Page 113 of Give Me Honesty

“I’m just admiring how sexy my man is. Ren said she would teach me how to fight after my nephew gets here, so I can fight the hoes off. I understand exactly why they want to take my spot. You’re smart, fine as hell, humble, talented, and you’ve got that baby legs hanging between your legs. I totally get why the girls want me out of the picture because I’m really God’s favorite.”

A goofy grin spread across his face, and I truly felt like an addict because I couldn’t get enough of him.

“You gotta chill. I ain’t that damn special.”

“You have no idea.” I winked as I did a happy dance in my seat.

The food was amazing, and I couldn’t get over how much effort he put into our time together. I offered to clean the kitchen, but he made me get out after I finished the dishes. Once he had everything set up, he called me outside.

My eyes damn near bulged out of my head when I saw two men sitting on two beauty horses. One was a pretty brown with white patches, and the other was a dark brown that already looked black. Both of them were gorgeous, with silky hair and shiny coats.

I walked down the steps next to Solomon, who stood there with a basket in his hand and a backpack over his shoulders.

“What’s going on?” I probed.

“This is a part of the itinerary for the day. You mentioned that you hadn’t been horseback riding since you were younger, so I figured it would be something cool to do together.”

“Really?” I covered my mouth in disbelief.

“Yeah. These two gentle horses are going to take us to the stable so you can pick out which horse you want to ride. We’re going to go on the trail, and then when we get back to the stables, we’ll get the chance to feed the horses and learn how to groom them.”

The more Solomon talked, the more my heart felt like it was about to burst with pure joy. I almost made him stumble when I leaped into his arms and peppered his face with kisses. I had forgotten all about the basket in his arms, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Alright, pretty mama. We gotta get going. We have a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time.”

I climbed off of him, and the two of us walked over to the gentleman. They dismounted and helped us get on. My nerves got the best of me for the first few seconds because I didn’t want to do the wrong thing.

“Is this a girl or a boy?” I asked the men.

“Starla is a girl, and so is Marney over here.”

I leaned down, stroked my horse’s coat, and spoke to her. “Hey, Starla girl. Now, I don’t know what I’m doing, so give your girl some grace.”

The men laughed, but I was dead serious.

The entire day felt like something out of a movie. The men gave us a tour around the farm and showed us how to milk cows and feed the chickens. I spent the most time in the stable with the horses and helped bathe them. Solomon stood back and watched me, smiling. In that moment, I was reminded of how much he truly loved me. When he said he would do anything to make me smile, he meant it, and my heart swelled.

When we got back to the cabin, we cooked dinner together and sparked up the fireplace to roast marshmallows. Our phones were off the entire day, and I needed that. I needed a moment to shut the world out and enjoy life in the present.

“Did you have a good day?” Solo asked while we lay cuddled on the couch.

“Today was incredible. I don’t know how to even begin to thank you for this.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I wanted to spend alone time with you and remind you that regardless of what’s going on in the world, it will always be you and me. I don’t give a fuck about any of that shit. Your happiness means more to me than anything, and I’ll do anything to keep a smile on your pretty face.”

His words melted me and encouraged me all at once.

“Thank you for never giving up on me. Having you by my side makes me feel like I can get through anything. I love you, Solomon.”

“How much?” He grinned.

I lifted my arms and spread them wide.

“I love you this much.”

He stroked his beard with his brows bunched. “I don’t think that’s enough.”

I giggled and spread them a little wider. “What about now?”