A Lot Like Christmas

Roberts Tree Farm and Nursery has long been a Christmas fixture in Hudson Springs, New York, they not only selling cut-your-own Christmas trees, but the experience of Christmas. This year is the first operating without the recently passed family patriarch, the business now led by his wife Annie Roberts, and managed by their two offspring, Scott and Jessica Roberts, Scott handling the financial side, Jessica the operational and creative side. They are initially not worried about a competitor, big box retailer Harvest Garden Supply (HGS), moving into town in knowing their customers, who are willing to pay more for what they can get at Roberts compared to HGS, although Scott has stopped talking to who he now considers his "traitorous" former best friend, Xavier Norris, who, needing a job, is this HGS outlet's new manager. HGS's initial tactic is to sell inferior cut Christmas trees at a loss as a leader to entice customers into the store. But Maggie in particular believes they have to come up with more creative ways to compete when HGS employs more and more cutthroat marketing tactics. Jessica gets some unexpected advice from one of their customers, Clay Moore, a marketing executive in town temporarily from Manhattan on business. As Jessica and Clay spend more time together, they start to fall for each other. The possibility for them having a happily-ever-after would have not even have gotten off the ground if Clay had been up front that he works for HGS and is the one who has come up with their marketing ideas, he only at Roberts in the first place to do some reconnaissance. What happens between Scott and Xavier, and between Jessica and Clay will depend in part on the fortunes of Roberts this Christmas season, they who may not survive if they don't do well this season, and this HGS outlet in opening during what should be a busy time of year. Written by Huggo