Christmas Lodge

Seattle based Mary Tobin is the third generation of her family that works in contracting. She currently works as a project administrator for an urban heritage building restoration non-profit, while her father Mike and brothers still work for Mike's contracting business. Mary has a special relationship with her paternal grandfather, who just had open heart surgery and about whose serious prognosis she is in slight denial. Despite living in the city, Mary's heart lies in the great outdoors, unlike her city slicker boyfriend Kent, who everyone believes will soon pop the question. While Mary and Kent are on a hike a couple of hours away in the mountains, Mary indirectly stumbles across Christmas Lodge, an inn that her grandfather used to take their family to for the Christmas holidays. Mary and Kent meet the current owner, widowed Jack Rand, who Mary has not seen since they were children. Jack is the fourth generation owner of the property, the lodge which was built by his great-grandfather. The lodge has fallen into a state of disrepair since Jack had to take care of his then ailing parents in the city for a few years during which time the lodge sat empty and neglected. Jack and his adolescent daughter, Charlene, live at the lodge, and are only able to keep up with basic maintenance. Mary believes she can raise the money through her company to repair the lodge to its former state, which she eventually learns at approximately $2 million is far more expensive a job than she first anticipated. Mary has ulterior motives as she wants her family, especially her grandfather, to spend at least one more Christmas there, this area which she considers their spiritual home. Through the difficult process of raising the money which if does not happen means the dream dies, Mary may also find out what she truly wants in her personal life.