A Sailor's Christmas

A SAILOR'S CHRISTMAS, Jim Scott Books #36, sees Navy Lieutenant Victor (Vic) Breite, and his adopted 13 year old daughter, Patty, arrive at the Dardenne Prairie, Missouri home of his recently deceased parents. His mission is to handle the estate of this parents with their attorney, Michelle Becker. A neighbor of his parents, Angela Marian, comes home from work at the same time they arrive. Angie is a single mother, who had raised her 21 year old son, and enjoying being alone, now that he was making his own way in the world. She had been a good friend of his parents, and helps Vic into the house, having the security alarm code. The three then go shopping, since Angie had cleaned out the foodstuffs in the home at the request of Vic's parents.

During the shopping trip, Vic explains that he only has little more than a week to settle the estate of his parents before Christmas, since he has to take command of a ship right after Christmas. The ship is an MCM (Mine Countermeasures). This starts several days of the threesome getting together, during which time an attraction between Vic and Angie grows into more. But, Angie is happy with her life, and can't see herself as a military wife, especially since Vic tells her there is likely the ship he is to command will be home ported in Japan. All during this budding romance, Patty is a constant source of encouragement, often in a humorous way, but also often unwanted by the two adults.

While Vic takes care of some details, Michelle teaches Patty how to fly...in her very expensive executive jet. When Angie finds out about this, she throws a fit that a 13 year old is actually flying an airplane. It also reminds her of another reason to avoid leaving behind the life she has built for herself...she hates to fly, and faces the prospect of flying halfway around the world to Japan if she marries Vic. But, despite this, she does go on a flying expedition across state, for lunch with Michelle, her husband, Vic, and Patty...with Patty flying the plane.

After spending Christmas together during a record-setting snow storm, Angie tells Vic that, while she has fallen love with him, she will not give him an answer to the proposal he had made a few days earlier. They do agree to write each other until they meet again. Saddened, but not willing to totally give up, Vic and Patty manage to get to Scott Air Force Base, for his flight to San Diego, to take command on his new ship. His plan is to come back to the St. Louis area on his next leave, expected to be about two years later, to renew his quest for Angie.

Ah, but with a late change of heart, Angie decides to accept the marriage proposal, but finds Vic and Patty already gone in the morning, not long after those two had already left. All is not lost, however...Michelle Becker to the rescue. She and her husband fly Angie to San Diego, but unknown to any of them, a new plan calls for Vic to take command of this new ship, and immediately head to sea...trouble is brewing, calling for mines to be dealt with, there is a possible war in the offering. However, due to a positive influence Patty has had on a school friend, there may be a solution to the problem.