Just Remember

Chapter 7 Promises for the Future

The next morning the alarm clock screamed in Justin's ear making him cringe, as he rolled over and slammed his hand down onto the clock with a groan. He rolled back over to pull Grace back into his arms to wince as the bedroom light was turned on and he was blinded trying to clear his groggy morning vision. She was sitting on the side of her bed slipping her feet into slippers and screamed as he pulled her back down to rest her head on his chest and held her down with one strong arm around her torso. "Justin, I have to get up, I've got things to do," she complained as he smirked at her.
"It's four thirty in the morning Grace, what do you have to do this early that can't wait until the sun is up? Besides I saw your weekend schedule, remember," he asked?


"I've got to feed General his morning grain, take a shower and make breakfast, and then I've got to get to the campus to preform my duties in the barn," she said as she turned her head to look into his smiling face.
"What time are you expected to be on campus," Justin asked?
"I've got to be there by six thirty. I normally ride General there at a walk so that he isn't worn out and I can use him to get from place to place around the campus grounds on the weekends," she said as she tried to wriggle out of his arms.
"Nope, not happening this time! Here's how it's going to go down when I'm here. General will take a later breakfast and you'll turn him out in the pasture for the day after our shower. I'm taking you out for breakfast, and will drive you to school," Justin smiled as he began to fondle her breasts with gentle hands plucking at her nipples until they grew hard.


"Justin, you're not my husband, and I don't have to listen to you if I choose not to do so," Grace laughed as she swatted his hand as if he was a petulant child.
"Hum, I'd like to change that," Justin smiled as he released her and rolled off of the bed as naked as the day that he was born and rummaged in his duffle bag for something while Grace left the room and slipped into the shower to bathe. He slid into the shower with her seconds later and quickly pinned her against the wall making her gasp as he lifted her feet from the ground to take her the same as he did on their first day that felt so long ago, and he smiled as she gave into his demands and moaned his name as he thrust into her and kissed her passionately.


"Damn, Justin, what is it about you and showers that makes me lose all comprehensive thought and reasoning," Grace panted as Justin's lips lavished her neck while he drove her to distraction with his hands holding her in place and his manhood thrusting into her in the most delightful way making her moan out his name?
"I don't know why shower's effect you like that , but I know what they do to me," Justin smiled as she dug her nails into his back and called out his name as he hit her most sensitive spot over and over again.
"OH, GOD, JUSTIN, WHY DOES SHOWERS MAKE YOU SO , OH, , JUSTIN, I-I'm going to," she screamed out as the intense heat built to an uncontrollable fire within her.
"I like the way that the water droplets, hang on your naked skin, and it makes me hard thinking of how I'd like to lick and kiss every drop from your body," he grunted as her walls tightened around him tipping him over the edge along with her.


Once they had both completed with screams of ecstasy he released her from the shower and gave her backside a playful slap as he shampooed his own hair and cleaned himself up using her razor to shave his face in the shower. "Grace, I left a little something special for you on the counter on top of your body towel," he called after her from the shower. Grace found the ring box and opened it to find a beautiful platinum diamond ring that was in the shape of two loops that had no beginning and no end, with a note rolled tightly and sitting within the circle of the ring. She opened the note and attempted to read the note only to hear Justin's voice reading it out loud over her shoulder as he held her close to his wet body with his mouth inches from her ear.


"It seems like only yesterday that you walked into my world. I will love, cherish, and honor and protect you from now until eternity if you would wear this ring and marry me after we graduate from college, given I am able to earn your father's approval and blessing to do so. Grace Gwenivear, Teller, will you marry me, and become my Mrs. Watt, the future mother of my children and the queen and ruler of my heart until the day that I die," Justin asked as Grace turned in his arms and held out the ring to him with tears in her eyes?
"Put it on for me, my hands are shaking too hard, I don't want to drop it. Yes, Justin, if my father approves and gives you his blessing, I will marry you after college," Grace said as he gently slid the ring onto her finger before she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard before he picked her up and sat her on the counter top placing himself between her legs as he took her again never removing his lips from her body.


By the time that they finally got out of the house General was neighing and rearing angrily in his stall over the lateness of his morning meal. Justin clipped a halter and lead rope to him and led him from the stall out into the paddock while Grace made up his breakfast grain and carried it out to the pasture. "Sorry boy, you get the day off, Justin said as he removed the halter and hang it upon the hook right inside of the stable out of General's reach as Grace poured his feed into the trough and fluffed his hay for him.
"We're not going to have time for a sit down type of breakfast, Justin, I don't want to be late," Grace said as they walked to his truck and he helped her into the passenger side.
"How many people work with you in your barn today, Justin asked as he slid behind the wheel and pulled out of the drive?


"Five and Dr. Meredith is supposed to stop by this morning, why do you ask," Grace asked puzzled?
"How does donuts and coffee for everyone sound to you," Justin smiled as he pulled into the drive thru of the local donut shop with a smile on his face?
"Coffee sounds wonderful," Grace smiled before he placed a rather large order. They arrived at the red barn just as everyone was starting to worry about where Grace was and why she wasn't present.


"Where's Grace," Dr. Meredith asked as she entered the barn taking notice that the barn office was empty?
"We haven't seen her yet Ma'am, I hope that she's alright," said Gretchen Wilson as she pushed a wheelbarrow into an empty stall to clean it.
"It's not like her to be so late. Usually she's the first one here. I hope that General is alright," Veronica said as she cleaned out the feed and water buckets from each stall one at a time.
"The General is fine, my fiancé came over last night and figured that he would assist me in giving General a weekend off. He also insisted on acting as my personal driver and brought all of you coffee and donuts," Grace said as she opened the donut box with a smile as Justin joined her with the tray of coffee's.


"How nice of him," Taylor said as he instantly grabbed a cup of coffee and a coconut donut and took a grateful bite.
"Dr. Meredith, this is my fiancé Justin Watt. Justin, this is Dr. Meredith the Owner and director of the college," Grace introduced as she handed out donuts while Justin handed out coffee.
"Thank you for watching out for Grace's wellbeing and for thinking of us all by bringing coffee and donuts, Justin. Did you happen to bring any strawberry cream doughnuts," Dr. Meredith asked with a smile as she took the offered cup of coffee?
"Yes, Ma'am I believe that these on the end are the strawberry ones," he said as he pointed them out and handed Grace her coffee.


"I've been telling Grace for quite some time that she pushes herself too hard. Will you be staying in the area long Mr. Watt," Dr. Meredith asked?
"No Ma'am, I'm a student at Wisconsin University. Once football season starts I'm afraid that my visits will be fewer and far between. I haven't seen Grace for a while and so I thought that it would be a nice surprise to pay her a little visit. As for her pushing herself too hard, I'm afraid that she's always been that way ever since I met her. Her father's in the Military so she gets it from him," Justin smiled as Grace rolled her eyes at him.


The rest of that weekend went much the same. Justin watched while Grace did her thing at the school every day, they dined out for breakfast, and Lunch and spent their night in each other's arms until they collapsed with exhaustion. By Sunday evening Justin was firmly debating on dropping out of college and remaining with Grace, but she'd have none of it and told him that no future husband of hers was a quitter, even if it was for love. If he wanted to earn her father's blessing he'd have to prove to him that he could take care of Grace. So it was that Justin kissed his beautiful Fiancé and returned to his own college promising to call her as often as he was able, and to get with her when his schedule permitted.


Regrettably their weekend visits were very few, and by early 2009 J.J. was depressed when he was no longer able to get in contact with his fiancé Grace. He started to worry about her and had hell concentrating. He had taken a chance and missed the practice for the last game of the season to drive up to Grace's college only to find that she had taken her final course and had earned her Master's Degree in Training and Equine Therapy. Thus he returned from that very short trip with mixed emotions. He was proud that she had accomplished what she had set out to do, but he was worried with the absence of hearing her voice.


Then fait smiled upon him and he grew extremely excited when it was announced that his college team would be traveling to Colleen Texas where Fort Hood was situated and his thoughts then turned to the one person who could give him what he needed. Colonel Lee Teller had been in a funk ever since he had walked in on his wife with another man, and had quickly divorced her leaving her with nothing. The children were all grown and His sons were now in College while his daughter was making a name for herself in the horse world as one of the top trainers, Breeder, and Competitor of the finest Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and Quarter Horses in the Country. He sighed upon thinking about her and jumped when there was a knock at his office door.


"Excuse me, Colonel, but there is a young man here by the name of Justin James watt who wishes to speak to you. He says that it's extremely important," said his secretary from the door.
"Show him in, Lutenent," Lee said feeling a smile slide onto his face as he opened his desk drawer and pulled out his most precious possession. Justin entered the office looking larger and stronger than he did the last time that he had seen the young man, and he smiled brightly as he moved to shake his hand only to gape when the older man pulled him into a hug with a smile on his face.


"Grace said that you might pay me a visit when you got the chance, Justin. I'm glad to see that she was not disappointed in you. Judging from that look on your face, I'd say that you're worried about her, would I be right," Lee asked as he gestured for Justin to take a seat?
"You've heard from her, sir," Justin said in relief?
"Yes, I hear from her at least twice a month. Her schedule is tight since she's started her horse business in Conroe Texas," Lee smiled at the look of relief upon Justin's face.


"What happened to her phone, sir? I've been trying to get hold of her for all of last year and half of this one," Justin said.
"I'm sorry about that, but we've made a few changes, since my divorce from her mother. Grace was so upset about it that she had her number changed and made unlisted. The only people who know where she lives is myself, a few of my most trusted friends from various bases that I've been stationed at, and her brothers. Justin, I'll give you both her home address and her phone number to you, but you have to be very careful that her mother does not recognize you, and follow you to her home, or Grace will flip out and go mental over it. She hates her mother for what she did behind my back and how she's always treated her as if she was helpless and weak because of her visual impairment."


"As for the question of if I will give you my blessing to marry my daughter, I have three conditions for giving you my blessing and approval," Lee said as he pulled the velvet box out of his desk drawer with a smile .
"I love her, with everything that I am, sir. I'll do anything that you ask of me," Justin said as he sat up straighter in his chair and waited for his future father-in-law to speak.
"Good to hear Justin, firstly son, I want your word as a gentleman that you will do whatever it takes to keep her happy , and safe from harm. Since I've left her mother with nothing and since she is the oldest of my three children she has a rather large insurance policy upon her and every animal that she owns. If anything ever happens to me she stands to inherit more than even my ex was aware that I even had. For that reason I fear that my ex may try to harm her or worse to gain control of her and everything that she has."


"I'm about to be deployed in a few days and I'll feel worlds better knowing that someone will be keeping a protective eye upon her," Lee said as he shook with rage upon thinking of his ex-wife and her traitorous ways.
"I'll give my life to keep her happy and safe. I'd kill for her if it was needed no matter the cost," J.J. said with his eyes going cold as ice.
"Good, man, Justin. Secondly I want you and her to use these rings for your wedding rings. They belonged to my parents, and were meant to be passed down to my first born child upon his or her wedding day. They've been in my family since the early eighteen Hundreds, and I will be proud to know that they will be upon your hands until the day that your first born child will be of age to be married," Lee said as he handed the box over to Justin who opened it reverently and took note of the quality of the two Platinum bands with Celtic markings and the infinity sign engraved into them.


"It's an honor that you trust us with something this precious sir. I'm honored to carry on your family tradition," Justin said as he closed the box and placed it carefully into his inside pocket of his coat.
"Alright, now we come to the most important condition that you must agree to before I will allow you to make my only daughter your wife. I know that you're still in college, and that you and Grace had agreed to wait until both of you had graduated, but, I've talked her into this for my own peace of mind. You can have a proper wedding upon your graduation once you've caught up to her, but I absolutely insist that you and she are married before you leave this base via Proxy wedding. She's already signed the marriage license and the proxy wedding certificate. All that is needed is for you to sign the wedding license and to say your vows before our on base Chaplin. Grace recorded her vows and the answers to the questions to make it easier for you to go through with. Will you go through with this for both of us," Lee asked.


Justin took the marriage license and signed it before he got to his feet, with a determined expression upon his face, and nodded to Lee who led him directly to the Chaplin. It was strange attending the Proxy wedding with his new father-in-law holding Grace's picture and the recorder with her voice upon it making it play her responses just at the right time. That night J.J. stepped into the football field with his marriage certificate his placed in his breast pocket of his leather coat, and his wedding ring upon his finger, with a spring in his step as his father-in-law watched the game that got him noticed by the NFL before he was sent off to Iraq to fight a war that nobody knew if they would return from.


It took J.J. one more year before he graduated from college, and then he found himself being scouted by the Houston Texans. He was drafted to join the Texans in 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11, and smiled as he not only found Grace's rather large and impressive farm in Conroe, but when he purchased two nice homes across from it, in the hopes of catching her when she came home from her travels around the world.