McCallum Quintuplets Read Online Free

granny dress. Slightly scooped neck, cap sleeves, button front, a little bit of smocking over the bosom, high waistline. Pretty little blue flowers on a gray background. Short gray cotton vest sweater hanging over the dress. Okay, so maybe the sweater was a little baggy. “What? What’s wrong with this?”
    â€œAnnabelle?” April said, covering her smile with one hand. “You want to take this one?”
    Annabelle’s cheeks turned rosy, and she stammered slightly as she said, “Oh! Oh, Madeline, I…I didn’t mean. I mean…I don’t want to criticize…. ”
    â€œOh, sure you do,” April said cheerfully. “Start with her sandals, why don’t you?”
    â€œMy sandals? What’s wrong with them? I thought you were talking about my clothes, not my sandals.” Madeline sat back, sighed. “Oh, all right, all right. It’s not like this is the first time I’m hearing this. Ian keeps telling me Imust shop in the dark. But the thing is, I like my clothes. They’re comfortable.”
    â€œSo’s going around naked, Madeline,” April countered, “but I don’t think it’ll ever catch on.”
    Their food arrived, double cheeseburgers all around, but Madeline had lost her appetite. “How do I explain this?” she asked, addressing the French fry in her hand. “Okay, here goes. I was an only child. Neither Mom or Dad had the faintest idea how to raise this daughter they’d ended up with due to one of those fabled menopausal pregnancies. They never really adjusted to me, so I had to adjust to them. Which meant I spent most of my time with my nose in a book and not thinking about the latest fashion fads.”
    â€œThat still doesn’t explain why, at nearly thirty-five, you’re dressing like a throwback to the sixties. Or did you grow up in a commune?”
    Madeline lowered her head. “Just until I was twelve,” she admitted, then looked at her friends, who were goggling at her. “No, seriously, I did grow up in a commune. It was wonderful. Really. Stop laughing.”
    â€œI can’t help it, Madeline,” April said, wiping her eyes. “I’m trying to be serious, but I keep seeing you tripping through a meadow, a daisy chain in your hair, a loaf of homemade bread under your arm.”
    Annabelle clapped her hands for attention. “Another discussion for another time, ladies. Okay, so now we know where the granny gowns and sandals and that braid came from—and may they all leave quickly, please. But we’re here together tonight to turn Madeline Sheppard from—and I mean this in the nicest way, Madeline—dull and dreary and into ka-wow! ”
    â€œOh, sure.” Madeline groused, wiping her hands on her paper napkin. “I can see it now. I open a couple ofbuttons on this dress, take off my reading glasses—which means I won’t be able to see my French fries—take down my braid, shake my hair free and—bam!—suddenly I’m Catherine Zeta-Jones.” She rolled her eyes. “Cut me a break.”
    â€œHey, it could happen.” April ignored the sarcasm. “And another thing. Are you saying that there’s something under that dress that would be improved by opening a couple of those buttons? I’ll bet you are. Well, then, we’re on our way, aren’t we, Annabelle? Hot dog!”
    â€œOh, no,” Madeline moaned, and buried her head in her hands.

Chapter Two
    Madeline walked to the tall T-stand and lifted off a hanger, holding up the soft cotton flowered ankle-length dress to her friends. “See? It’s not just my mother sending me her efforts, sewn with her two arthritic hands, bless her. There have to be dozens of these dresses here. How can you say I’m out of date?”
    Annabelle and April exchanged pained meaningful glances. “I’ll take this one,” April volunteered after a moment.