Snow Angels and Honky Tonk Angels- The Westwood School Sequel

Square Dance

Magnolia:

The old fiddle started playing, and I was smiling so wide in excitement as the song started up and we made our way down the icy trail to Big Sky.

"I spent last night in the arms of a girl from Louisiana!" Ruby I practically screamed as I drove.

"And though I'm out on the highway my thoughts are still with her!"

I utterly loved this song. It reminded me of summer days in rural, coastal Alabama where my dad was from where we'd sing Jimmy Buffet and Alan Jackson, where we'd waste away in our swimsuits out on the wharf. I'd throw a mean cast net, and it was fresh-caught fried fish and cheese grits (caught by my dad and made by my mom) every single day.

I glanced around the car. Ruby had been before when we were twelve, but maybe one day I should take everybody.

"Operator won't you put me on through, gotta send my love down to Baton Rouge, Hurry up, won't you put her on the line, I gotta talk to the girl just a one more time!"

I sang the song with my entire heart and completely carelessly. I could feel Rowen's eyes on me as I stared out onto the road, and I couldn't help but blush and beam as I sang.

I normally hated more modern country, but I loved some 90s country. It all just depended.

By the time we got the chorus a second time, everyone in the car (even Laurent who refuses to sing normally) was bobbing their heads and singing the lyrics.

We were a laughing mess by the time the song ended and the radio started just chatting. I turned it down and caught Ruby's eye in the rearview mirror.

"Now all we gotta do is have a square dance," I joked.

Ruby groaned and smiled, "Just start playing rocky top and I'll Virginia Reel my way away to Nashville."

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Ivy asked from her spot in the middle row.

"Ya know, square dancing," I shrugged. I knew it was more common in America, but I seriously doubted people in England just didn't know what it meant.

The blank stares from everyone in the car but Ruby told me differently.

"Seriously? Y'all don't know what square dancing is?" I glance next to me towardsRuby, "Come on! It was an integral part of our childhood!"

Ruby nodded vigorously, "We learned how to do it in elementary school, and we would square or line dance a ton. Nola and I went to the same camp until we were 15, and there we would have square dances with the boys camps all the time."

I counted the people in the car in my head, "Oh my goddess! We have the perfect number of people for a square dance!"

"Uh, I don't know how to dance," Matteo said with insecurity ringing slightly in his voice.

Ruby spoke up, which was fairly impressive considering she hadn't spoken much directly to my boys, "Oh trust me- it's closer to ring-around-the-rosy than a serious dance."

"We're just going to have to make y'all more acquainted with... I don't know, just parts of our lives that may not be familiar to y'all," I said with a wink.

The car full of people chatted for a little while longer, but it wasn't long until I could see India and Matteo asleep in the back. Caspian had his hands pressed to the glass of the window and would let out a little shriek every time we saw a ram or cattle from the car.

"I would have liked to see Montana," Rowen muttered, quoting The Hunt for Red October. I wanted to laugh but I just shook my head softly as Ruby played with the radio.

When I first started driving, people playing with the radio almost sent me into a car accident. Luckily for me, that was no longer the case. And since it was early season, the roads were pretty empty and the ice wasn't horrible to drive on.

I heard a familiar voice come through the radio, and I started smacking Ruby's arm.

"Turn it up! Turn it up!"

At this moment, you'd probably think that one of our songs was playing on the radio. While that may have been clever, that was not the case.

It was Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

"I got my song, and I got you with me tonight, maybe it's time we got back to the basics of love," I sang softly.

"Out in Luckenbach Texas, ain't nobody feelin no pain," Ruby and I sang softly, harmonizing together and with the music.

We laughed, not even finishing the song (because neither of us had the patience), and Ruby started flipping through channels again.

"Bloody Hell," Rowen said softly, I looked at him in confusion but he just stared at me in what looked like utter awe.

I shrugged and kept driving.

"I'm so excited to hit the slopes," Ruby said, mostly to herself.

"God, same," I groaned.

"Yeah... I'm mostly excited for hot chocolate," Mumbled Ivy, "And snow and Christmas and new years."

She sounded so wistful it struck a chord in me. This may be my merriest Christmas ever.

Rowen looked up from his phone, "I just got a text that our bags and luggage have arrived at the clubhouse lodge."

"Ugh thank god, I don't know what I'd do without my Hémes wool scarves. What else is winter time good for?" India perked up from the back row of the car, from her half asleep half awake position on Matteo's shoulder.

I couldn't help but glance at Ruby as I saw her physically wince at the statement. My entire life I've never had a problem with conversations of wealth with Ruby. My family had more money than hers, but she was also my best friend when my family was... far from where we are today. It has never mattered in our relationship and has never affected it like it affected a lot of my other friendships in Nashville.

While I was wealthy, sometimes I was reminded that my British friends possessed a different kind of wealth that I could never attain. Old money.

I had a feeling that this was going to be a culture clash that didn't hadn't happened while I was at Westwood.