If Trent Robertson was the one that got away, then Shay Witherspoon was the one that stayed behind, waiting patiently for him to return. And now that he has, life – and especially Christmas – will never be the same!

Every year, Shay Witherspoon laces up her favorite pair of running shoes and heads down to the official starting line for the annual 5K Christmas race, the Rudolph Run. And every year, she waits in vain for her former racing partner, Trent Robertson, to return. And every year, he never does.

Pathetic as it is, it's a tradition Shay just can't give up. Even after seventeen years, as the holidays approach, Shay knows she'll lace up – and show up – one more time. But this year promises to be different. This year, Trent is back in town to settle his father's affairs after a tragic heart attack over Thanksgiving weekend. And he's brought along his teenage son, Rory. The son Trent had with his high school sweetheart, Mia. And after a chance run-in with Trent, Shay realizes the past she put behind has caught up with her in a way she never could have imagined – and won't soon forget.