Page 1 of Major

CHAPTER ONE

Major Raine Carson was the only son of Jalen Carson and Stormy Blackwinds Carson. His parents met while in Iran. Of course, it was after they’d been taken captive by a crazy former teammate of his father’s. No one goes to Iran willingly.

His crazy teammate was demanding to know where some historical jewels were hidden. Jalen knew the significance of the accidental find and refused to turn them over to the crazy man. But ensuring Stormy was safe was his main goal, even in a hostage situation.

His father was not to be deterred. An Army veteran, he knew the moment he laid eyes on Stormy that she was his. Of course, not everyone can claim to have their first date inside a box on a plane headed to Iran. But that was their way. The Belle Fleur way.

They married and almost immediately, Stormy was pregnant with their first and only son, Major.

Major and his closest friends at Belle Fleur did everything together. Alistair, Forrest, Garr, Walker, Sebastian, Brix, and Leif were all in the same grade as him. They walked to and from school together, always watching out for the other kids, especially the Stanton sisters.

The spontaneous quadruplets, Ellie, Magnolia, Em, and Maddie. Beautiful, identical, smart, and madly in love with four of his friends. Major didn’t mind. He thought of them as sisters.

Major looked nearly identical to his father. By his eighteenth birthday, he was six-feet-five, two hundred and thirty pounds of well-honed muscle, dark hair, and green eyes. He was what many would call dreamy.

But Major was also determined. He knew that he was going to become an Army Ranger along with all of his friends. They were the boys from Belle Fleur. Big, smart, athletic, skilled, and trained by the best in the world.

While many of his classmates were already in what they believed was a serious relationship, Major knew that he wasn’t ready for that quite yet. Ellie and Leif were dating, Walker and Mags were dating, and Sebastian was mooning over Maddie but too afraid to tell her. As early as the ninth grade, Major knew that he was going to be the odd man out.

“Hi, Major,” smiled Alisha.

“Hey. What’s going on?” he asked, seeing all the excitement behind her.

“Eighth-grade dance. You know, the one where the girls ask the boys.”

Major nodded, swallowing hard. He knew the one. He’d been trying to avoid it. He was a freshman in high school, but the schools were connected, and many of the eighth-grade girls asked freshman boys.

Major wanted nothing to do with it. He didn’t dance. He didn’t date. And he didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.

“So, are you going?” she asked, looking up at him.

Major was one of the boys that every girl wanted to ask to the dance. Many were intimidated by him, either believing he was stuck-up, big and scary, or only wanting to date Belle Fleur girls.

“No. I don’t dance, and I don’t like dances,” he said quickly. He noticed the look on her face and felt terrible.

“Oh,” she said, swallowing down the emotion.

“I’m sorry. I really don’t like dances, and I don’t like dancing. You should ask Garr or Forrest,” he said, offering an alternative.

Alisha looked around him seeing Forrest, Garr, Alistair, and Walker standing at the lockers. She knew that Walker liked Magnolia, but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out why Magnolia didn’t know that.

“Maybe,” she said, looking up at him. “You know, Major, there are going to be lots of dances in high school, and some of them are actually fun. If you don’t learn to dance, you’re going to be left out of a lot of stuff. I mean, don’t you want a girlfriend?”

“Do you have to dance to have a girlfriend?” he laughed. She frowned at him, shaking her head.

“You’re being rude,” she said.

“I’m not being rude. I’m being honest. You don’t have to dance to have a girlfriend, and I don’t want or need a girlfriend right now. I have a lot of friends, and I’m happy with that for now. I have plans for my life, and you might think it sounds ‘rude,’ but I’m just focused.”

“No fourteen-year-old boy is focused,” she laughed. “Most are looking for a girl.”

“I’m not most.” He slammed his locker door and walked toward his friends, shaking his head.

“She asked you?” smirked Garr.

“Yep.”

“You said no?” asked Alistair.

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