I'm desperately trying to find the name/author of a YA I remember from my teen years. Can anyone help me out?

Published prior to 1997, and probably after 1988. It begins on a girl's first day of high school, and it follows her "forbidden" attraction to a much older boy, one of her brothers friends. It spans her entire high school career, and it was written in the first person with beautiful prose. It's quite lengthy for YA. The paperback cover had snow, and I think a bridge on it. Christmas plays a prominent role in the book, and the book ends on Christmas, with the girl finally, in her senior year getting together with the love interest. He takes her on drive tour of houses and finally confesses his feelings. There's a house that smells like gingerbread. She's a cross-country runner, and also an artist/writer/into theater. She goes to art camp and running camp in the summers, and has a couple of minor relationships that fizzle due to her obsession with the older guy, who clearly has feelings for her but keeps his distance. He's a swimmer.

Is this triggering anything for anybody? Anybody? Anybody?

http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/7247090/used/Winter%20Dreams,%20Christmas%20Love

Is this it? The story sounds similiar from what you said.

Good luck!