In Seattle, Maria has lost her job as a sous chef for a musician who doesn't need her any more.Maria lost her parents years ago and now she lives with Brooklyn, her best friend who she thinks of as a sister. Her dream is to start a food truck called Pita Pan with quality food from around the world.Either Julian or his brother Bennett is next in line to take over as head of their father's law firm when he retires in the near future. Julian and his friend Manny believe Bennett will be chosen because he is more mature and he has a wife and kids. Julian calls his family to tell them he has a surprise for them. What he doesn't say is that the surprise is he is quitting.Julian is going home to Briar Ridge for Christmas. He is willing to pay whatever it takes to travel the 100 miles from Seattle using an Uber type service (the company is never named). The driver he gets is Maria, who was hoping to finish up quickly and attend a party with Brooklyn. Maria agrees to take Julian because she can make a lot of money toward her food truck. She calls Brooklyn and says she'll be late if she makes it at all. On the way, they stop to eat at Paliotti's, one of Julian's favorite places to eat,The family is not at home when Julian arrives, and Maria heads back home. A cell phone rings but it is Julian's. Maria goes back to bring him his phone. The family arrives and sees her, believing she is the surprise. They are pleased with Julian's new girlfriend. Maria won't contradict them, and Julian convinces her to play along and help him get his promotion, in exchange for all the money she needs for her food truck. Maria agrees, and because it is snowing, Julian wants her to stay the night. Maria has sweats she keeps in the car, but the next day Julian buys her more clothes.'Julian and Maria go to the nearby ski resort to plan their strategy. They have to come up with a believable story. So far Julian has not actually lied, and he wants everything they say to be the truth, so Julian and Maria do everything necessary to make their story the truth. This includes Maria announcing she loves Julian, which leads to applause from people in the restaurant.When the couple return home, Maria prepares dinner. She also insists that everyone turn off their phones, but there is a very important call from Bill Pendergast, an important client of the law firm. His 100-year-old company is about to be taken over, and the firm needs to stop that from happening, if it can happen. For now, the family enjoys dinner, and they are impressed with Maria's cooking ability. Maria is asked to help with a formal charity event Pendergast is hosting.The next day Maria spends time with Daphne, Julian's sister. Daphne explains that the family wants her to go to law school and join the firm, but she wants to join Doctors Without Borders instead. Daphne lets it slip that Julian once loved a woman who dumped him. This upsets Maria because Julian had said he never loved another woman.At Pendergast's hardware store, where Julian once worked, the brothers have different ideas about what should happen to the company, but no formal proposal is made.Bennett has not admitted it to his family yet, but he and his wife are separated. It has not been explained why his wife and kids are not with him yet.Julian comes up with an idea that will save Pendergast's business. The company can take over if they agree to let the name Pendergast Tool remain, and to let Pendergast keep the hardware store where it all began. Bennett and his father get upset that Julian made a proposal himself without them, but because Pendergast accepted it, Julian is not in trouble.One of the family traditions is to see The Nutcracker. Maria has never been. So Maria is given two tickets to a local production. Julian considers the idea of seeing the ballet to be torture, but he reluctantly agrees to take Maria. She loves it, and Julian sees the ballet in a whole new way. It is clear by now the two are falling for each other.Bennett is in the room when Maria's cell phone rings and she is not there. He sees a map with the route from Seattle to Briar Ridge, and he has already seen that Maria's car identifies her as a professional driver. He figures out what is going on.Maria is reluctant to attend Pendergast's event because she wants to spend time with Brooklyn. The family arranges for Brooklyn to join them, and both women are provided with fabulous gowns. At the event, Julian's father makes the big announcement that Julian will succeed him. Then the secrets Bennett and Daphne have been keeping are revealed. Then Bennett sees Julain handing Maria a check and he tells the family the truth. Everyone is upset and Maria gives back the check, which she wasn't going to take anyway. Maria returns to Seattle with Brooklyn.Maria doesn't know what she is going to do now. She rejects any call coming from Julian, but then Manny shows up at the women's place. He has brought a food truck with a bow on it, and the Pita Pan logo. Maria doesn't want it. Julian shows up, and the family is with him. Julian says he fell for Maria for real, and the movie ends happily.