see what that says.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

I was sure you'd be against the sale. I think she meant what she said about

preserving the land.

Trees could always be moved.

But Gus planted those trees with Ida. I know.

Sometimes things have to change.

And if they buy it, I might get the money in time for the plane sale.

And I'm about ready to head out into the wild.

Aren't you worried about turning into Alec the Snowman?

No, I'll be fine.

And hey, if they do buy it, they won't have to put it on the festival after

I know.

But I want to do it.

I think people would really love it. And I love Aurora.

So it would be like giving everybody a gift before I go.

But...

Listen, this means a lot of extra work for you, too, so I can't just do my

decision.

I think it will make Gus happy.

Let's do it for Gus.

Remind me to tell Zoe that Otto's going to play Santa tomorrow.

Better than me.

I should do it.

I hate the idea of moving the trees.

And I haven't even found homes for the reindeer yet. Maybe you and Alec could

run the ranch as a bed and breakfast.

I'm going home, remember?

And Alec wants to get back to the wild.

Too bad. You guys seem good together.

Anyway, opening a B &B feels like your dream. My dream? Flying.

See, I don't know why I do that.

I'm this close to owning my own charter plane. Slow down. You're going to break

this sister.

Oh, my God.

I forgot the cookie cutter for the gingerbread men.

Oh, no. It's a Christmas emergency.

Don't worry. Ida has one, I'm sure.

All these drawers.

Gingerbread men.

It's Ida's secret Christmas cookie recipe.

And the secret ingredient is...

Cornflake cereal.

No, it's not.

Yes. No wonder she kept it a secret.

I'm going to make hundreds of these cookies. But I want you to swear to me

you will never tell a living soul the secret of the cornflakes. I swear it.

Zoe Hathaway, it's sure nice having you back in town.

Hello?

Hi, Zoe.

Your reindeer's here again.

Oh, no.

Well, I'm glad you're here.

Palmer's down by the fence as usual.

We got one plain circle and he can't land.

Ah, Zoe, I'm afraid there's going to be another fine.

Rules are rules.

Nah, I understand.

Not your fault.

Palmer, come here.

He tracked on something on the other side of the fence. How does he keep

out? I'm not sure, but it's driving me crazy.

Maybe he flies.

That is the best answer we have right now.

What is he seeing?

I don't know. I don't see anything.

Well, where did you come from?

Sadie.

Sadie. Hello.

Hi.

Is there a reindeer convention I didn't know about?

There you are, girl.

You gotta stop scaring me like this.

Sadie. She keeps coming here.

Palmer keeps coming here.

It's like they knew each other.

Where did you get her?

From a guy in Tuscola who was moving out of state.

Palmer came from Tuscola.

I didn't know there were two reindeer.

They must have been a pair that got split up. And they've been coming back

to find each other.

Oh.

Any chance you've got room for Palmer?

And one more.

Sweet old lady named Holly.

I wish I did.

I've got horses and goats and barely enough room for Sadie. My wife says if I

bring home one more animal, they're going to build a bigger barn and a stall

me. We don't want that.

Come on, girl.

Time to go home.

Oh, don't look at me like that, guys.

You're killing me.

I can't believe you took another one.

You're supposed to be finding home the ones you already have.

Palmer and Sadie were looking for each other.

They need to be together.

Sure.

Good night, you two.

Good night.

Good night. See ya.

I'm really glad they got a happy ending.

Some couples are just meant to be, huh?

We have the whole town coming tomorrow.

We still have a lot of work to do.

You ready to get up in that tree one last time?

I've been thinking about your pictures.

How would you feel if we put them up on the wall?

Yeah, I don't think so. Why not?

Isn't it kind of like showing off?

No, they're beautiful. They deserve to be shown off.

You really think so?

I really do.

Let's get back to work.

I think we're ready.

Yeah.

So where is everybody?

I don't know.

Maybe I was wrong about how excited people were.

But not even rocking on here.

I know.

Hey, what's going on?

A giant tree just fell across the main road. The road crew says that they can't

get it moved today.

Oh, no.

Well, maybe everybody could take the trail.

It's too narrow for cars. It would take all day.

We're going to have to cancel the festival.

This happened the first year I worked for Gus.

It took him a week to get the road clear.

Man!

Feel better?

A little bit.

Hey, look at that.

What?

Hey!

Hey!

Hey,

Zoe! We heard this party is B -Y -O -C.

What does that mean?

Bring your own cable.

How the town is on their way to help tell this tree out of the road.

That's right. We are not missing this festival for anything.

I love the town.

Who's this now?

Mom! Dad!

Surprise!

What are you doing here?

We booked a flight.

We were worried you wouldn't get a seat. But you got a seat.

Well, that was no problem. Nobody flies from Florida to Alaska in the dead of

winter. That does.

You hate the cold.

Yeah, well, we love you more.

Here they come.

You never gave me the recipe. Are you going to share?

Never.

When is Santa coming?

Well, any minute now.

Are you sure?

He'll be here. I promise.

I think Gus's Santa suit will fit you perfectly.

Is that wool? Yeah, it is. And there's a cape, too.

And I'm like... Fake fur and real wool to keep you warm. Otto is allergic to

wool. Severely allergic. You don't want a Santa with hives. Honey, I'll be fine.

Don't worry about it.

Is there anyone else you can find?

No. Please.

No.

I'm happy to take pictures. We don't need a photographer. We need a Santa.

Come on.

You don't want to disappoint all those little kids, do you?

But I'm not wearing the cape.

We'll see about that.

My sleigh.

Santa, you came.

I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Have fun up.

Well, what do you want for Christmas?

Page four is the most important.

Page four!

You're very prepared.

I had no idea you were so talented. These photos are gorgeous.

The one of Zoe is my absolute favorite.

Thank you. You're welcome.

You'll excuse me.

Hi.

You look beautiful.

Thank you.

Do you want to dance?

What a wonderful party, huh?

of the entire town of Aurora, thank you to our host, Zoe Hathaway.

Welcome home, Zoe.

We missed you.

And thank you to Alec Wynn.

It took a little while to get to know you, but I think he's a real asset to

town.

He put all his time and heart into all of this.

And now we know... What a great photographer he is.

So come on, let's keep on dancing, everybody. Have a great time tonight.

Little hot in here, huh?

Yeah. You want to take a walk?

Yeah, I will go get the coat. Okay.

Thank you.

Thanks for coming, you guys.

I couldn't find your coat.

But I found this.

Let me see if I can do it.

Oh, wow.

I love it.

I think we did good here, Zoe.

Yeah, I think so, too.

Oh, look.

We're here in time for Christmas.

The festival is wonderful. I want to make it an annual event.

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Can you meet me tomorrow morning? I am ready to make a formal offer.

What?

Is this happening fast?

Well, it just shows you how interested we are. I've read all the details. You

are going to be very happy. You're finally going to get your plane.

Wow. These trees aren't going anywhere.

I didn't appreciate them until I saw them with the light.

Okay. This is sounding good. Good.

This is great.

Okay, now I want you to go enjoy your party. I need you at the office at 9 a

to sign those documents.

Okay. I'll see you then, Zoe. Bye.

It sounds like you'll be getting your dream after all.

Yeah, it sounds like it could be the perfect offer.

Yeah, it really does.

Well, it's been nice helping you with all this.

Yeah.

Good night's working with you.

Good night, son.

All right, Mom. I'll see you soon.

You have to sign the papers?

Yeah.

Hey.

For someone who's about to have a dream come true, you don't look very happy.

No, I'm happy.

Zoe?

I'm your mother.

I flew 5 ,000 miles to be with you.

Come on. Tell me what's going on.

You know, I just, I thought I knew where my life was headed.

I was going to buy my plane. I was going to live in Seattle.

My whole future was set forever.

Have you changed your mind?

I just love this ranch.

And I love Aurora.

I love that the people here know my name and they're happy to see me.

I love my reindeer.

I need to find them at home.

I just... I wish things could be different.

Maybe things can be different.

Thanks, Mom.

I'll see you soon.

Hey, is it all right if I invite a few people over for a Christmas Eve open

house? Are you asking me for permission to throw a party?

I think it'd be nice to have one last celebration here. I think it would be

nice, too.

You kids have fun.

I'm going to go see Karen and then I'll come back and help.

Wow.

I don't want to sound like Anya, but you've got to tell Zoe how you feel

her. It's too late.

I called the tour company.

They've got a spot for me if I can get going soon.

They're swamped at the diner.

I've got to go to work.

You've got to tell her how you feel.

And you've got to get going.

If you get hungry, sing my heart out.

There's always a seat with your name on it.

Thanks. Yeah.

Hi, Zoe. Best festival ever. Can't wait for next year.

Oh, thanks.

Hey.

It's been so nice having you back home. I wish you a good day. I promise I'll

come visit.

Make sure you do.

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. I'll see you soon.

Zoe!

Thank you for giving us another festival. It was like having a little

and Ida back. I loved doing it.

You must be happy to be going back home to your exciting life in Seattle.

Yes. Yes, I'm really happy.

I've got to run. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Bye.

Good morning.

Hey. Well, I have your contract all ready to be signed.

I'm really sorry.

No. Actually, I'm not sorry.

I've decided to keep the ranch.

I know that this might seem sudden to you, but all the pieces are just kind of

clicking into place.

I've been traveling my whole life, and I think I've finally figured out where I

belong.

My heart is here.

Not in Seattle.

It's in Aurora.

But what about flying? I can still work at a fair bank.

Fairbanks is four hours away.

Listen, it's not perfect, but I think it would be worth it to be able to come

home to the ranch. To my ranch.

Anyway,

I am sorry to have wasted your time.

You know what?

Life's not all about business.

I'm happy you found your home.

Thank you.

I am too.

Yeah, I know. The baby will be here any minute. So I just wanted to make sure

there was a present under the tree, just in case. Well, if you ever need a

babysitter, I'm really good with kids.

Yeah? Thank you. Wait, I thought you were selling. Oh, I decided not to.

I'm staying in Aurora.

You are?

All right. Well, look, with the baby coming, I need to be close to the home.

I'm taking Chuck's job in the airfield.

And that means this town will be short of pilots.

What would you say about leasing my plane and taking over my route?

I'd say Christmas is coming early. Okay.

All right.

You all right here?

Thank you. Top you off a little. Thanks, darling.

Of course. Merry Christmas.

Okay, what can I do to help?

You know what? I think we got this Christmas Eve feast under control.

Hey, sir, are you okay?

Yeah, I will be.

Hey, I was wondering, this is a big ranch, and I think I might get a little

lonely with just me and the reindeer.

How would you guys feel about helping me run the place of the bed and breakfast?

Yes. Really?

Yes. You would do it? Oh, yeah.

The ranch would make a great B &B.

I just, Gus gave me this wonderful gift. I think we need to share it with the

world. Oh, my gosh.

I knew from the moment that we drove up here that you were

not going to sell this ranch.

You can be very happy here.

Thank you.

I think so, too.

Alec?

I'm sorry to take you away from your party.

Can I talk to you for a minute?

In private?

Yeah, sure.

I drove 50 miles out of town.

And I asked myself, um...

What am I doing?

So I stopped the truck, and I thought about things.

What kinds of things?

I never put down roots, because I was always off chasing the next big

But what is the biggest adventure of all with you and I starting a life

together?

It doesn't have to be Alaska.

It can be Seattle.

It can be anything you want.

Well, how would you like to build a life with me and Aurora?

What?

I decided not to tell.

I'm keeping the ranch.

I would love to start a life with you and Aurora.

Thursday, the three -night Miracles of Christmas finale event kicks off with a

special holiday premiere on a special night.

Life is not one big solid picture. It's a series of moments.

What if you take that chance and you lose?

A Miracles of Christmas original holiday movie.

Chelsea Kane, Drew Sealy, A Christmas for the Books.

Premiering on a special night, Thursday night at 9 on Hallmark Movies and

Mysteries.