The next morning, Doc made me give him my word I would stay in the house and take it easy. I wanted to do some baking for his office party the next day and he said I could do that, as long as I sat as much as possible while doing it.

I saw him head to the barn instead of his car when he left for work, so I figured he was talking to Karen and asking her to keep me out of the barn. That suspicion was confirmed when she came in later for coffee. “What did Doc want?” I asked her.

“For me to make sure you stay in the house and behave.”

“I’m not a child, for crying out loud.”

“Julian loves you so much, Mer. He hates seeing you in pain and doesn’t want you to do anything to aggravate your issues.”

I sighed. “I know, that’s why I didn’t argue with him about it this morning. Besides, I have baking to do anyway.”

“Mer, he just wants what’s best and being a doctor, he does know what that is.”

“I know, and I’m trying to do what he says. I just get bored and frustrated at times.”

“He knows you are trying and that it is hard for you to be idle.”

“I go back and forth from wanting to put my foot down and tell him to lay off and wanting to do as he says. I would have told anyone else where to go by now, but I love Doc and don’t want to fight with him.”

“What’s happening, Mer? You’re acting mature - or at least semi mature!”

“Scary, isn’t it?”

The next morning, Friday, I drove Doc to work so we could come home from the party together. “I want you to go home and rest, hon”, he said before he got out of the car. “Off your feet except for going to the bathroom.” He leaned over for a kiss. “Okay? You haven’t agreed.”

“I heard you, Doc”, I responded. I didn’t want to make any promises I had no intention of keeping.

“I know you *heard* me, I want your word that you will rest.”

“See you at noon, Doc.” I put the car in gear, hoping he would take the hint and drop it.

“Meredith, I want your word.”

“This isn’t McDonald’s, Doc.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“What you want is not necessarily what you get.”

Doc reached over and put the car in park. “Ok, Meredith, tell me why you aren’t going to rest this morning.”

“I have things to do, Doc.”

“Such as …?”

“Christmas errands. That’s all you need to know.”

I think he got the hint. He said “Ok, but when you are finished that, then you lie down until it’s time to come to the party.”

“If I have time. I may not.” Doc sighed, but he got out of the car. He came around to my window and I rolled it down for another kiss.

I went to the blacksmith’s and picked up Doc’s present, then back to the city to get some things. Back at home, I put everything in the house and changed my clothes, then went out to the barn.

I got my draught team out of their stalls. I’d had George and Gracie since last winter. They’d come to me a bit underweight and a bit flighty around people. They’d been in a crappy pasture for a year or so and had not been worked in more than two years. I got them back in shape and had borrowed a wagon from Walt for them to pull to get them used to working again. They had been on the “available for adoption” list since the spring but I’d not had one inquiry. Not a lot of demand for draught horses anymore.

I hitched them up to the wagon, which I‘d gotten again from Walt - he had needed it back when haying season began - then took them down the road a couple miles and back for some exercise and to make doubly sure they were ready to haul humans. Back at the barn, I cleaned their harnesses, put bells on them and decorated the wagon. This was my last chance to do anything on the sly for awhile - Doc was off for a couple weeks after today. It was the first time in years he’d taken holiday time. He said he didn’t see the point in taking time off when he had nobody to spend it with.

When I was done in the barn, I went inside and showered before getting dressed to go back to the city. I arrived at the clinic just after the party started. There were only 3 people working at Doc’s clinic, including him, so he’d decided to invite the people from the lab downstairs.

The party was in full swing when I ran into Ms Jamieson in the hallway as I was coming out of the bathroom. She motioned me into an exam room and closed the door. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you, Meredith, but I didn’t have a chance at your party last weekend. I know your relationship with Dr Richards is unconventional, but you did it above board without sneaking around. You make him very happy - I have never seen him like this and I’ve been working for him the whole time he’s been here. I’m pretty sure he had a ‘thing’ for you long before you two got involved. He loves you so much and I hope you are together for many years to come.”

“Thank you, Ms Jamieson. I know it’s unconventional, but I am so in love with Julian. I never thought I could ever feel this way about someone and certainly did not expect to get seriously involved with anyone ever again after Chris died. I loved him, but the way I feel about Julian is so much more intense.”

“Well, I want an invitation to the wedding!”

I laughed. “If there is a wedding, you will definitely get an invite!”

“I know there will be one, Meredith. I’d bet my retirement savings on it.”

Doc saw us coming out of the exam room and pushed me back in ahead of him. He closed the door and kissed me. “What were you and Ms Jamieson doing in here?”

“Just talking.”

“About …. ?”

“You.”

“That is all you are going to say?”

“Yep.”

He pushed me up against the exam table and kissed me again. “Did you rest this morning?”

“I didn’t have time.” I didn’t want to lie to him and say I had when I hadn’t.

“Why not?”

“By the time I got things done, it was time to come here.”

“What were you doing that took so long?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Yes, I do.” He reached around me and groped my butt as he kissed me some more. “Maybe you need a spanking.” Doc pulled my skirt up and felt under it. “Oh my, Ms Hottie - no panties!”

“I was wondering if you’d notice.”

He gave my ass a playful smack. “Come over here”, and went over to his stool and sat on it. “Over my knee.”

“Doc! We can’t do that here, someone will hear us!”

“No, they won’t. They have the music loud enough to wake the dead out there.”

“There isn’t a lock on the door. What if someone walks in?”

Doc got up and put a chair under the doorknob, so that it could not be opened. Then he sat on the stool again.

“Just to be clear, Doc - what am I being spanked for?”

“For not taking it easy this morning like I told you to do.”

I lay over his knee. He pushed my skirt up to my waist. “My, my, my. Ms Hottie has a plug in!”

“You like it, Doc?”

“I do. Very much.”

After he finished spanking me, Doc put on a glove. “The plug needs to come out for a few minutes, I’m going to take your temperature.”

“I thought you said temps are never a punishment?”

“They aren’t. I’m just making sure you don’t have a fever, hon. Sometimes people disobey when they aren‘t feeling well.”

Doc took the plug out and lubed me up before inserting the thermometer.

“Hey, Doc - I thought you took temperatures orally in the clinic. Why do you have a rectal thermometer here?”

“Just in case I need to take one and can’t do it orally on the woman. I‘ve never had to do it rectally in here, but it doesn‘t hurt to be prepared.” I wasn’t quite sure whether to buy that explanation or not.

When the 3 minutes were up, Doc took the thermometer out and said it was normal. He put the plug back in. “Ok, Meredith, you can get up now.” I got up. He took off his glove and washed his hands, then went to the table and took the step-stool that patients use to get up on the table and placed it at the foot. He kissed me and undid a few buttons on my blouse and slipped a hand in, caressing my breast. I was getting aroused and as he pressed himself into me, I could tell he was, too.

“Up on the stool and bend over the table, please.” I did as he asked. He lifted my skirt and caressed my butt. I heard him undo his zipper.

A while later, we emerged from the exam room. As we passed Nick in the hall, he gave us a knowing smile. I’m sure I blushed a thousand shades of red.

Later, on our way home, I said to Doc “That was so hot, honey!”

“It was, wasn’t it?”

The next night was the dinner at Walt and Martha’s. Ben and Charlotte were there with their kids. Doc couldn’t stop fussing over little Julie Anne, his namesake. “Are you available January 27 for the christening?” Charlotte asked us. We both said yes.

Later, at home, I asked Doc if he really wanted a child.

“No, hon. I’m getting too old, it wouldn’t be fair to a child to be born to a middle aged father. Besides, I want you all to myself. I’m happy being a godfather.”

Sunday, we tended to some last minute things, but otherwise took it easy. Monday was Christmas Eve. As far as Doc knew, we were spending the evening with Karen and her family. I insisted on an early supper and when it was done, I told Doc I had something to do in the barn. I went out and hitched George and Gracie to the wagon. Karen and her family showed up just as I was finishing. I had her watch the horses while I went inside to get Doc.

“Doc, get some warm clothes on and come outside.”

“Why, hon?”

“You’ll see. Come on.”

He went to the closet to get his coat. “Go upstairs and put a sweater on first, honey. It’s cold out there.”

“How long am I going to be outside for?”

“A while.”

Once he got bundled up, I took him out the front door. The horses and wagon were in the laneway, ready to go.

“What’s going on, hon?”, he asked.

“We’re going carolling!”

“On that??”

“Yes. Come on, it will be fun.”

Doc reluctantly got up on the wagon, and sat in front with me. Karen and her family sat on bales of straw in the back. I drove down the road, picking up neighbours along the way. We drove around for over an hour, singing carols and stopping at houses to let the people inside listen. It started snowing, which made it picture perfect.

Back at the farm, I told Doc that there were baked goods on the back porch and asked him to get them out and make some hot cocoa for the people who were coming back with us. Karen helped me unhitch the horses and take their harnesses off. We rubbed them down before putting them back in their stalls and joining everyone inside. Because they were so big, they were in the 2 foaling stalls at the back of the barn. I was going to have to knock a wall out between 2 regular sized stalls for Lilly when it was time for her to foal if George and Gracie were still here when her time came.

A couple hours later, Doc and I were saying goodbye to the last of the carollers. We did a quick clean up then headed upstairs to bed. “I hope you enjoyed that, honey.” I said as we snuggled in together.

“I did. You were right about it being fun. It’s been a great Christmas season, I enjoyed it thoroughly, but I’m looking forward to some down time and having you to myself.” The next day was Christmas but we were spending it by ourselves. Karen and her family were spending the day with her inlaws. Doc and I planned on cooking a small turkey and just relaxing for the day. I’d hired a local sixteen year old to do the morning chores on Sundays (Karen’s daughter, Chey, did them on Saturdays) and he had agreed to do them on Christmas and Boxing Day as his family did not celebrate the holiday. At Doc’s insistence, he was also going to do supper feeding.

“Doc, I am perfectly able to do supper feeding. I do it 7 days a week.”

“I know, hon, but I want you to have a break.”

We slept in Christmas morning. Jessie woke me up at 9 to go outside. I slipped out of bed and into my robe, being careful not to wake Doc. I let her out and went to the bathroom before putting a pot of coffee on and starting a fire in the woodstove. Then I let Jessie back in - she never stayed out long first thing in the morning, just long enough to do what she had to do. She knew it was breakfast time. I fed her, then sat down with a cup of coffee. My side was hurting a bit and I wanted to take a couple pain pills, but they were upstairs in my nightstand. I didn’t want to go up and risk waking Doc. Besides, I didn’t want him to know I was in pain. It was pretty amazing that I hadn’t been in more pain, given all the recent activity I’d been doing.

Soon after, I heard the shower running. I used the opportunity to go upstairs and take a couple pills. I decided to join Doc, so I took my robe and nightshirt off and went into the bathroom. “Good morning, hon”, Doc called out from the shower.

I opened the sliding shower door and stepped in. “Merry Christmas, Doc.”

“Merry Christmas, hon”, he said with a kiss. “How much pain are you in?”

“Who said I was in pain?”

“You didn’t have to. You should know by now I have a sixth sense about it. So, how much?”

“Not much, a little.”

“Did you take your pills?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t take pills for “not much, a little.”

“Doc, it’s Christmas. Let’s not get into an argument.”

“Then tell me your number.”

I sighed. “4”

“Meredith, you don’t take your pills voluntarily when it’s only 4.”

“I did today, Doc. I don’t want to be in pain for Christmas.”

“On your word, it’s only 4?”

I hesitated. “Well, maybe 5.”

“Even that sounds low for you to take medication. I want you off your feet today, hon.”

“I have to cook the turkey.”

“Sit down as much as you can. I will help, and I’m cooking the rest of the meal. Ok?”

“Yes, Doc.” Damn, I was giving in to him too much these days. That would have to change after the holidays.

Doc took my washcloth from me and soaped it up.

“Doc …”

“I know you are perfectly capable of washing yourself”, he said, anticipating what I was about to say. “But I want to pamper you. Please let me do it without a fight.”

“Ok, Doc.” He really seems to like washing me. Who am I to argue? Besides, it feels good.

Later, we got dressed and went downstairs. Doc insisted on making breakfast. Months ago, I tried to tell him I’d start eating in the morning when he got on a horse, to no avail. He insisted on me having at least a slice of toast.

After breakfast clean-up, we took coffee into the tv room. I had started a fire in the fireplace while Doc made breakfast. It was toasty warm and we had a lovely view of the front yard covered in snow. I put on a Christmas CD.

Doc and I exchanged gifts. The look on his face when he opened the speculum tie tack I got him was priceless. “I can’t wear this!” he exclaimed.

“Doc, you’re an ob/gyn. Of course you can wear it to work.”

“I don’t know, hon…”

“Well, if you really can’t, you could wear it at an ob/gyn convention. Or, at the very least, in our own private exam room.”

“Yes, I could definitely wear it there!”

I opened a gift from Doc. It was a beautiful horse earrings/necklace set - a gold horse running. “Doc! This is beautiful! Thank you!” I gave him a hug and a kiss.

Next, Doc opened the bracelet I’d gotten him. It was gold and engraved with “Julian” On the back, I had had inscribed:

“All my love, forever and ever,

Meredith”

“Hon, I love it! Thank you! Can you put it on my wrist for me?”

“Sure, Doc.” He held out his right wrist and I put the bracelet on for him.

Then he handed me a small wrapped box. I opened it to find a ring box. Inside was a gold ring with small stones - my birthstone, garnet, in the middle and six emeralds, his birthstone, all around it.

“That’s you in the middle, hon - with my love surrounding you.”

“Oh, Doc - this is so very sweet! Thanks!”

“Can I put it on your finger?”

“It would need to be sized first.”

“No, I don’t think so. Here, let me try.” He took the ring and slipped it on my ring finger. It fit perfectly.

“How did you know my ring size, Doc?”

“Remember in the fall when we were sitting on the porch and we did that silly thing making rings out of grass?”

“Yeah.”

“When we came in the house, I slipped yours into my pocket and took it to the jeweller to get the size.”

“Doc, you are sneaky! That’s why you wanted to make rings out of the grass!”

“And you didn’t suspect a thing!”

“No, you told me you had never done it as a kid and you wanted to do it at least once, even though it was a ‘girl‘ thing.”

“I really had never done it before, but it was a great way to suggest it.”

“Doc, I have one more thing for you.” I opened the door in the coffee table and took a gift out and handed it to him. “I saved the best for last.”

He opened it and got a puzzled look on his face. It was the skeleton key I had had the blacksmith make, as well as a heart and a house dangling on chains from the hole at the end. “This is the key to my heart, which you already have, Doc. And I want you to have the key to my home.”

“I already have a key to your house.”

“Yes, but this is my way of asking you to move in, Doc. I know you’ve been practically living here for months now, but I want it to be official. That is, if you want that, too.”

Doc’s face lit up. “Yes, I do want it, Meredith!”

“I think it would be a good idea for you to keep your apartment, though. Not as a ‘just in case things don’t work out’ thing, but for you to stay there when you are on call or any other time you need it.”

“I agree, hon. That way, I can be at the hospital a lot faster. After the holidays, I‘ll re route my mail and change my address on my credit cards, driver‘s licence etc.”

We got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen to put the turkey in. Doc ripped up bread for stuffing while I got the bird ready. Then I showed him what I did for spices and I started shoving the prepared bread in. My hands were hurting, something which was becoming more common these days. So far, I’d been able to hide it from Doc - which was a first - but that was about to end. I didn’t think he was looking and I stopped for a moment and rubbed my right hand, which was the worst.

“What’s wrong, Meredith?” he asked.

“It’s nothing, Doc. Just a little chilly from handling the cold turkey.”

“BS. Your hand is hurting.”

“A little.” I admitted.

“More than a little. Wash them off and let me see.”

“Let me finish this first and get the turkey in the oven. I’m almost done.”

Doc looked at my hands a few minutes later. “I think it’s arthritis, hon. I’ll order an Xray on Wednesday to be sure.”

“Just what I need. More arthritis.”

“The luck of the draw. Some get a lot of it at a young age, others can be in their 70’s and not have much.”

We had a nice day just being together, and a lovely meal. It was a bit sad for me, because it meant Christmas was over. The fun in it is the weeks leading up to the big day.

Later, in bed, Doc said “Meredith, I have something to ask of you. It would mean a lot to me if you would go back to your maiden name. I know it’s probably silly, but I just don’t like you keeping your married name now that we are living together.”

“Yes, Doc. I will do that. I didn’t want to for a long time, but I‘ve actually been thinking about it for a while now. I know it‘s not usual to change it back after being widowed, but I don‘t feel right keeping it and living with another man. I‘m ready to change it back.”

Julian and I fell asleep happy with the step we had just taken in our relationship, but blissfully unaware of the events yet to come that would affect us for years down the road.

End of Book I, look for Book II to be posted next.