Back in the Saddle: A Rough Riders

Story Featuring Cord And AJ James

Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://ebookmass.com/product/back-in-the-saddle-a-rough-riders-story-featuring-cor
d-and-aj-james/
 Back In The Saddle
A Rough Riders Novella
Copyright © 2023 LJLA, LLC, All Rights Reserved.

Ridgeview Publishing
April 2023 Kindle Edition

ISBN: 978-1-941869-16-1

In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, scanning, uploading, transmitting in any form, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without prior permission
from the publisher is piracy and considered theft of the author’s intellectual property.

This book is a work of fiction. All names, places and situations in this book are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or
persons is coincidental.

Visit www.loreleijames.com

Cover Design by: Meredith Blair

Cover Photo by: photo.ua/Bigstock.com/112867757
Edited by: Lindsey Faber
Interior Designed and Formatted by: BB eBooks Co., Ltd. – www.bbebooksthailand.com
You wanted it, you got it! Thanks to all the readers who participated in the online poll and overwhelmingly picked Cord and
AJ for this new short story!
 Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
About Back in the Saddle
Back In The Saddle
Excerpt from Cowgirl Up and Ride
Connect with the Author
Other books by Lorelei James
Timeline for Back in the Saddle, a Cord and AJ short story; this takes place right before Redneck Romeo, around the same time
Dalton McKay returns to Wyoming.
 IT WAS OFFICIAL: her marriage had officially gone to the dogs.
Every day this week—heck, every day the past few months—Cord hadn’t kissed her goodbye.
AJ had been hopeful for a smooch this morning upon hearing him re-enter the house. She’d propped herself provocatively
in the doorway between the entryway and the kitchen, watching as he strode right past her to snatch the keyring he’d left on the
bench. Cord hadn’t spared her a second glance, but he had reached down to scratch the dog’s head before hustling out the door.
What happened after that…not her proudest moment, but she had been hopping mad.
She eyed their blue heeler, Chichi, who wore a suspiciously smug look. “If your master keeps that up, he’ll be bunking in
the barn with you.”
Chichi cocked her head.
“Piece of advice, pooch. Wagging your behind at him is a bust as far as getting his attention. Trust me. I’ve already tried it.”
She sighed. “Has it really come to this? I’m confiding my marital woes to the dog.”
Her annoyance probably didn’t qualify as a real marital issue to anyone else. But it bugged the crap out of her since this
weird disconnect with Cord had been dragging on forever. At first she’d chalked up his distraction to the demands of calving
season. But that season had come and gone, yet as this no kissy, no huggy situation lingered, AJ worried it’d become their new
normal. Or worse yet, Cord was utterly clueless that his daily show of affection toward her had dwindled to zero.
The first time she’d brought it up, Cord’s defensiveness had kicked in and he’d lit into her about all of his responsibilities.
The second time she’d mentioned it, Cord opted for sarcasm. AJ suspected if she brought it up again, he’d sigh, mutter sorry
darlin’ and offer a perfunctory peck on the cheek each morning in a half-assed attempt at placating her.
No thank you.
“Mama?”
She blinked and glanced down at her youngest son, Vaughn. “Yes, sweetie?”
“Why’re you sad?”
AJ ruffled his blond curls—he was the only one of their children who had inherited her hair color. “It’s nothing for you to
worry about.”
“Are you missin’ sissy?”
Avery, her only girl child, and the closest one in age to Vaughn, had recently started all-day kindergarten, much to Vaughn’s
dismay. “I’m missing something,” she murmured. Then she smoothed the hair she’d tousled. “Are you ready to head into town?”
“Yep. Got my backpack.”
She smiled at the massive camo backpack, stuffed to the gills with god only knew what a four-year old needed for six hours
away from home. “You’ve jammed a lot of stuff in there, pard. You sure you don’t need me to carry it?”
Vaughn scoffed, his expression so like Cord’s that her heart squeezed. “I’m not a baby, mama.”
“My mistake. Go get your boots on and I’ll be right there.”
With only one kiddo in her eight passenger Suburban, the too-quiet drive from the ranch into Sundance gave AJ too much
time to think.
Even when she understood it wasn’t fair to compare their past to their present, she couldn’t stop her thoughts from focusing
on the hungry way Cord used to look at her. Those work-roughened hands all over her all the time. The sexual tension between
them that needed an immediate release.
This wasn’t about sex, except recently that was the only time Cord showed affection. In the moment their bodies connected,
his blue eyes filled with a heart-stopping mix of love, desire and satisfaction. A look that hadn’t faltered over the years, a look
that belonged to her alone.
God. Maybe she oughta quit fretting over what she missed and be thankful for what she had.
Yet…what if she was at fault? She couldn’t stand the thought of this disconnect continuing much longer.
After dropping Vaughn off at the community center for preschool, she headed down the street and parked in her spot behind
the Sandstone Building. Juggling her messenger bag, Diet Pepsi and keys, she unlocked the back door, stepping into the cool
darkness. The ever-present scents of essential oils filled her nose and she breathed in a deep, calming breath. This space was
her sanctuary.
While she loved being home on the ranch with Cord and their kids, she’d continued to run Healing Touch, the massage
studio she’d opened the first year of their marriage.
After the birth of Beau, baby boy number two, AJ leased out part of her space to another massage therapist. Dante
Blackstone, a Casper transplant, specialized in rehabilitation massage therapy. He worked two days a week on location and the
other days in the studio. While they usually alternated days, sometimes their schedules meshed, and they’d be in the office
together. AJ expelled a sigh of relief Dante wasn’t around. She’d be tempted to blurt out all her frustrations and fears because
confiding in the dog had gotten her nowhere.
Striving to put her worries out of her mind, she popped in her earbuds and cranked the music as she cleaned and restocked
her space. Then her ten o’clock cancelled, leaving her at loose ends for an hour. Even online retail therapy hadn’t brightened
her mood.
Promptly at ten-fifty-seven, Ainsley Hamilton sailed in for her eleven o’clock appointment. As usual, the bank president
was smartly dressed: a cream-colored silk blouse and a royal blue A-line skirt that mirrored the stripes in the blue plaid suit
jacket. Gray open-toed pumps and matching handbag completed the ensemble.
AJ whistled. “Lookin’ good today, Lady A.”
Ainsley blushed. “Thanks. Big meeting this morning and Ben is taking me to lunch.”
“He’s coming into town just for lunch with you?” Ainsley’s husband Ben McKay and his older brother, Quinn, ran the
northern most section of the massive McKay Ranch and were Cord’s cousins.
“You sound surprised.”
“I am. I don’t know that Cord has ever specifically met me for lunch.”
“Ever?” Ainsley asked with genuine shock.
“Well, not since we were first married. If we have to take the kids to an appointment or something during the week, we
might stop for a bite before we head back to the ranch.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but that sucks. Especially since I doubt you two ever get to enjoy a quiet meal alone at
home.”
With all those kids…went unsaid.
Then Ainsley backtracked. “But I’m sure it’s fine if it works for you.”
“I’m beginning to wonder if it isn’t broken,” AJ muttered. But she knew Ainsley had heard her when her eyes narrowed. AJ
offered a quick smile. “Never mind. Hit the dressing room and I’ll meet you back there.”
Ainsley sauntered to the door off to the left. The dressing room had a rear passthrough that allowed the client to enter the
treatment room without having to backtrack through the reception area.
AJ washed her hands and selected the eucalyptus oil Ainsley preferred. For background noise she chose instrumental music
with soft chimes layered over gentle guitar chords.
Ainsley emerged and dropped her robe before she hopped up on the table. She stretched out on her belly, her arms above
her head. Her casual approach to nudity had actually shocked AJ; she’d expected the bank president to be modest. Ainsley had
noticed her shock and had laughed. “In my life BB—Before Ben—being naked in any situation made me burn with shame. My
husband has…reformed that attitude and now I’m practically a nudist.” That admission had forged an honest friendship
between them and AJ looked forward to their sessions.
“Am I working on your shoulders today?” she asked.
“Yes, please. And if there’s time, can you check out my right calf? I’ve had weird cramps there the past week.”
“No problem. What level do you need today?”
“Medium hard? Gentler on my arms.”
“All right. Now inhale. Let go of all the tension you’re holding. Exhale slowly. Good. Twice more.” She didn’t put her
hands on Ainsley until her last drawn-out exhale.
Some clients were chatty during their treatment. Some only spoke to ask for pressure adjustment. Ainsley fell somewhere in
between. During the most intense portion of the tissue work, she concentrated on breathing and keeping her shoulders relaxed.
But when AJ drifted to her lower back, she tuned in and made small talk. Ainsley surprised AJ when she said, “Is everything
all right with you and Cord?”
“Eh. It’s the same old same old with Cord.”
“And is that part of the problem?” When AJ didn’t immediately respond, Ainsley added, “Look, I know you’re close to
your sisters-in-law, and maybe you’ve mentioned whatever is going on with you and Cord to them, but it seems you need to talk
to someone now. I’m here and it’s not like I’ll blab far and wide about it.”
AJ snorted. “Here’s where you’ll remind me that you’re a banker used to keeping everyone in town’s secrets.”
“Here’s where I remind you that we are family, but mostly I’ll remind you that I was married before Ben. I know what it’s
like to question what you’re willing to live with or live without in a relationship.”
When AJ’s hands quit moving, Ainsley lifted her head and looked over her shoulder. “Or am I wrong?”
“That’s the thing; I don’t know what’s wrong. In the past few months, Cord has stopped being the affectionate man I fell in
love with. I mean, we still have sex. I get off, he gets off. But outside of the bedroom? No ass-grabbing, no playful swats, no
handholding, no reaching over to squeeze my leg as we’re driving. No crowding me and kissing my neck when I cook or
sliding me onto his lap when we watch TV. I can’t remember the last time he purposely sought me out and kissed me goodbye
before we started our days. And unless we go to bed at the exact same time, he doesn’t bother telling me goodnight. Maybe it
sounds trivial, but I’ve gotten used to constant affection from him. And poof, it’s suddenly gone.”
 “That is odd. His memory isn’t failing?”
“No more selective male memory than usual.”
“Have you tried tracking him down to kiss him before you leave?”
“Once.” AJ dug her thumbs into Ainsley’s thick calf muscle. “I followed him out to his truck but before I could put a liplock
on him, he said he did not have time to add another task to his to do list. So when I fantasized about putting him in a headlock, I
retreated like a dog with its tail between its legs.” She groaned. “I know he’s dealing with a million things, but I didn’t deserve
to be dismissed.”
“What did he say?” Ainsley asked.
AJ imitated Cord. “Christ, AJ, don’t you think I got enough shit to worry about without you addin’ to it? I’m sorry I haven’t
been playin’ grab-ass with you in the barn and sucking face with you in the kitchen, but it ain’t like I’m ignorin’ you. I’m right
here with you, every damn day, doin’ the best I can. What else do you want from me?”
Ainsley laughed. “You do a pretty good Cord imitation. But would he really say that?”
“Well, it was more like he barked it at me, which is ironic, since the damn dog gets more petting and stroking than I do.”
She blew out a breath. “You probably think I’m ridiculous.”
“I think you’re frustrated.”
“Mostly I’m scared if I do cowgirl up and demand he hear me out, that I’ll freeze and forget what I wanted to say or turn
into a madwoman who yells and throws things.”
A beat passed and Ainsley said, “Maybe if you practice talking to him like you were giving a speech, you’ll find the right
phrasing. Or at least avoid the words that’ll cause him to clam up or get defensive. I still have to do that before dealing with
touchy subjects with Ben.”
AJ gentled her kneading thumbs as she considered Ainsley’s suggestion. “Prepare a speech? That seems weird. Then again,
I’m out of ideas.”
“Just try it. What would you do if Cord walked in right now and heard us discussing this?”
A multitude of answers scrolled through her head. Blush? Laugh it off? Apologize?
No. She’d backtalk. Get him riled up. Because then she’d be his total focus and he’d have to listen to her.
“AJ?”
For a moment she imagined it was Cord’s voice, that little snap in his tone when he impatiently said her name. “Hold it
right there, McKay. Wipe that angry bull look off your face. I’m not trash-talking you; I’m talking to a friend about what’s
bugging me. Be glad Keely isn’t my confidante. Her advice begins and ends with slipping you Viagra because you’ve always
been a grumpy old fucker.”
Ainsley snickered but AJ kept delivering a smackdown to the phantom Cord. “This isn’t about sex. It’s about intimacy. And
affection. I’m worried you haven’t realized there is a gulf growing between us. When I’ve brought it up, you claim you’re doing
the best you can. But that’s not true. I’ve had your best for years and honey, this ain’t it.”
After a brief pause, Ainsley said, “That sounded perfectly on point to me. Now you just need to tell the person who needs
to hear it.”
“Yeah. I’ll fit that conversation in when we get a moment alone. Oh, right. That’s almost never.”
A muffled noise caught her attention. Where had that come from? She didn’t have another client scheduled for an hour. “Go
ahead and get dressed. I’ll meet you out front.”
AJ glanced around the reception area. No sign of a delivery. Didn’t look like Dante had popped by.
Then she noticed that the dressing room door was wide open.
Ainsley probably hadn’t gotten the door completely closed earlier. When the heater kicked on, the door blew open. That’s
probably all she’d heard.

CORD HUSTLED BACK to his truck, his heart thudding as fast as his booted feet.
Inside the vehicle, he curled his hands around the steering wheel and closed his eyes.
What the ever-lovin’ fuck?
After AJ had acted completely out of character this morning, he decided to check on her, so he’d come to town.
Rather than slipping in the back door as he usually did, he’d entered the studio through the front, intending to catch her
between clients. He planned to scroll through farm and ranch reports on his phone while he waited, when he’d heard—“Eh. It’s
the same old, same old with Cord”—not uttered in that loving tone his wife normally used.
Curiosity had gotten the better of him; an open dressing room door was an open invitation. And man, had he gotten an
earful, standing close enough to hear every blasted word about his failings and missteps.
He’d almost panicked when he’d heard “Hold it right there, McKay” thinking AJ had busted him, but she’d kept up her rant
and he’d listened until Ainsley had given AJ props for her practiced speech.
Then he’d beat feet outta there.
While Cord didn’t dismiss her concerns, feelings, whatever, it was a load of horseshit that he’d been that inattentive to her
for as long as she claimed.
You sure about that, McKay?
He snorted at AJ’s assertation that he never took her to lunch. Maybe he hadn’t done it in a while, but he had grabbed food
and shared it with her at her studio.
Not the same thing, buddy. Dropping off a burger because you were in town getting tractor parts is not the same as
setting up a time specifically for a meal with only her.
Okay, that was a valid point. It’d been longer than he cared to admit since he’d put effort into carving out alone time for
them. Granted, it’d become harder with each new kid they added to their family, but AJ hadn’t expressed disappointment to
Ainsley that they hadn’t gone on date nights or taken a couples’ weekend; her complaint centered on his inattention to her even
when they were in the same room.
Christ. There wasn’t any doubt he’d been moody and exhausted since they’d started haying. And maybe sharper in tone than
usual in his responses.
But his recall of the day she’d chased him to his truck played out a bit differently in his mind. No denying he’d barked at
her, but the woman hadn’t taken into account that he’d hauled his ass outta bed at four a.m. so Ky could help with the morning
cattle check before he raced to town for his first football practice of the day. He’d come home to refill his thermos after he’d
gotten a text from Colt that he wouldn’t be on hand, which left Cord working by himself. Again.
So yeah, he’d been pissed off and overwhelmed before she added to it by complaining he hadn’t been his usual horny self.
Or that’s how he’d taken it.
Appeared he’d taken it wrong.
Thinking back to the day a week or so later, when AJ had sauntered into the barn and remarked his horse got more daily
affection than she did…apparently his crack about riding her until she got all sweaty and finishing her off with a rubdown and a
sugar cube hadn’t been as funny to her as it had been to him.
How had they gotten so out of synch? From the moment they’d gotten together, AJ had been an open book. She hadn’t
played games. She tackled problems with a mix of fortitude, love and good cheer and wasn’t shy about sharing her opinions.
That’s why he loved her; she called him on his shit rather than putting up with it. What didn’t make sense was that she’d turned
this “he said/she said” miscommunication into a serious threat to their relationship. It was just a little hiccup.
They needed to get back on track. And sooner rather than later.
Cord scrubbed his hands over his razor-stubbled face. Alone time. Right. First things first ditching the kids for a night.
He called Keely.
“Hey big bro. What’s up?”
“I need a favor. Can you pick Vaughn up from preschool when you get the twins?”
“Sure. Is that all you need?”
Cord blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I’m tryin’ to surprise my wife with a date night—a kid-free overnight date night—
and I’m not sure how to make that happen. We McKays each have too many kids to dump the lot of them off with one family.
And I don’t wanna spring this on Mom and Dad last minute.”
“Well, I can pick up both Vaughn and Avery and keep them until noon tomorrow. Maybe Colby and Channing could take
Foster and Beau? They’d probably prefer to be with their boy cousin gang.”
“Good idea. I’ll call him.”
“Is this nookie-fest happening after Kyler’s football game tonight?”
Crap. He’d known Kyler had plans, but in his relief that he’d had one less kid to worry about shuffling off, he’d forgotten
why Ky wouldn’t be home. “Um, we’re skipping tonight’s game.”
Keely gasped. “You? Skipping out on Kyler’s game? You never do that.”
Wrong. He’d missed games when ranch business took priority, so Miss-Know-it-all didn’t know everything. “Do I need to
pack some stuff for the kids and drop it off?”
“Nope. I got you covered.”
“One other thing, don’t talk to AJ. I am tryin’ to keep it a surprise.”
“I won’t. I’ll text you when I’m home with the kiddos.”
“Thanks, K. I mean it.”
Next he called his brother Colby’s cell, but he didn’t answer so Cord tried reaching his sister-in-law Channing.
“Did you mean to call me, Cord, or was this another saddle dial?” Channing intoned sweetly.
“Butt dial someone once and they never forget it,” he groused. “I tried reaching Colby first, but he didn’t pick up.”
“He’s right here so I can put you on speaker.”
Shuffling sounds and murmurs crackled in his ear. “Hey Cord. You checkin’ up on me to see if I’m fucking around on my
lunch break?”
Cord snorted. “Even if I was, you’d take your time getting back to work just to annoy me. I’m calling because I need a
favor.”
“Yeah? Should I be worried about this favor you need since you never ask for nothin’?”
“Maybe I don’t ask ’cause you pop off a bunch of smart-ass questions when I do.” And it’s easier just to handle things
myself rather than deal with your excuses, Cord added silently.
Colby sighed. “Yeah, I am kind of a dick. So what’s up?”
“Any chance you can pick up Foster and Beau from the bus stop and keep them overnight, until noon tomorrow? I’m tryin’
to surprise AJ with a date night.”
“Ooh. Romantic,” Channing said, “AJ will love that. There’s no problem adding two more McKay boys to the mix of our
own. Just call the school and send a message to their classrooms to have them get off at our bus stop.”
“Will do. And thanks.”
“One last thing before you hang up,” Colby said. “You want me to finish mowing that section of ditch you started
yesterday?”
He frowned at his phone. “No. I can finish it on Monday. Why?”
“So you’re done workin’ for the day?” he said skeptically.
“Thought I made that clear?”
“What Colby is getting at,” Channing interjected, “is if you expect him to return to…umm…ranch stuff this afternoon, or if
he can continue to hover over me until it’s time to pick up the kids.”
Ranch stuff. Lord. Was AJ the only woman in this family who understood what the daily grind of ranching entailed? And
maybe, Cord thought bitterly, he’d like the chance to hover over his own wife, because apparently, he hadn’t been doing enough
of that. “Don’t know why the hell you’re askin’ me. Colby does what he wants, when he wants…or not at all. “Shoot me a text
when you’ve got the boys.”
Since Cord was in town, he stopped at the elementary school and signed off in person for the change in afterschool
transportation plans for Avery, Foster and Beau. Then he popped into the community center and changed the pickup form for
Vaughn.
He’d barely reached the outskirts of town when his phone rang. The caller ID on the truck’s display read Kyler. Frowning,
he poked the answer button. “Ky? Everything all right?”
“Yeah. Is everything all right with the brat pack? I saw your truck at the school.”
Only Cord seemed bothered by Kyler referring to his siblings as the brat pack. “Everything is fine.” He paused and said
sharply, “How’d you know I was there? Ain’t you supposed to be in class?”
“It’s lunchtime, Dad. A bunch of us were sitting outside. So what’s goin’ on? You’re never in town during workin’ hours.”
Another family member ascribing the word never to his behavior. Was he really that predictable? “I needed to deal with a
few things before I spring a surprise date night on AJ. Your brothers and sister are staying with their cousins. You still crashing
with Hayden?”
“Yep, me’n Anton both are. We’ll probably hang out after the football game, see if anything is goin’ on in town.”
“Sorry we’ll miss the game tonight.”
“Not a big deal. We’re playing Belle and they suck so I think coach is gonna mostly rest his starters.”
“Have a good game anyway. And don’t you boys go out stirring up shit that’ll get your uncle Cam hot on your tail.”
Kyler laughed. “Anton is a good deterrent. He doesn’t wanna piss off his dad either, regardless if he’s in his deputy
uniform.”
“Good. See ya tomorrow afternoon, son.”
Cord left the radio off as he drove back to the ranch, trying to come up with a more solid plan than a kid-free night. He
didn’t want things to play out in the usual pattern—dinner out, home to fuck, then fall asleep. He wanted to specifically address
her “the man he used to be” remark without any of this beating-around-the-bush bullshit.
Beating around the bush.
Huh.
He could work with that.
He cracked a huge grin. Oh, this was gonna be some fun.

AJ’S PHONE RANG two minutes before her last appointment started. Normally she wouldn’t have answered it, but Cord was
calling. And he never called her when she was working.
“Cord? What’s wrong?”
 He chuckled. “Are my phone calls rare enough that you assume something bad has happened?”
“Maybe. Anyway, what’s up?”
“You’ve got the day off from bein’ a taxi service. I’ll handle the kids today. You just come on home when you’re done
workin’.”
Her forehead wrinkled with confusion. “You mean all the kids except Vaughn? I still need to get him since I’m in town?”
“Nope. Gotcha covered.”
“Are you sure? Because—”
“Just because you usually do all this stuff doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do it and can’t step in once in a while.”
“But…I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t, but you will.” A pause. “And for the record, baby doll? That’s one.”
The growly, sexy tone she hadn’t heard in a long time sent a shiver down her spine.
“Cord?”
Silence. He’d hung up.
Damn man.
Then Marguerite hobbled in, and AJ had no choice but to focus on her client.
An hour later she locked up for the weekend. She wondered if she should swing by the grocery store and grab something
quick for supper. Then she remembered Ky had a football game, and the kids would expect to load up on concession-stand
junk, so she was off the hook for tonight’s meal.
AJ barely registered the drive home. She parked on the concrete pad in front of the garage, next to Cord’s truck. She’d
cleared the first two steps when she noticed Cord lounging in the chair next to the porch swing.
She swallowed her disappointment that he hadn’t leapt up to welcome her home with a hug and a kiss. Then she noticed
he’d stretched out his long denim-clad legs and propped his bare feet on the log railing. A lowball glass rested on the table
next to him. He wore a white T-shirt that hugged his broad chest, highlighting the work-honed muscles in his arms, and the
slope of his belly. Good Lord the man was fine. “You look comfy.”
“I am.” He tipped his head to the chair opposite him. “Have a seat and I’ll pour ya a happy hour special.”
She tried not to show shock at his playful response. When was the last time she’d seen him this relaxed? Dropping into the
chair, she sighed. “It’s gonna be a beautiful night.”
“Yes, it is.” Cord handed her a glass three quarters full of amber liquid with a large ice cube bobbing in the center.
“What’s this happy hour special?”
“Crown apple.”
Her favorite. She smiled and held her glass up for a toast. “TGIF.”
He touched his glass to hers.
After the first sip warmed her throat, she basked in the last rays of sunshine and the quiet.
Wait. It was too quiet. “Where are the kids? Watching movies or something?”
“Nope. Avery and Vaughn are havin’ a sleepover at Keely’s. Foster and Beau are stayin’ with Colby. Ky is crashing with
Hayden after the game. So we’re all alone.”
AJ’s mouth dropped open. “That’s…”
“Surprising?” he supplied.
Not the norm for you to make personal plans for us, especially on a Friday night. Cord actually looked forward to
Friday night football games with her and the kids. “Cord. What is going on?”
His too-blue gaze locked on hers. “Why don’t you tell me?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she shot back.
“That. Right there. That’s what I’m talkin’ about. You’ve been downright pissy. Anytime I ask what’s wrong, you get snippy
and snap that everything is fine.”
She looked away. “Oh yeah? I can’t remember the last time you asked me what was wrong.”
That shut him up. Briefly. “I don’t think your memory is as reliable as you seem to believe.”
AJ knocked back another drink. “So what is this? Some kind of anger management intervention?”
“Should it be? ’Cause darlin’, you literally threw my lunch at me this morning.”
AJ felt a wash of shame again, remembering tearing out of the house after he’d so pointedly ignored her, whipping the soft-
sided lunch bag at him and yelling, “Have a nice day, asshole.” But she doubled down on her pettiness and retorted, “I’m not
sorry.”
“I know you’re not. Still confused about why you shouted woof woof before storming off.”
Oh. She’d forgotten about that last dig. “Speaking of…where is your faithful sidekick?”
“Chichi is tucked in for the night. Which is why it’s just you and me, workin’ through this mad of yours, without
interruptions.”
Her heart rate spiked with hope.
 “It’s been too goddamned long since we’ve been completely alone for more than an hour or two. And I’m truly sorry about
that. Goin’ forward, I’ll pay better mind to it. The kids will be back tomorrow at noon. So the night is ours. The morning too.”
AJ stared into her glass as she swirled the last of the whiskey around the ice cube. “What happens next?”
“That, my beautiful wife, is entirely up to you.”
She glanced over as Cord dropped a folded piece of fabric on the table, followed by a white sheet of paper. “What’s that?”
“Your choices on how we spend our time together.” He lifted the blank page. “Option one: you choose. Could be a
traditional date night. We get dressed up, have a nice dinner in Deadwood. Maybe do some dancin’. Whatever you want. You
call the shots.”
“And that option?”
Cord smirked at her and picked up the black bandana, running the folded section between his fingers. “This is a blindfold.
You put your blind faith in me and I call all the shots.”
For a panicked moment, she studied him. Had he somehow gotten wind of her conversation with Ainsley?
No, it’d definitely been the speedball—aka the lunch—she’d thrown him that’d convinced him to take action.
He dropped his feet to the decking and stood. Then he planted himself in front of her, his hands on the arms of the chair,
lowering his upper body until they were face to face. “I’m gonna lobby on my own behalf for you to choose option two.” Cord
rubbed the smooth part of his upper cheek across hers. “Please.”
The scent of him…she closed her eyes. Lime shaving cream. Laundry detergent from his clean T-shirt. Sun-warmed skin. A
hint of whiskey. And that heady, underlying musk that was his alone.
Then his lips were at her ear. “I wanna get us back where we need to be, baby doll. Here, in our own house, where we’re
the most comfortable bein’ ourselves.” He lightly tugged her earlobe between his teeth until she groaned. “You’ve got three
minutes to decide.” He pushed away from her and started for the front door.
“But—”
He paused and sent her a stern look over his shoulder. “That’s two.”
AJ had forgotten how his little counting game affected her: maddening and enticing.
She hadn’t needed the allotted time to make her choice.
Seemed longer than three minutes before she heard his feet shuffling across the decking.
She waved the bandana over her head in surrender.
Had Cord just exhaled a huge sigh of relief?
His hands landed on her shoulders and she jumped.
“Easy,” he soothed as his palms glided up her neck. “Just making sure this is tied nice and tight.” He adjusted the cloth and
fiddled with the knot until he was satisfied.
She heard a soft thud and felt his shoulders brush the insides of her knees. Warm palms squeezed the back of her calves.
Cord untied her work boots and slipped them off her feet. Then he removed her socks. His hands traveled up her body to her
hips. “Stand.”
After helping her up, he said, “Lift your arms.”
As soon as she complied, Cord yanked her shirt over her head.
But before she could protest, he’d buried his face in her cleavage while he unhooked her bra. “Christ, I love your tits.”
Then he performed a quick maneuver that brought her arms down between them, her biceps pushing her breasts together as he
used her bra to bind her forearms.
When she wobbled, he placed her fingers just inside the waistband of his jeans. “Hold on.”
That’s when she realized he’d taken off his shirt too.
“Tilt your head back,” he commanded as his teeth grazed her shoulder.
Cord didn’t speak. He didn’t give her a play-by-play of how he planned to turn her into a quivering mess of need; he’d
memorized and perfected that playbook years ago. His mouth knew exactly where to suck, where to lick, how to exploit the
secret spots where soft, wet kisses and heated breath turned her spine to jelly.
When he followed the contours of her body with those callused fingertips, AJ whispered, “Unfair,” and reveled in the
gooseflesh rippling across her skin. With a light touch, his fingers repeatedly followed the same course; up her sides, around
her shoulders, pausing at the nape of her neck to trace her spine down to the waistband of her jeans, then slowly up her back,
over her traps and down her arms.
AJ’s breathing turned choppy as she anticipated each touch. It’d been ages since he’d taken such care in drawing out their
foreplay. She went still. She hadn’t done the same for him recently either.
Cord paused in his delicious torture. “What made you tense up just now?”
“Guilt,” she blurted out. “I haven’t touched you like this, just for the sheer pleasure of it, for a while. And I’m sorry.”
“Hey, hey. No guilt allowed. I’m reminding both of us how much I worship this sexy body of yours.” Then he kissed her
until she melted into him, once again lost in the familiar heat that built between them.
The next time AJ shivered, he stopped. He uncurled her fingers from his waistband and untied her hands. “Let’s go inside.
It is getting a might nipply out here.”
Although she couldn’t see him, she imagined that wicked grin as he ogled her breasts. “Hilarious, McKay.”
He lifted her arms and placed them on his shoulders. “Jump up and wrap your legs around my waist.”
“You don’t have to carry me inside.”
“I want to carry you.”
AJ almost said, “But what about your back?” thought better of it, and changed it to, “You just want my tits in your face.”
“Always, baby doll.”
She held on while he meandered into the house, his mouth greedily sucking and his hands kneading her ass. Her back met
the wall and the restraint he’d had outside vanished.
His lust-filled growl vibrated against her skin and shot straight between her legs. After nursing four babies, her nipples
hadn’t regained full sensation, but she loved how much Cord was still obsessed with her tits, and his hunger fueled her own.
When he paused to drag the hard ridge of his cock across her clit, she ground against him, panting, “How long do I have to
wear the blindfold?”
“Until I take it off.”
Don’t say it.
Cord appeared to be awaiting her complaint. When she remained mum, he said, “I’d expected this sassy mouth to throw out
a few more buts, and I’m slightly disappointed I only ended up with two.”
“Two what?”
“You’ll see.”
“Not with this blindfold on I won’t.”
The man laughed.
Laughed. Damn him.
He stepped back and set her on the floor. “C’mon.”
AJ expected he’d take her upstairs to their bedroom, but given the scent of wood smoke, they were in the living room. “You
lit a fire?”
“Figured since you were gonna be nekkid for the foreseeable future you might like some extra warmth, but I won’t stoke it
again if you say the word.”
“I like it—not that I can see the crackling flames—I just thought—”
Cord’s mouth came down on hers. He lifted his lips long enough to murmur, “No thinkin’ tonight. Now strip outta them
jeans. Ditch that black thong too.”
Her fingers paused over the zipper. “How’d you know the color of my—”
“If you think I don’t pay attention when you’re half-dressed in our bedroom, then it’s my responsibility to remind you that I
do.”
Defiantly, AJ raised her chin. “I don’t want to be just another damn responsibility you have to see too, Cord.”
Framing her face in his hands, he gentled his tone. “Sorry, darlin’, I misspoke. I meant to say I notice everything about you,
every day, even when you think I don’t.”
“Oh. Well, okay then.”
A quick kiss, then he said, “Jeans off. Now.”
Ten seconds later, she said, “There. I’m bare-assed in my living room. You happy?”
“Yep, but that sass is gonna get you in trouble.”
“Bring it. I can handle it.”
He sighed. “And to think I’d started feelin’ guilty about this first part because you were bein’ pretty sweet.”
“This first part?” she repeated.
“Worried?”
“Nope,” she lied.
“Good.” He gripped her shoulders. “Take two steps back. Now sit.”
Her behind met cold wood. Curved cold wood. She wiggled and the thing squeaked. “Wait. Is this my new saddle stand?”
“Yep.”
“You brought my saddle stand inside the house?”
“I can’t do this in the barn, baby doll; you’d freeze your tits off. And with what we paid for this damn thing, it oughta have
multiple uses.”
Unbelievable. “Cord! This is for a saddle. It won’t hold my weight.”
“It will.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I caught all four kids sittin’ on it last weekend. Reach out and grab the sides. Good. Now widen your knees. Stay
just like that.”
 Her heartrate spiked when she felt rope circle her wrists, then the slight bite of pain as he cinched it by looping the rope
across her thighs and under her knees. She jumped when he brushed a kiss on the hollow below her ear.
“I’ve fantasized about tyin’ you to this thing from the moment we dragged it home. You oughta see yourself, trussed up with
a red rope, that pink pussy wet for me.”
Heat bloomed across her face and chest.
“You’re pretty as a picture, darlin’.” A pause then, “Smile.”
“You better not have taken my picture like this, Cord McKay.”
“Or what,” he whispered in her other ear. “Don’t pretend you don’t wanna peek at it and see how damn hot you look.”
That gruff voice sent tingles down her neck.
“Don’t worry. No one will ever see the only pic in my spank bank.”
“That’s not the point! How would you like it if I took a picture of your dick?”
He eased the blindfold down just enough to show AJ the twinkle in his blue eyes. “I’d love it. I’d even snap a pic myself
and message it to you, but only if you ask nicely because I don’t wanna be accused of sending unsolicited dick pics.”
AJ couldn’t help it. She laughed. His eyes were laughing too before he covered her eyes again.
“Now quit distracting me from meting out your penalties. Only two backtalking buts this time. I think you’ll be grateful you
held your tongue.” Then his hands were on her thighs as he lowered himself to his knees. “But that don’t mean I gotta hold
mine.”
This instant Cord put his mouth on her, she nearly screamed.
Long torturous licks from the bottom of her pussy to the top.
Sneaky soft nibbles on the flesh surrounding her clit that were there and gone.
Hard sucks on the insides of her thighs.
Hands stroking her calves.
Fingers dancing up her shins.
Palms enclosing her knees.
Breath drifting over her sensitive tissues every time he changed position.
AJ surrendered to him. Loving and hating how expertly he played with her. She’d forgotten how masking her sight had
increased the potency of her other senses.
Cord finally did that swirly tongue thing around her clit, and she automatically arched back, forgetting for a moment where
she was.
The saddle stand rocked, and the ropes tightened.
He righted her before she tipped over, murmuring, “Easy.”
“Cord. I can’t stay still.”
“Try,” he said, stopping that fantastically flicking tongue as he pushed a finger inside her. “Makes my dick hard that you’re
dripping wet for me.” He added another finger.
Her response morphed into a low wail as he suctioned his lips around her clit while he stroked her G-spot.
That tingling, pulling sensation started to gather steam. Her legs were shaking and she was seconds away from throbbing
orgasmic bliss, when Cord stopped.
“No, don’t stop! I’m so close.”
“I know.” He nuzzled her mound, then placed a kiss above her clit before he backed away.
Where did he think he was going?
“Cord?”
His breath tickled her ear and she jumped. “One down. One to go.”
“One what?” she panted. She was teetering on that knife’s edge of madness. Her sex was swollen and pulsing, and she’d
beg for release if she had to.
“One penalty down, one to go.”
Somehow those words permeated her lust-addled brain. “This is my penalty? You build me up and up and then…deny me
the orgasm?”
“Holdin’ you off will make the orgasm more intense.” His mouth followed the straining arch of her neck. “I could spend all
goddamned night gorging myself on your delicious cunt,” he said in the deep growly tone that made her shudder from head to
toe.
Except this time, all it did was make her mad. “You’re not serious about keeping me on the edge like this.”
“Oh, I assure you, baby doll, I’m very serious about it.”
“You bastard!”
The man had the audacity to chuckle. “Wanna take a break before I start round two?” She heard him rustling around on the
sofa. “I picked up a pizza for supper. Want me to throw it in the oven?”
“I don’t want any fucking pizza! I want to come!”
 Cord didn’t say anything. Then he sighed dramatically. “Fine. No break it is.”
“Cord. You can’t do that again. It’s not—”
He took her mouth in a hard kiss. He tasted of her. Of them. Instead of increasing her frustration, it settled her down.
Just as he knew it would.
“Here’s a quick history lesson, since you seemed to’ve forgotten.” Another hungry kiss only increased her unfulfilled ache.
“You agreed that any backtalk from you usin’ the word but when we were discussing important things, gave me the right to
administer whatever penalty I deemed fit. Since you’ve been withholding your feelings to the point you’re throwin’ stuff at
me…well, this penalty couldn’t be any more perfect.”
“Does that mean you’re ready to talk about things without getting all pissy with me?”
A sweet kiss softened the hard set of her mouth. “Oh, we’ll talk. Guaranteed. But it ain’t gonna happen when I have my
feisty wife completely trussed up and at my mercy.”
“Cord, I’m—”
“AJ. You know that I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
“But I’m hurting now,” she said in her most repentant tone.
His palms made another leisurely pass over her chest. “Then it’s a lucky thing I gotta redo the ropes.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Then maybe you oughta say exactly what you mean.”
The pressure across her thighs eased. He maneuvered her onto her back while her hands remained bound to the saddle
stand, which was now above her head.
He pushed her legs apart, stretching out beside her, his bare hip against her thigh.
“Comfortable?” she bit out.
“Getting there.”
Silence.
“Are you just staring at me?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“Because lately all we’ve made time for is a fast fuck in the dark. So when I’ve got the time to admire this body, I’m gonna
do so.” He traced her jawline with the back of his hand. “You’re especially beautiful in the firelight.”
Why did the man have to be so sweet before he tortured her?
He planted a firm kiss on the upper swell of her left breast.
Then, “Ah, here it is.”
“What?” escaped a second before she heard the buzz.
No. He wouldn’t.
But he did. Of course he did.
He circled her left nipple with the tip of her vibrator.
She nearly shot out of her skin because they’d never played around with it there before.
And suddenly that spot wasn’t as numb as she’d believed.
Damn him and his evil little chuckle.
He delivered such sweet torment, sucking on one nipple while using the vibrator on the other and then switching, so the
wetness increased the sensitivity of the vibrations.
When she started to squirm, Cord arced the vibrating tip across her belly.
Her muscles tensed and her skin rippled with goosebumps.
She noticed his breathing had grown harsher with each downward arc toward her gleaming sex. It occurred to her that not
only was he denying her pleasure, he wasn’t getting any relief either. Which was a change from the other times he’d dealt out
penalties—they’d mostly benefited him.
“You bored?”
Startled by his voice so close to her ear, she jumped. “No. Why?”
“Seemed like you zoned out.”
A snort escaped. “Like that’d be possible.”
He nuzzled the curve of her breast. Then moved the vibrator up to draw lazy circles around each breast.
But what if it was possible to act zoned out? She could reverse fake an orgasm. She’d remain still when she felt the orgasm
start, just silently enjoying every throbbing pulse, then at the very end, she’d thrash around and pretend like she was about to
go off. She allowed her lips to curve up just a little; she’d show him.
It was a great plan—a brilliant one, and she’d been full of self-congratulations for outsmarting her husband, when he
nestled the vibrator between her pussy lips, like a hotdog in a bun. The entire length vibrated on high from her clit allllllll the
way down to the pucker of her ass.
 AJ’s hips bucked so violently she dislodged the vibrator.
Cord swore and trapped her restless pelvis down with one hand. “You’d rather I did this?”
What had she been thinking? There was no way she could remain still, for christsake, when he did that drawing-tight-
circles-around-her-clit thing with the pointed vibrating tip. “Oh yes. Just like that. Don’t. Stop.”
“Stop thinkin’ you can hold back, because I know how fast this thing gets you off, Amy Jo.”
“Then quit moving it!”
“Leave it here?” He slid it over her clit, then angled it down and pushed it inside her. “Or here?”
She groaned, “You teasing bastard.”
“Yep.” And Cord continued to pull it out, tease her clit mercilessly and then push it back inside her. Over and over.
She thrashed and called him names.
Like before, she was one clit twitch away from screaming her release, when the vibrations ended. “Noooooo!” Panting and
furious, she opened her mouth and screamed her frustration anyway.
When she finished, Cord said, “I didn’t catch that, sweetheart. Did you say something?”
“I said I hate you.”
He caressed her thigh. “No, you don’t. You’re just a little mad.”
“No, I’m big mad at you, McKay. I’m so horny I think I might die.”
“You’ll probably scream twice as loud as you just did when I finally fuck you.”
“Hah! Wrong-o, bucko. I’m never having sex with you again.”
That brought out his deep bark of laughter. “Hold still.”
He made quick work of untying her arms and helped her sit up. Then he cradled her face in his hands, his thumbs gently
stroking her cheekbones.
AJ let his touch soothe her.
She thought he’d been stroking her hair, but he’d unknotted the blindfold.
She blinked at him. Stupidly good-looking man. Yeah that never having sex with you again had been an empty threat.
He pressed her hand to his cheek. “Anything you need—besides an orgasm?”
“I’m thirsty.”
After another lingering caress, he stood.
Whoa. Cord was completely naked. And completely hard.
“Water or whiskey?”
“Both.”
“What about pizza?”
She scowled at him. “I already told you I don’t want any goddamned pizza.”
“All right. But when I get back, we’re gonna talk about why you believe I’m not the affectionate man you married.”
Her jaw nearly hit the rug. “You…how did you know?”
“Got quite the earful when I tried to surprise you for lunch today.”
“Omigod that noise I heard out front was you? Listening in?”
“I couldn’t help what I overheard.”
She groaned and buried her face in her hands.
“Hope you had time to prepare that speech, cause I promise you’ll have my full attention when you deliver it.”

CORD RETRIEVED THE happy hour tray from the porch. He’d forgotten about being nekkid, until he returned to the living room
and saw his bobbing dick in the dining room mirror.
“If I didn’t like that dick so much I might be tempted to punch it,” AJ drawled. She watched him approach with those wary
silver eyes.
Cord set the tray down on the floor. He added three pieces of split wood to the fire and snagged a pillow off the couch.
AJ had already drained the glass of water and poured them both two shots of whiskey. She’d also wrapped the fleece from
the couch around herself.
He reached for the other blanket and settled it across his lap. They faced each other, but his wife’s gaze remained riveted
on the ice cube in her glass.
After a big swallow of whiskey, he said, “AJ. I was kiddin’ about you giving me a speech. I heard everything I needed to
earlier today.”
“Are you mad?”
When he paused too long, she finally met his gaze. “No, baby doll, I’m not mad. You’ve got friends, you’re gonna talk to
them. But I am confused. Not about me bein’ an ass when you tried to talk to me, there’s no disputing that. I’m talkin’ about
when you said I stopped showing you any affection and it’d been goin’ on for months.”
“It has been. That’s the problem. You haven’t noticed.”
“When did all of this start?”
“During calving season.”
Cord raised an eyebrow. “It’s been goin’ on since February?”
AJ frowned. “Maybe the end of calving.”
“So April? When we went to Billings for Easter?”
“No. Things were fine then. Must’ve been around branding or when school got out.”
“We brand the first weekend in May. Kids got out of school at the end of May. So can you narrow it down?”
“I know things started to change after…well, it had something to do with cows or ranch stuff.”
And he’d been so confident his wife wouldn’t ever utter ranch stuff. “Like when we turned the bulls out the end of June?”
“No. I remember it being hotter.”
“So during haying? Which started mid-July?”
“That’s gotta be it.” Her eyes narrowed. “Hey. What’s up with the twenty questions? Are you denying you’ve been distant?”
“I’ll admit to bein’ distant recently, but you’ve gotta admit this disconnect hasn’t been going on forever, or months and
months, like you told Ainsley. Baby doll, it’s only been six weeks.”
“What? No. It’s been way longer than that.”
“Maybe it’s seemed longer, but I promise you, it’s only been six weeks.” He held up his hand to forestall her argument. “I
know that, because the last six weeks have been a goddamned blur since both Colby and Colt decided to take family vacations,
leaving me to figure out how to get everything done. I’m up at four a.m. which means I’m ready for bed after supper. Hard for
me to watch TV with you when I’m asleep. We haven’t held hands because we’ve always got the kids with us and between the
two of us, we only have enough hands to hold onto them. And no offense, but it’s too damn stuffy in the kitchen in the
summertime to steal kisses over a hot stove.”
She took another drink. “That’s what you meant when you said my memory wasn’t as reliable as I believed.”
He nodded. “But you were also completely on target when you said my distraction has been goin’ on since calving. This
year it seems the more I do, the easier it is for others to slack off because they know I don’t leave stuff undone. And by others, I
don’t mean Ky. Don’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t been around to help me out this summer.” Cord glanced down
into the glass in his hand. “Before you ask, I haven’t said anything to my brothers. Doesn’t mean I won’t, I’m just—”
“Hoping that things will sort themselves out so you don’t have to confront them?” AJ interjected softly.
“Yeah. So darlin’, when I heard you talkin’ today, I understood why you hesitated in bringing up your frustrations with me.
I’ve done the same damn thing with Colby and Colt. I really hate that you’re the one who’s suffered from me letting that
situation slide.”
“And I really hate that you were so exhausted that you couldn’t even talk to me about all you were doing trying to hold
everything together.”
The tears in her eyes hit him as hard as a hoof to the belly. “Darlin’, come here.”
She fit her body into his, finding the spaces that were empty until she filled them.
Cord rubbed his cheek across the top of her sweat-dampened head, releasing the berry scent of her shampoo and breathing
her in.
“Will it be enough if I tell you I’m sorry?” he murmured into her hair.
“Yes.” She absentmindedly stroked his chest hair. “But maybe we oughta have a code word to indicate when we need to
talk about serious issues.”
“Only if the word is blowjob. Cause darlin’, I promise every time you say blowjob, I pay close attention.”
She elbowed him. “I’m being serious.”
“So am I.”
“You’re pushing your luck, McKay.”
Cord rolled them closer to the fireplace, keeping her beneath him. After tenderly pushing her hair off her face, he said, “Am
I still pushin’ my luck?”
“Only if you deny me an orgasm.” She stared back at him. “Cord, did that have a point?”
“Mmm-mmm.” He nuzzled her throat. “You thought I’d been withholding affection from you. So I wanted to show you what
withholding something really felt like.”
“Then you’d act generous and finally allow me to come?”
“Ah ah ah. You’re the one who claimed your frustration with me wasn’t about sex.” He teased the edge of her jaw with his
teeth. “So I had my hands all over you, just bein’ affectionate, touching you in that intimate way that had nothin’ to do with sex.”
“I don’t think your definition and my definition of intimate are the same.”
He lifted his head and focused intently on her eyes. “And that, baby doll, was the point.”
 AJ’s face softened. “Point taken, cowboy.”
“Good.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She coasted her fingers down his back with such a light touch his skin broke out in gooseflesh. Then she
slapped his ass cheeks. Hard.
“Feel better?”
“I’m waiting for you to make me feel better.” She widened her legs and arched her pelvis.
He eased inside her, watching her face. As many times as he’d made love to this woman, he never tired of that dreamy
expression clouding her eyes. He still listened for the quick hitch in her breathing and groan of satisfaction as he filled her
completely. He whispered, “Slow or fast?”
“Slow.”
The firelight flickered over their bodies in motion. And he built the rhythm that reminded them both, at least in this, they
were always in perfect synch.

CORD AND AJ were snuggled up in front of the dwindling fire. It’d cooled off in the past hour and he really oughta get up and
restoke the fire…but that’d be too much trouble.
Suddenly AJ shivered and threw back the blanket. She hopped up and grabbed her glass of whiskey, knocking back the
remainder. Then she stepped over him.
“Where you goin’?”
She sent him a saucy look over her shoulder. “To the hot tub because I’m cold.”
“Wait. I need—”
“Some extra recovery time?” she asked sweetly.
“Like hell.” Cord threw off the blanket so she could see his cock rising to the challenge.
“Then come on. And bring the bottle.”
She sashayed away, not bothering to look back to see if he’d follow, because she knew he would.

GROANING AT THE unnaturally bright shaft of light, Cord untangled their entwined limbs and rolled closer to the nightstand,
squinting at the clock.
Jesus. Was it really ten a.m.?
“No, don’t get up,” AJ complained, scooting her body closer to his.
“Sorry, baby doll. The kids’ll be here pretty soon, and we left a helluva mess downstairs.” Cord swung around and
dropped his feet to the floor. He ran a hand through his hair. “Guess we’ll have to skip the romantic horseback ride I’d planned
for this morning.”
AJ snorted.
He turned and looked at her. “What?”
“Did you really think I’d be eager to have a horse between my legs after you rode me four times last night?”
“Hey, that last time was your idea,” he retorted with a grin. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“I am. Lord. My ass is sore.” She yawned. “And I’m hungry.” She held up her hand. “Don’t suggest pizza; we ate it all,
remember?”
His thoughts were a bit muddled about what time AJ had brought the pizza into their bed, he’d definitely remembered
devouring it and then devouring her. “We could hit the Tasty Place in Hulett before the kids get back.”
“Excellent idea. But I need to shower first. Pretty sure I reek of sex.”
Cord rolled back onto the bed and pinned her beneath him. “I love it when you look all mussed up and well-fucked. I
especially love how my beard smells after I’ve had it all over your pussy all night.”
“And I’ve got the beard burns on my thighs to back up that dirty comment.” She sifted her fingers through his hair. “Thanks
for last night. We needed it.”
“We sure did.” He kissed her. “And remember any time you want my full attention, just whisper blowjob.”
She rolled her eyes. “I guarantee if you don’t talk to your brothers and your cousins this week about them pulling their
weight on this ranch, I will yell blowjob at the top of my lungs until you take care of it. You cannot keep doin’ this on your own,
Cord. It’s affected your health and our family life.”
“I know. I will. I promise.” Another kiss. “Come on. Let’s get dressed and go.”
 WHEN THEY RETURNED from Hulett, Colby’s truck was parked by the barn.
The side door opened and it seemed a dozen kids streamed out—Colby’s five and four of theirs, so only nine. But close
enough.
While Foster and Beau were too cool to race to their parents, Avery and Vaughn immediately bounded over.
AJ scooped Vaughn into her arms and kissed both of his cheeks. “Hey pard. Miss me?”
“Daddy!”
Cord looked down into his daughter’s freckled face. “Hi punkin.” He smoothed back her hair, avoiding the strands coated
with glitter. “Didja have fun?”
“So much fun.” Avery put her feet on the tops of Cord’s boots and demanded to be danced around while detailing every
minute of their time at Aunt Keely’s.
Colby waved as he loaded up his crew and took off.
Not thirty seconds later, Kyler pulled in, rap music blaring from the open windows of his pickup.
Foster and Beau headed that way first, followed by Avery and Vaughn.
Ky hopped out and announced, “Threw two TDs last night.”
“Congrats. Did anyone tape it?”
Ky rolled his eyes. “You mean record it? Dad, no one says tape anymore.”
Cord muttered, “My bad,” low enough only AJ heard him.
She snickered. “Pretty sure no one says that anymore either.”
They watched as Kyler loaded Vaughn—and his big backpack—into a piggyback ride and the rest of the brat pack followed
him inside like ducklings.
Cord leaned over and kissed her cheek. When she turned her head, he kissed her square on the mouth. Twice.
“What was that for?”
He draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. “Because I wouldn’t want you to forget I’m a pretty affectionate
man.”
If you enjoyed Cord and AJ’s short story, continue reading for a snippet of their original story in Cowgirl Up and Ride, which
is currently available in KU.
 Chapter One

AMY JO FOSTER had loved Cord McKay her entire life.

It didn’t matter he was thirteen years her senior. Or he’d once dated her older sister. Or his little sister was her best friend.
She fell for him hard the day she’d fallen off her horse.
That hot, dusty afternoon teased the edges of her memory. She’d been clip-clopping along on the gravel road connecting the
Foster and McKay ranches when a rattler spooked her pony and bucked her off. She’d twisted her ankle on the unexpected
dismount, unable to scramble away from either the angry snake or the truck barreling toward her.
Her life flashed before her eyes.
But the tires on a big Ford dually locked up and the truck skidded to a stop. A young man jumped out, swooped in and
picked her up. His work-roughed hands tenderly brushed rocks from her knees and wiped the tears from her dirty face. He
carried her to the passenger side of his truck, burned rubber over the snake and drove her home, keeping hold of her hand as
she sobbed.
Amy Jo had a devil of a time climbing out of his rig, not because of the injury to her ankle, but mostly because she hadn’t
wanted to get out. She remembered sitting in that truck cab, surrounded by the scent of horses, of chewing tobacco, of hay, dust
and the underlying tangy aroma of his cologne, and she’d wanted to stay right there with him forever.
With his dark good looks, bold smile and gentle ways, Cord had become her ideal, her dream, her savior, her prince
charming in battered cowboy boots and a sweat-stained white Stetson.
No man had ever held a candle to him.
She’d been a whopping five years old at the time.
So, Amy Jo secretly worshipped Cord McKay throughout the years. Even after he moved to Seattle. Even after he returned
to Wyoming married to a floozy from the West Coast. Even after the woman birthed a son. Even after the idiot abandoned Cord
and their baby Ky.
She’d especially loved Cord then because she’d ached to pick up the pieces of his broken life. To make him whole. To
crack the bitter shell he’d erected around his heart. To show him real, everlasting love was worth waiting for. In her core, her
heart, her very soul, Amy Jo knew she was meant to be that one special woman.
Problem was she hadn’t been a woman at the time either; she’d been a shy eighteen-year-old girl.
Too young.
The other problem was Cord hadn’t seen her beyond the clumsy blonde pig-tailed friend of his little sister. Or as a family
acquaintance with a neighboring ranch. Or recently as his son’s babysitter.
That’d been the worst kind of torture. Being in Cord’s house. Hearing Ky rambling from sunup to sundown about his father.
Seeing Cord’s unmade bed—one side rumpled, one side pristine. His lone coffee cup in the sink. Catching a whiff of his
shaving cream as she lingered in front of the same bathroom mirror he used every day.
Seemed Amy Jo spent her life waiting for her chronological age to catch up with the age of her soul. Waiting for other
people to believe she was old enough to know her own mind, even when she’d made it up at the tender age of five.
Now that she was twenty-two, she could stake her claim.
Standing in front of her bedroom mirror, she adjusted her cleavage in the skin-tight shirt the color of ripe apricots. She
applied a coat of shiny pink lip-gloss. Finger combed her hair and inhaled a deep breath.
In all the hours she’d fantasized about Cord McKay, he’d never really noticed her.
Come hell or high water, Amy Jo would change that tonight.
Cowgirl Up and Ride
 If you want to keep track of what’s happening in and out of the writing cave, here are places to find me:
Blog sign up to see weekly exclusive material from Lorelei
Pop over to the Lorelei James Facebook page
Follow Lorelei James on Twitter
Follow Lorelei James on TikTok
Stop by Lorelei James website
Check out Lorelei James on Instagram
Join the Lorelei James Discussion Group on Facebook
Sign up for Lorelei James newsletter
Sign up to receive text messages when Lorelei has a new release
Lorelei James is the NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author of steamy westerns in the Rough Riders series and the
Blacktop Cowboys® series, steamy romance in the Mastered series, contemporary romance in the Need You series and Want
You series, and the New Adult Rough Riders Legacy series, as well as several stand-alone novels and novellas. Lorelei lives
in western South Dakota—yes, by choice—with her husband, and Copper, their crazy corgi who has made their empty nest
more interesting.
 Other books by Lorelei James
Rough Riders Series
LONG HARD RIDE
RODE HARD
COWGIRL UP AND RIDE
TIED UP, TIED DOWN
ROUGH, RAW AND READY
STRONG SILENT TYPE (novella)
BRANDED AS TROUBLE
SHOULDA BEEN A COWBOY
ALL JACKED UP
RAISING KANE
SLOW RIDE
COWGIRLS DON’T CRY
CHASIN’ EIGHT
COWBOY CASANOVA
KISSIN’ TELL
GONE COUNTRY
SHORT RIDES (anthology)
REDNECK ROMEO
COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY
LONG TIME GONE (novella)
SILVER TONGUED DEVIL
COWBOY BITES: A ROUGH RIDERS COOKBOOK w/ slice of life stories from some of your favorite couples

Rough Riders Legacy Series

UNBREAK MY HEART

Wild West Boys Series

MISTRESS CHRISTMAS (novella)
MISS FIRECRACKER (novella)

Blacktop Cowboys® Series

CORRALLED
SADDLED AND SPURRED
WRANGLED AND TANGLED
ONE NIGHT RODEO
TURN AND BURN
HILLBILLY ROCKSTAR
ROPED IN (novella)
STRIPPED DOWN (novella)
WRAPPED AND STRAPPED
STRUNG UP (novella)
HANG TOUGH
TRIPPED OUT (novella)
RACKED AND STACKED
WOUND TIGHT (novella)
SPUN OUT

Mastered Series
BOUND
UNWOUND
SCHOOLED (digital only novella)
UNRAVELED
CAGED
 Single Title Novels
RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL
DIRTY DEEDS

Single Title Novellas

LOST IN YOU (short novella)
WICKED GARDEN
BALLROOM BLITZ

Need You Series

WHAT YOU NEED
JUST WHAT I NEEDED
ALL YOU NEED
WHEN I NEED YOU

Want You Series

I WANT YOU BACK
WANT YOU TO WANT ME

Mystery Novels Written As Lori Armstrong

Julie Collins Series – Private Eye Mystery

BLOOD TIES
HALLOWED GROUND
SHALLOW GRAVE
SNOW BLIND
BAITED (novella)
DEAD FLOWERS (novella)
BAITED/DEAD FLOWERS
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 See (in this volume)
SOUTH AFRICA (THE TRANSVAAL): A. D. 1896 (JANUARY).

JAMESON, Dr. Leander S.:

Investigation of the Raid by the Cape Colony Assembly.

See (in this volume)

SOUTH AFRICA (CAPE COLONY): A. D. 1896 (JULY).

JAMESON, Dr. Leander S.:

Indemnity for the Raid claimed by South African Republic.

See (in this volume)

SOUTH AFRICA (THE TRANSVAAL): A. D.1897 (FEBRUARY).

JAMESON, Dr. Leander S.:

British Parliamentary investigation of the Raid.

See (in this volume)

SOUTH AFRICA (THE TRANSVAAL): A. D. 1897 (FEBRUARY-
JULY).

----------JAMESON, Dr. Leander S.: End--------

----------JAPAN: Start--------

JAPAN: A. D. 1890-1898.
Rise of Parliamentary parties.
Working of Constitutional Government.

"When the Emperor's nominal authority was converted into a

reality by the overthrow of the Shogun in 1868, the work was
largely due to the four clans of Satsuma, Choshu, Hizen, and
Tosa. Their aim was to destroy the Shogunate and to create an
Imperial Government, and though many other motives actuated
them, these were the two main ideas of the revolution which
grew in importance and left political results. No sooner,
 however, was the Imperial Government established than it was
found that the Satsuma clan was strongly divided. There were
within it a party in favour of reform, and another party, led
by Shimazu Saburo and Saigo Takamori, who clung to old
traditions. The sword had not yet given place to the
ballot-box, and the result of a bloody contest was the
annihilation of the reactionaries. There remained, therefore,
the Satsuma men loyal to the Emperor and to the absolute
government of 1868, and with them the Choshu, Hizen, Tosa, and
other clans. Some of these clans had not always been friendly
in the past. They found it difficult to work together now.
Marquis Ito has observed that Japanese politicians are more
prone to destroy than to construct, and an opportunity to
indulge this proclivity soon presented itself.
{278}
Although the four clans were equally pledged to secure
representative government eventually, jealousy of one another
drove two of them to take up this cry as a pretext for
dissolving the alliance. The Tosa clan, now represented by
Count Itagaki, seceded accordingly in 1873, and the Hizen
clan, represented by Count Okuma, followed its example eight
years afterwards. The former organised a party called the
Fuyu-to, or Liberals, and the latter the Kaishin-to, or
Progressives. The two remaining clans of Satsuma and Choshu
were called for shortness the Sat-Cho. Such was the origin of
parliamentary parties in Japan. There was no political issue
at stake; the moving cause was simply clan jealousy, and hence
it was that Hizen and Tosa did not join hands, though both
strenuously opposed the Sat-Cho Government and each posed as
the friend of the people. Consequently, when the first Diet
met, in November, 1890, the Sat-Cho Ministry, with Marquis
Yamagata as Premier, found itself face to face with a bitter
and, it must be added, an unscrupulous opposition."

H. N. G. Bushby,
Parliamentary Government in Japan
(Nineteenth Century, July, 1899).
"The history of the Japanese Parliament [see CONSTITUTION OF
JAPAN, in volume 1], briefly told, is as follows: The first
Diet was opened in November, 1890, and the twelfth session in
May, 1898. In this brief space of time there have been four
dissolutions and five Parliaments. From the very first the
collision between the Government and the Diet has been short
and violent. In the case of the first dissolution, in
December, 1891, the question turned on the Budget estimate,
the Diet insisting on the bold curtailment of items of
expenditure. In the second dissolution, in December, 1893, the
question turned on the memorial to be presented to the Throne,
the Opposition insisting in very strong terms on the necessity
of strictly enforcing the terms of treaties with Western
Powers, the Diet regarding the Cabinet as too weak-handed in
foreign politics. The third dissolution, in June, 1894, was
also on the same question. The Cabinet, in these two latter
cases, was under the presidency of Marquis Ito (then Count),
and was vigorously pushing forward negotiations for treaty
revision, through the brilliant diplomacy of Count Mutsu, the
Foreign Minister. This strict-enforcement agitation was looked
upon by the Government as a piece of anti-foreign agitation—a
Jingo movement—and as endangering the success of the
treaty-revision negotiations. In fact, the revised treaty with
Great Britain was on the latter date well-nigh completed, it
being signed in July following by Lord Kimberley and Viscount
Aoki. It was at this stage that the scepticism of foreign
observers as to the final success of representative
institutions in Japan seemed to reach its height. … Marquis
Ito and some of the most tried statesmen of the time were out
of office, forming a sort of reserve force, to be called out
at any grave emergency. But great was the disappointment when
it was seen that after Marquis Ito, with some of the most
trusted statesmen as his colleagues, had been in office but
little over a year, dissolution followed dissolution, and it
seemed that even the Father of the Constitution was unable to
manage its successful working. … There is no question that the
Constitutional situation was at that time exceedingly critical.

"But when the war broke out the situation was "But when the
war broke out the situation was completely changed. In the
August following the whole nation spoke and acted as if they
were one man and had but one mind. In the two sessions of the
Diet held during the war the Government was most ably
supported by the Diet, and everybody hoped that after the war
was over the same good-feeling would continue to rule the
Diet. On the other hand, it was well known that the Opposition
members in the Diet had clearly intimated that their support
of the Government was merely temporary, and that after the
emergency was over they might be expected to continue their
opposition policy. Sure enough, many months before the opening
of the ninth session, mutterings of deep discontent,
especially with reference to the retrocession of the Liaotung
peninsula, began to be widely heard, and it was much feared
that the former scenes of fierce opposition and blind
obstruction would be renewed. However, as the session
approached (December, 1896), rumours were heard of a certain
'entente' between the Government and the Liberal party, at
that time the largest and the best organised in the country.
And in the coming session the Government secured a majority,
through the support of the Liberals, for most of its important
Bills.

"Now this 'entente' between Marquis Ito and the Liberals was a
great step in advance in the constitutional history of the
country, and a very bold departure in a new direction on the
part of the Marquis. He was known to be an admirer of the
German system, and a chief upholder of the policy of Chozen
Naikaku, or the Transcendental Cabinet policy, which meant a
Ministry responsible to the Emperor alone. Marquis Ito saw
evidently at this stage the impossibility of carrying on the
Government without a secure parliamentary support, and Count
Itagaki, the Liberal leader, saw in the Marquis a faithful
ally, whose character as a great constructive statesman, and
 whose history as the author of the Constitution, both forbade
his ever proving disloyal to the Constitution. The 'entente'
was cemented in May following by the entrance of Count Itagaki
into the Cabinet as the Home Minister. On the other hand, this
entente' led to the formation of the Progressist party by the
union of the six Opposition parties, as well as to the union
of Count Okuma, the Progressist leader, and Count Matsugata,
leader of the Kagoshima statesmen. Their united opposition was
now quite effective in harassing the administration. At this
stage certain neutral men, particularly Count Inouye,
suggested compromise, offering a scheme of a Coalition
Cabinet. … But Count Itagaki was firm in opposing such a
compromise, saying it was tantamount to the ignoring of party
distinction, and as such was a retrogression instead of being
a forward step in the constitutional history of the country.
He finally tendered his resignation. When Marquis Ito saw that
the Count was firm in his determination, he, too, resigned,
saying that he felt so deeply obliged to the Liberals for
their late parliamentary support that he would not let the
Count go out of office alone. Thus fell the Ito Ministry after
five years' brilliant service.

{279}

"The new Cabinet, formed in September, 1896, had Count

Matsukata for Premier and Treasury Minister; Count Okuma for
Foreign Minister; and Admiral Kabayama, the hero of the Yaloo
battle, for Home Minister. There were at this time three
things that the nation desired. It wanted to be saved from the
impending business depression. It wished to see Japanese
Chauvinism installed at the Foreign Office, and the shame of
the retrocession of the Liaotung peninsula wiped off. It
hoped, lastly, to see a Parliamentary Government inaugurated
and all the evils of irresponsible bureaucracy removed. The
statesmen now installed in office aspired to satisfy all these
desires, and they were expected to work wonders. But,
unfortunately, the Cabinet lacked unity. … Early in the fall
 [of 1897] Count Okuma resigned office, saying that he felt
like a European physician in consultation over a case with
Chinese doctors. … Count Okuma led away the majority of the
Progressist party, and the Government was left with but an
insignificant number of supporters. As soon as the Diet met,
the spirit of opposition manifested was so strong that the
Ministers asked the Emperor to issue an edict for dissolution.
It was expected that the government would at once appeal to
the country with some strong programme. But to the
astonishment of everybody the Ministry resigned the very next
day. In the midst of the general confusion which followed,
Marquis Ito's name was in the mouth of everybody. He was
unanimously hailed as the only man to bring order into the
political situation. In January following [1898] the new
Cabinet was announced with Ito for Premier, Count Inouye for
the Treasury, and Marquis Saionji, one of the best cultured,
most progressive, and, perhaps, also most daring of the
younger statesmen, for Education Minister."

Tokiwo Yokoi,
New Japan and her Constitutional Outlook
(Contemporary Review, September, 1898).

JAPAN: A. D. 1895.
The war with China.
Treaty of Shimonoseki.
Korean independence secured.
Part of Feng-tien, Formosa and the Pescadores ceded by China.
Relinquishment of Feng-tien by Japan.

See (in this volume)

CHINA: A. D. 1894-1895.

JAPAN: A. D. 1896.
Affairs in Formosa.
Retirement of Marquis Ito.
Progressists in power.
 Destructive sea-wave.

Serious risings of the Chinese in Formosa against the newly

established Japanese rule in that island were said to have
been caused by insolent and atrocious conduct on the part of
the Japanese soldiery. Possibly a decree which prohibited the
importation of opium into Formosa, and which placed the
medicinal sale of the drug under close restrictions, had
something to do with the discontent. In Japan, the able
statesman, Marquis Ito, was made unpopular by his yielding of
the Liao Tung peninsula (in the Fêng-tien province of
China,—see, in this volume, CHINA: A. D. 1894-1895), under
pressure from Russia, Germany and France. He retired from the
government, and Count Matsukata became Premier in September,
with a cabinet of the Progressist (Kaishinto) party, which
advocated resistance to Russia, and opposition generally to
the encouragement of foreign enterprises in Japan. A frightful
calamity was suffered in June, when a prodigious wave, probably
raised by some submarine volcano, overwhelmed a long stretch
of northeastern coast, destroying some 30,000 people, and
sweeping out of existence a number of considerable towns.

Annual Register, 1896.

JAPAN: A. D. 1897.
New tariff.

A new tariff, regulating the customs duties levied in all

cases wherein Japan is not bound by treaty stipulations, was
adopted in March, 1897. The duties imposed range from 5 to 40
per cent., ad valorem, the higher being laid upon liquors and
tobacco. The "Japan Gazette" is quoted as saying in
explanation: "The statutory tariff fixes the duties to be
collected on every article imported into Japan from countries
that have not concluded tariff conventions with her, or that
are not entitled to the most-favored-nation treatment in
regard to the tariff. Spain, Portugal, Greece, and many other
 countries have no tariff conventions with Japan and no
favored-nation clause, in regard to tariff, in their new
treaties with this country. The United States, Belgium,
Holland, Russia, and others have the favored-nation clause and
will get the benefit of the lesser duties on items named in
the different mentioned tariffs. There will, therefore, be two
columns of figures in the printed general tariff list, showing in
the first column the duties on the articles named in the
conventional tariffs, and in the second column the duties on
the same articles imported from countries that have no tariff
convention with Japan, and that are not entitled to
favored-nation treatment. For instance, most textile articles
are subject to a duty of 10 per cent in the conventional
tariff column and to a duty of 15 per cent in the statutory
column."

United States Consular Reports,

July and September, 1897,
pages 475 and 91.

JAPAN: A. D. 1897 (October).

Introduction of the gold standard.

See (in this volume)

MONETARY QUESTIONS: A. D. 1897 (MARCH).

JAPAN: A. D. 1897 (November).

Treaty with the United States and Russia to suspend pelagic
sealing.

See (in this volume)

BERING SEA QUESTIONS.

JAPAN: A. D. 1897-1898.
Contentions with Russia in Korea.

See (in this volume)

 KOREA: A. D. 1895-1898.

JAPAN: A. D. 1898-1899.
The struggle between clan government and party government.

"When, in January 1898, Marquis Ito made an attempt to win the

country back to non-party government and efficiency by forming
an independent Ministry in defiance of the Liberal demands, he
was acting no doubt from no mere clan instinct, but, as he
conceived, in the highest interests of the realm. His
experiment was not destined to succeed. In the general
election of March 1898, 109 Progressives and 94 Liberals were
returned as Representatives in a House of 300. A common hunger
for office and a common sense of humiliation at their
treatment by the greater statesmen of the clans united the two
parties under one banner as they had not been united since 1873.
At last they took up in earnest the crusade against clan
government, which, logically, they should have commenced
together exactly a quarter of a century before. They called
their coalition the 'Kensei-to,' or Constitutional Party.
Japan is a country of rapid progress, but she is lucky that
for twenty-five years the formation of the Kensei-to was
deferred while she was content to be guided through difficult
times by clansmen more skilled in statecraft than the usurient
nobodies who were kicking at the heels of Counts Okuma and
Itagaki.

{280}

"Meanwhile Marquis Ito had to decide how he would act. He had

tried to govern with the help of a party and had partially
succeeded. He had tried to govern without one, and had
discovered that it was impossible. The two parties could no
longer be played off one against the other. They were united,
and with fifty new recruits formed the Kensei-to, 253 strong.
There remained only nineteen clan government sympathisers,
calling themselves National Unionists, and twenty-eight
Independents. In these difficult circumstances Marquis Ito's
decision was a bold one, and in its consequences far-reaching.
He advised that Count Okuma, the Progressive leader of the
Kensei-to should be summoned to form a Cabinet in conjunction
with his Liberal colleague, Count Itagaki. His advice was
followed by the Emperor, but with the significant condition
that the Ministries of War and the Navy were to be retained by
clansmen. The Emperor was not disposed to allow constitutional
experiments in these departments. On the 28th of June 1898,
Marquis Ito resigned, and on the 30th the Okuma-Itagaki
Cabinet was formed.

"It now seemed to many that the death-blow had been given to
clan government, and that at last the era of government by
party had commenced. … The elements of which the Kensei-to was
composed were the two great ones of the Progressives, led by
Count Okuma, and the Liberals, led by Count Itagaki. These two
parties acted together in a condition of veiled hostility.
There was coalition without any approach to amalgamation. A
common hunger for office, a common dislike for clan
government, obscured for a little while a mutual jealousy and
distrust. Meanwhile the Kensei-to as a whole, and both wings
of it, were divided into endless clubs, cliques, and
associations. Our own Temperance, Colonial, Church, and China
parties are affable and self-effacing in comparison. Thus, to
name only a few of the political divisions of the Kensei-to,
there were the territorial associations of the Kwanto-kai (led
by Mr. Hoshi), the Hokuriku-kai (led by Mr. Sugita), the
Kyushu Kurabu (led by Mr. Matsuda), the Tohoku-dantai, the
Chugoku-kai, and the Shigoku-kai; there were the Satsuma
section, the Tosa section, the Kakushinto, the Young
Constitutionalists, the Senior Politicians (such as Baron
Kusumoto, Mr. Hiraoka, the chief organiser of the coalition,
and others), the Central Constitutionalist Club, and so forth.
Each clique had its private organisation and animosities; each
aspired to dictate to the Cabinet and secure portfolios for
its members in the House. They combined and recombined among
themselves. … Clearly, however loyally the two leaders wished
to work together, each must find it impossible in such
circumstances to preserve discipline among his own followers.
Indeed, the leaders scarcely tried to lead. … It was
impossible to carry on the Government under such conditions.
The Okuma-Itagaki Cabinet fell, and Field Marshal the Marquis
Yamagata, Premier of the first Japanese Ministry, was summoned
by the Emperor. Once more a clan Ministry, independent of
party, was formed; once more it seemed as though party
government was to be indefinitely postponed. … Marquis
Yamagata formed his Ministry in November 1898, on strictly
clan lines. … Being an old soldier, he wisely determined to
profit by experience and seek an ally. No one knew better than
himself the need of passing the Land Tax Bill, on which the
efficiency of the national defence and the future of Japan
depended. … It was natural, therefore, for him to approach the
Liberals, who had shown themselves favourable to an increase
of the Land Tax. … On the 27th of November the support of the
Liberals was assured, an event which prompted the 'Jiji' to
express its joy that Marquis Yamagata had become a party man,
leaving 'the mouldy, effete cause of the non-partisan
Ministry.' The Government party consisted now of the National
Unionists (in favour of clan government' and loyal followers
of Marquis Yamagata), the Liberals, and a few so-called
Independents (who, of course, speedily formed themselves into
a club), giving the Government a majority of about fifteen or
twenty votes in the House. …

"The first session of Marquis Yamagata's second Ministry will

always be remembered in Japan because the Land Tax Bill was
successfully passed through both Houses. … But the most
important episode of the session, from a parliamentary point
of view, was a remarkable act of self-denial on the part of
the Liberals. In March of this year [1899] they agreed not to
demand office from Marquis Yamagata for any of their number,
though they were to be free to accept such offices as he might
of his own bounty from time to time be able to offer them. If
 this unprecedented pledge be loyally adhered to, it marks a
very great stride towards effective party government in the
future. … The hope of the Liberals now lies, not in the
immediate enjoyment of the sweets of office, but in winning
over Marquis Ito to their party. If he were to show the way,
it is probable that many more of the leading clan statesmen
would take sides, in which case, to adopt Mr. Bodley's phrase,
political society would be divided vertically as in England, not
horizontally as in France, and either party on obtaining a
majority in the House would be able to find material in its
own ranks for an efficient Cabinet. At present neither is in
that happy position."

H. N. G. Bushby,
Parliamentary Government in Japan
(Nineteenth Century, July, 1899).

JAPAN: A. D. 1899 (May-July).

Representation in the Peace Conference at The Hague.

See (in this volume)

PEACE CONFERENCE.

JAPAN: A. D. 1899 (July).

Release from the treaties with Western Powers
which gave them exterritorial rights.
Consular jurisdictions abolished.

"Japan has been promoted. The great sign that Europe regards a
Power as only semi-civilised is the demand that all who visit
it, or trade in it, should be exempted from the jurisdiction
of the local Courts, the Consuls acting when necessary as
Judges. This rule is maintained even when the Powers thus
stigmatised send Ambassadors, and is, no doubt, very keenly
resented. It seems specially offensive to the Japanese, who
have a high opinion of their own merits, and they have for
seventeen years demanded the treatment accorded to fully
 civilised States. As the alliance of Japan is now earnestly
sought by all Europe this has been conceded, and on Monday,
July 17th, the Consular jurisdiction ceased. (Owing to some
blunder, the powers of the French and Austrian Consuls last a
fortnight longer, but the difference is only formal.) The
Japanese are highly delighted, and the European traders are
not displeased, as with the Consular jurisdictions all
restrictions on trading with the interior disappear."

The Spectator
(London), July 22, 1899.

{281}

The early treaties of Japan with Western Powers, which gave

the latter what are called rights of extra-territoriality, or
exterritoriality, for all their subjects (the right, that is,
to administer their own laws, by their own consular or other
courts, upon their own subjects, within a foreign country),
were modified in 1894. Japan then became free to extinguish
the foreign courts on her soil at the end of five years, upon
giving a year's notice, which she did as stated above. Her
government has thus attained a recognized peerage in
sovereignty with the governments of the Western world. At the
same time, the whole country has been thrown open to foreign
trade—restricted previously to certain ports.

In careful preparation of the Japanese people for this

important change in their relations with the foreign world,
the following imperial rescript was issued at the end of June,
1899: "The revision of the treaties, our long cherished aim,
is to-day on the eve of becoming an accomplished fact; a
result which, while it adds materially to the responsibilities
of our Empire, will greatly strengthen the basis of our
friendship with foreign countries. It is our earnest wish that
our subjects, whose devoted loyalty in the discharge of their
duties is conspicuous, should enter earnestly into our
sentiments in this matter, and, in compliance with the great
policy of opening the country, should all unite with one heart
to associate cordially with the peoples from afar, thus
maintaining the character of the nation and enhancing the
prestige of the Empire. In view of the responsibilities that
devolve upon us in giving effect to the new treaties, it is
our will that our ministers of state, acting on our behalf,
should instruct our officials of all classes to observe the
utmost circumspection in the management of affairs, to the end
that subjects and strangers alike may enjoy equal privileges
and advantages, and that, every source of dissatisfaction
being avoided, relations of peace and amity with all nations
may be strengthened and consolidated in perpetuity."

Obedient to this command, the Minister President of State,

Marquis Yamagata, published the following instruction on the
1st of July: "The work of revising the treaties has caused
deep solicitude to His August Majesty since the centralization
of the Government, and has long been an object of earnest desire
to the people. More than twenty years have elapsed since the
question was opened by the dispatch of a special embassy to
the West in 1871. Throughout the whole of that interval,
numerous negotiations were conducted with foreign countries
and numerous plans discussed, until finally, in 1884, Great
Britain took the lead in concluding a revised treaty, and the
other powers all followed in succession, so that now the
operation of the new treaties is about to take place on the
17th of July and the 4th of August.

"The revision of the treaties in the sense of placing on a

footing of equality the intercourse of this country with
foreign states was the basis of the great liberal policy
adopted at the time of the restoration, and that such a course
conduces to enhance the prestige of the Empire and to promote
the prosperity of the people is a proposition not requiring
demonstration. But if there should be anything defective in
the methods adopted for giving effect to the treaties, not
merely will the object of revision be sacrificed, but also the
country's relations with friendly powers will be impaired and its
prestige may be lowered. It is, of course, beyond question
that any rights and privileges accruing to us as a result of
treaty revision should be duly asserted. But there devolves
upon the Government of this Empire the responsibility, and
upon the people of this Realm the duty, of protecting the
rights and privileges of foreigners, and of sparing no effort
that they may one and all be enabled to reside in the country
confidently and contentedly. It behooves all officials to
clearly apprehend the august intentions and to pay profound
attention to these points."

With still finer care for the honor and good name of Japan,
the following instruction to schools was published on the same
day by Count Kabayma, the Minister of State for Education:
"The schools under the direct control of the Government serve
as models to all the public and private educational
institutions throughout the country. It is therefore my
earnest desire that the behavior of the students at such
schools should be regulated with notably strict regard to the
canons of propriety, so that they may show themselves worthy
of the station they occupy. The date of the operation of the
revised treaties is now imminent, and His Imperial Majesty has
issued a gracious rescript. It may be expected that the coming
and going of foreigners in the interior of the country will
henceforth grow more frequent, and if at such a time students
be left without proper control, and suffered to neglect the
dictates of propriety by cherishing sentiments of petty
arrogance and behaving in a violent, outrageous, or vulgar
manner, not only will the educational systems be brought into
discredit, but also the prestige of the country will be
impaired and its reputation may even be destroyed. For that
reason I have addressed an instruction to the local governors
urging them to guard against any defects in educational
methods, and I am now constrained to appeal to the Government
schools which serve for models. I trust that those upon whom
 the functions of direction and teaching devolve, paying
respectful attention to the august intention, will discharge
their duties carefully towards the students, and, by securing
the latter's strict adherence to rules, will contrive that
they shall serve as a worthy example to the schools throughout
the country."

United States Consular Reports,

October, 1899, page 285.

JAPAN: A. D. 1899 (August).

Prohibition of religious instruction in the government schools.

Some important regulations for the national schools were

promulgated in August by the Minister of Education, having the
effect, probably intended, of discouraging attendance at the
Christian mission schools, and stimulating a preference for
the schools of the national system. They forbade religious
exercises or instruction in any schools that adopt the
curriculum of the national schools, while, at the same time,
they allow admission from no others to the higher schools of
the national system without examination. Students in the
middle schools of the national system are exempted from
conscription, while others are not. That the aim in this
policy is to strengthen the national schools, rather than to
interfere with religious freedom, seems probable.

{282}

JAPAN: A. D. 1899 (December).

Adhesion to the arrangement of an "open door" commercial
policy in China.

See (in this volume)

CHINA: A. D. 1899-1000 (SEPTEMBER-FEBRUARY).

JAPAN: A. D. 1900.
 Naval strength.

See (in this volume)

NAVIES OF THE SEA POWERS.

JAPAN: A. D. 1900 (June-December).

Co-operation with the Powers in China.

See (in this volume)

CHINA.

JAPAN: A. D. 1900 (July)

Failure of attempts to entrust the Japanese government
with the rescue of the foreign Legations at Peking.

See (in this volume)

CHINA: A. D. 1900 (JUNE-JULY).

JAPAN: A. D. 1900 (August-October).

The new party of Marquis Ito.

The letters of the Tokio correspondent of the London "Times"

describe interestingly the genesis of a new party of which
Marquis Ito has taken the lead, and which took control of the
government in October, 1900. Various parties, the career of
which the writer reviews, had been formed in opposition to the
veteran statesmen who continued to hold the reins of government
after constitutional forms were introduced in 1880. But very
few of the party politicians who constructed these parties,
says the writer, had held high office. "They were without the
prestige of experience. To put such men on the administrative
stage while the gallery was occupied by the greybeards—the
'Meiji statesmen,' as they are called—who had managed the
country's affairs since the Restoration, would have seemed a
strange spectacle in the eyes of the nation. The Meiji
statesmen, however, persistently declined to be drawn into the
ranks of the political parties. They gave the latter plenty of
rope; they even allowed them to administer the State, which
essay ended in a fiasco; and they took them into alliances
which served chiefly to demonstrate the eagerness of these
politicians for office and emoluments. But there was no
amalgamation. The line of demarcation remained indelible. …

"The political parties, discovering the impossibility of

becoming a real power in the State without the coöperation of
the Meiji statesmen, asked Marquis Ito to assume their
leadership. Marquis Ito may be said to possess everything that
his country can give him. He has the unbounded confidence of
his Sovereign and his countrymen; he is loaded with titles and
honours, and a word from him can make or mar a Ministry. It
seems strange that such a man should step down from his
pedestal to become a party leader; to occupy a position which
can bring no honour and must at once create enemies. Yet
Marquis Ito has consented. He issued his manifesto. It is in
two respects a very remarkable document. First, it tells the
politicians that their great fault has been self-seeking; that
they have set party higher than country; office and emolument
above public duty and political responsibility. Secondly, it
informs them in emphatic terms that Parliamentary Cabinets are
unconstitutional in Japan; that "Ministers and officials must
be appointed by the Sovereign without any reference to their
party connexions. The politicians who place themselves under
Marquis Ito's leadership must eschew the former failing and
abandon the latter heresy. It would be impossible to imagine a
more complete reversal of the tables. The men who, ten years
ago, asked the nation to condemn the Meiji statesmen on a
charge of political self-seeking are now publicly censured by
the chief of these statesmen for committing the very same sin
in their own persons; and the men who for ten years have made
Parliamentary Cabinets the text of their agitation now enrol
themselves in a party which openly declares such Cabinets to
be unconstitutional."

The new party calls itself the "Association of Friends of the

 Constitution" (Rikken Seiyukai). "In its ranks are found the
whole of the Liberals, and many members of the Diet who had
hitherto maintained an independent attitude, so that it can
count on 152 supporters among the 300 members of the Lower
House. … The Opposition, the Progressists, command only 90
votes, and the remainder of the House is composed mainly of
men upon whose support the Cabinet can always reckon. In fact,
now for the first time since the Diet opened, does the
direction of State affairs come into the hands of Ministers
who may rest assured of Parliamentary cooperation."

Marquis Yamagata, who had conducted the administration for

nearly two years, resigned in October, and Marquis Ito brought
his new party into power. His Cabinet "does not include one of
the elder statesmen—the 'clan statesmen'—except the marquis
himself. Among the seven portfolios that have changed
hands—those of War and of the Navy are still held as before—
three have been given to unequivocal party politicians,
leaders of the Liberals, and four to men who may be regarded
as Marquis Ito's disciples. … The Yamagata Cabinet consisted
entirely of clan statesmen and their followers. The Ito
Cabinet has a clan statesman for leader and his nominees for
members. It may be called essentially a one man Ministry, so
far does the Premier tower above the heads of his colleagues."

JAPAN: A. D. 1900-1901.
Strategic importance of Korea.
Interest in the designs of Russia.

See (in this volume)

KOREA: A. D. 1900.

JAPAN: A. D. 1901.
Movement to erect a monument to commemorate the
visit of Commodore Perry.

A movement in Japan to erect a monument at Kurihama, the

 landing place of the American expedition, commanded by
Commodore Matthew C. Perry, which visited Japan in 1853 and
brought about the opening of that country to intercourse with
the western world (see, in volume 3, JAPAN: A. D. 1852-1888),
was announced to the State Department at Washington by the U.
S. Consul-General at Yokohama, in March, 1901. The undertaking
is directed by the "American Association of Japan," of which
the Japanese Minister of Justice is President, and its purpose
is to commemorate an event which the Association, in a
published circular, declares to be "the most memorable" in the
annals of Japan. The language of the circular, in part, is as
follows: "This visit of Commodore Perry was in a word the
turning of the key which opened the doors of the Japanese
Empire to friendly intercourse with the United States, and
subsequently to the rest of the nations of Europe on similar
terms, and may in truth be regarded as the most memorable
event in our annals—an event which paved the way for and
accelerated the introduction of a new order of things, an
event that enabled the country to enter upon the unprecedented
era of National ascendancy in which we are now living.
{283}
Japan has not forgotten—nor will she ever forget—that next to
her reigning and most beloved sovereign, whose high virtues
and great wisdom are above all praise, she owes, in no small
degree, her present prosperity to the United States of
America, in that the latter rendered her a great and lasting
service already referred to. After the lapse of these
forty-eight years, her people, however, have come to entertain
but an uncertain memory of Kurihama, and yet it was there that
Commodore Perry first trod on the soil of Japan and for the
first time awoke the country from a slumberous seclusion of
three centuries—there it was where first gleamed the light
that has ever since illumined Japan's way in her new career of
progress."

----------JAPAN: End--------