Chapter 2 - Danny
Danny admired her silently from the kitchen as she sat on the veranda. Alice, she was so incredibly beautiful with her long, dark chestnut hair and those intense cobalt eyes that sucked him in every time he looked at her. He'd fallen in love with her the first time he'd set eyes on her. She was fiery and independent, yet Danny had also realised that she was extremely vulnerable. Alice was incredibly guarded about her past. She never let slip how she felt about anyone or anything, except her daughter, Charlotte. It was as if she was afraid to let anyone get close to her. Danny had an overwhelming desire to protect her. Alice had re-awoken feelings in him that he thought had died with his second wife, Sarah.
Danny sighed as he walked onto the veranda. He wished he could tell Alice how he felt, but he was afraid of rejection. He was at least ten years older than her and far from conventionally handsome. She wouldn't be interested in an old man like him! His love was unrequited.
"Morning. How's the cub?" he asked as their eyes met.
Alice flashed him one of her radiant smiles and he felt his heart miss a beat or two.
"She's fine. I think she'll make a full recovery."
Alice looked exhausted, Danny noted with concern. She'd been up all night supervising the recovery of a six week old leopard cub that had needed reconstructive surgery after breaking its leg in two places.
"We've no patients at the moment, so why don't you take it easy for a bit. I know it was late when you got in last night." he offered kindly.
Alice stood up to get herself another cup of coffee. She was still wearing her pyjamas. Danny could just make out the outline of her naked breasts through the flimsy camisole top. His whole body was suddenly overcome with intense desire. God, Alice was so incredibly sexy! He wanted to take her in his arms. He wanted to free her of her clothing. He wanted to kiss every square inch of her body. He wanted to make love to her here and now, so that she would be in no doubt that he loved her.
Danny walked away quickly, his face colouring with embarrassment at his thoughts. Chopping logs would soon cure him of his ardour!
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Danny was feeling very down. He couldn't believe Du Plessis had really gone. He'd thought Anders had been joking when he said he was leaving South Africa to be with Caroline in England. Leopard's Den seemed a very different place this morning. It was as if someone had removed its very life-force. The whole family was sat solemnly around the breakfast table, toying with their food, as they contemplated a future without him.
"Now what would Dup say if he could see you all just now?" Alice asked as she noted the doleful air around her.
She knew Dup wouldn't want them to mope around the house. He'd want Leopard's Den to carry on as normal.
"He'd say: 'Get off your backsides and do some bledy work,'" she continued mimicking his gruff South African accent.
Danny watched in amazement as the atmosphere changed almost instantaneously. Alice was right. Du Plessis would want everything to continue as before.
Alice continued in her upbeat manner, motivating everyone, one by one, to go about their daily chores.
"And as for you," she ordered playfully, giving Danny an empathetic smile, "Go and do what you do best!"
Danny's heart melted at her genuine concern. He really loved Alice. He knew at that moment that he couldn't live without her. He waited for her on the steps. He was going to tell her how he felt.
As Alice approached him, Danny turned towards her, a coy smile evident on his face.
"Thank you," Danny said, looking at Alice like a nervous teenager on a first date.
"What did I do?" Alice replied, perplexed at his behaviour.
"You came to Leopard's Den just when I needed you the most." he uttered, his gorgeous green eyes revealing the love he felt for her.
Danny wasn't going to let Alice go this time. His heart was beating ten to the dozen as he took her gently by the forearm and drew her so close that their bodies were almost touching.
"You've helped me so much, Alice…."
It was now or never. He was going to kiss her for the first time. Danny moved slowly towards her. Alice was leaning in towards him. She wanted him to kiss her! Their lips were just millimetres apart.
The sound of a car horn stopped them abruptly in their tracks. It was Vanessa, bloody Vanessa! Danny looked at Alice forlornly. He'd been so close to showing her how much he cared. Now was not the time. He didn't want an audience, especially not Vanessa. They'd just have to wait for another appropriate moment. The trouble was he had no idea when that would be.
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Alice had told him about her father's death as they'd driven up to the enclosures on the edge of their land. Danny had sensed that she wanted to talk to him about something important, as they'd first got in the jeep, and he was more than happy to listen. It explained why her brother, Rowan, had turned up unannounced.
When they got there, all but one of the enclosures were empty. The wind had battered the fences down and the animals, sensing the storm was coming, had instinctively headed away to more sheltered places. Only Alice's giraffe was remaining. He'd got his leg tangled up in some barbed wire and the result was a gaping wound that needed urgent treatment. It only took them a few minutes to dart and treat the animal successfully. Danny loved working with Alice. They were a great team - they seemed to intuitively understand each other.
The wind had been blowing violently for several minutes and now, just as they finished treating the giraffe, the rain had started to come down heavily. They headed towards the jeep for shelter. There was no hood, so Danny improvised with an old tarpaulin they kept in the back for covering supplies.
"Lovely night for it!" Danny joked in his soft north-country accent.
His voice became more serious as he coaxed Alice to continue the conversation she had started earlier. For some reason, tonight, Danny felt that she needed to tell him everything about her past. He was greatly touched by her honesty. He felt closer to her than he ever had before. He found it hard not to wrap his arms around her and tell her he would make everything alright.
The rain was lashing down violently by the time Alice had completed her confession. The giraffe had recovered from the anaesthetic so they needed to get home to Leopard's Den, as soon as possible.
The road home was blocked by a fallen tree. It was far too big for Danny and Alice to move, so they decided to risk crossing the Veldt off-road. The storm was directly above them and their vision was seriously impaired by the continuous, horizontal rain. Neither of them anticipated the huge bolt of lightning or the tree crashing into their vehicle.
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Danny felt light-headed. He couldn't make sense of anything around him. It was as if he was in a dream that he couldn't awaken from. He could hear Alice murmuring, just inches away, but he couldn't see her. He was sure she was crying, but he wasn't sure why. He tried to talk to her, he needed to know she was okay, but the words just echoed around his head. He couldn't make his lips move, no matter how hard he tried.
Danny felt delicate, cold metal touch his skin. Somebody was putting a necklace around his neck.
He heard Alice's distraught Scottish voice whisper into his ear, "Good luck……..I love you."
He felt her soft, moist lips kiss him gently on the lips. Then…………………..nothing!
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He awoke to find himself lying in Vanessa's lap. Vanessa? All Danny could think of was Alice………………..
Why was Vanessa stroking his head and whispering words of comfort to him? He wanted Alice to swap places her with and tend to him. He wanted to know that she was okay. Danny tried to pull himself up, to see if he could see her, but the pain in his right-hand side was excruciating. He placed his hand over the gaping wound in his chest wall. His veterinary training told him he'd needed stitches and that he'd cracked at least two of his ribs.
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Georgina would kill him if she found him out of bed. In spite of his injuries, Danny couldn't lie around doing nothing all day. All he wanted to know was that Alice was safe and well. He hadn't seen her at all since the accident.
Anders was sat on the side veranda cleaning the barrel of his gun.
"Where is everyone?" Danny asked.
"Be more specific," Dup teased, knowing full well who Danny was referring to.
"Alice," he replied emphatically.
"Gone down to Mara – the leopard got out."
The two friends talked for a short while about the accident. Danny was convinced Alice's giraffe had saved him from the wild dog. He was surprised that Du Plessis hadn't laughed at the notion. In fact, unbelievably, Anders appeared to agree that it was highly probable.
"She feels very bad about leaving you out there……Alice," Dup stated, changing the subject back to the original topic of conversation.
Danny interjected quickly, without any doubt in his voice, "She did the right thing."
"She loves you, you know!" Dup carried on cleaning his gun, matter of fact.
Danny stared open-mouthed at his best friend for several seconds. What was the mad old Afrikaan on about now?
"What are you talking about?" Danny asked brusquely, convinced it was a wind-up.
"When it comes to women, you are the blindest man I've ever met," Anders asserted sincerely.
"Alice?" questioned Danny, completely knocked for six by what he was hearing.
"I'm just giving you the information. Do with it what you will," Du Plessis continued exasperated by Danny's naivety, "How an ugly beggar like you can get two beautiful women to fall in love him is beyond me!"
Danny observed Dup's expression closely. He was sure his friend was having him on.
"You're talking nonsense!" Danny exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Am I?" Anders stated rhetorically, as his friend walked away, "Hey, Danny, please be careful!"
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Danny couldn't sleep that night. He lay for hours re-living the conversation he'd had with Du Plessis that afternoon. He contemplated the significance of his words over and over in his head:
"She loves you, you know!"
What if Anders was right? Should he act on the insights of a man who was drunk most of the time?
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Alice was stood by the fountain talking to and fussing over the male giraffe that had saved his life. The animal was completely enamoured with her. Her natural affinity with animals was one of many things that had attracted Danny to Alice in the first instance. Danny stood marvelling at her, a huge grin covering his face. He couldn't hide how much he loved her any longer. She really was an exceptional woman.
Alice told him she was going to take the giraffe back to the rest of the herd up at the Copy. Danny decided this was his chance. He'd go with her and tell her how he felt, away from prying eyes. As he attempted to descend the steps, the pain of his cracked ribs seared through him. Georgina took hold of his arm firmly. Danny was going back to bed whether he liked it or not.
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Vanessa had asked to speak to him in private. Danny was a little confused as to what it was that couldn't be said in front of the rest of the family.
Whilst they were talking, Vanessa leaned towards him, and, out of the blue, tried to kiss him. Danny was shocked and pulled away from her before their lips connected. As he moved, he noticed Alice's suitcase half-packed on her bed. His heart sank heavily. Why was Alice preparing to leave? Had he done something to upset her? Was there anything he could do to stop her?
His thoughts were interrupted by Vanessa.
"Danny, what's the matter?"
Danny hardly heard her. All he could think of was 'Carpe diem – Seize the day.'
"I have to go," he replied.
"It's Alice, isn't it?"
Vanessa knew at that moment that Danny had never had any feelings for her other than as a friend. It had always been Alice. He'd been in love with her from the first time he had set eyes on her.
Danny nodded. He'd never been more certain of anything in his life. He had to go and find Alice now. He'd put it off for so long, afraid of rejection. He had to tell her how he felt. He had to make her stay.
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