A WHISPER OF ETERNIT

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Dominic bought a tuxedo.

They both bought new shoes.
Tracybought new underwear.

Standing outside the last store, her arms full ofpackages, she looked up at Dominic and grinned. "Well, all we need now is someone to marry us."

With a nod, Dominic took her hand again; when she opened her eyes, they were standing in front of a wedding chapel inLas Vegas .

Hand in hand, they went inside.Tracy glanced around while Dominic spoke to the woman behind the desk. A few moments later, she was being escorted to a dressing room by a rather buxom woman with dyed blond hair.

"Need any help, honey?" the woman asked. "No, thank you."

The womanlaughed, a deep, throaty laugh. "No doubt that man of yours will give you all the help you need."

"No doubt,"Tracy replied, and shut the door.

She changed out of her clothes and into her gown, unable to believe they were actually in Vegas, about to be married.

She studied herself in the mirror for a moment. Maybe it was the dress, maybe there was something magical about wedding gowns that made all brides beautiful, but that was how she felt.Beautiful.

She shoved her jeans, T-shirt, and old underwear into one of the other sacks, ran a hand over her hair, took a deep breath, and left the dressing room.

Dominic was waiting for her. He was a man born to wear a tuxedo. His white shirt and black coat were the perfect complement to his dark hair and gray eyes.James Bond, eat your heart out , she thought, biting back a grin.

The buxom blonde entered the room. "This way," she said.

Dominic slipped his arm aroundTracy 's waist and they followed the blonde into a large chapel. The pews were of dark oak—a white runner covered the middle aisle. There were bouquets of white silk roses on the altar; white candles burned in gold sconces on the walls.

The blonde smiled up at Dominic. "Good luck, honey," she purred, and sashayed out of the chapel.

A tall man with a shock of thick white hair passed the blonde on his way into the room, followed by two witnesses.

He glanced down at a paper in his hand. "Dominic St. John? Tracy Ann Warner?"