Together they watched as the group sorted out the equipment. Kate looked different from the previous evening – her shoulder-length dark hair was loose, not fastened up, and she wore a long dark green skirt and white blouse, with a red and green tartan sash across her shoulder and pinned at the waist. It was when she was adjusting the microphone stand that she looked around the bar briefly, and both Jed and Abbey tensed at the same time as her glance alighted on them both. Recognition in her eyes was followed by a quick smile, as she mouthed 'Hi' and raised her hand slightly to give a small surreptitious wave.

Jed smiled and automatically tapped his heart with his fist and gave her a thumbs-up. Almost imperceptibly she nodded and continued adjusting the microphone.

"That is one very astute and self-possessed young lady," Jed commented in admiration as he started to relax again. "I think this evening's gonna turn out all right after all."

Kate switched on the microphone. "Good evenin' everybody! We hope ye're all goin' to enjoy our music tonight. For those who haven't met us before, we call ourselves 'Galway Campus' because – well, that's where we all live, since we're all students – an' my name is Kate O'Leary. An' before we go any further, there are some very special people here that I'd like to introduce to you–" She shot a quick glance towards Jed and Abbey, and Jed caught his breath in sudden alarm – until Kate turned towards the three young men behind her "–an' of course I mean these three guys behind me – Brendan who plays flute an' whistle, Kevin our fiddler an' Chris on keyboard and accordion, who also does the vocals when I need a break."

As everyone in the bar applauded, Jed grinned round at Abbey. "And that is one little Irish minx too. She was winding us up there!"

Abbey had a broad smile on her face. "She's sassy and smart, and she did that superbly well. I can see why she got along well with Zoey, it's exactly the sort of thing I can imagine Zoey doing."

"Well, I guess we can relax, I don't think she's going to give us away now."

Before long Jed was tapping his foot to the quick beat of the violin music. "This is real Ireland," he said with a smile, squeezing Abbey's shoulder. "An Irish pub, an Irish fiddler, a pint o' Guinness in me hand – and me arm round me darlin' Irish girl."

Abbey laughed at his Irish accent. "Jed, you are such a ham!" Then her eyes softened. "But I'd like to think that Eddy once sat here and said the same to your mother."

Jed's eyes met hers. "Yeah," he said, "So would I. It's a nice thought, isn't it?"

"Another nice thought occurred to me too."

"What?"

"That when Eddy and your Mom first met, they must have felt that same instant connection as you and I did."

Jed nodded slowly. "Yeah." He squeezed her shoulder again, then grinned. "Can you inherit that trait then?"

"Maybe you can. My Mom always said she fell for my Dad the first time she met him."

"There you are then," said Jed. "So maybe it was just our genes leaping into action when we first met?"

Abbey smiled as she looked into his eyes. "Thank heaven for genes then!"

"Yeah." His blue eyes smiled back at hers and held them for a few moments of intimacy before they turned their attention back to the music.

After a couple of Irish dance tunes, Kate went to the microphone again. "Now here's one where ye can all join in the chorus – 'Kilgary Mountain'!"

As she started to sing, Jed and Abbey glanced at each other, almost in surprise. The girl's voice was delightfully Irish, lively and lilting in the quick rhythm of the song. The audience joined in the chorus enthusiastically and after a couple of verses Jed and Abbey both picked up the words, laughing as everyone shouted out the last line of the chorus – 'There's whiskey in the jar!"

A couple more songs followed, and then Kate beckoned to the keyboard player and mouthed something to the other two, who both nodded.

Chris came to the microphone. "One of our favourites," he said. The music began and Jed started to smile. Abbey frowned slightly, not recognising the song. "What is it?" she whispered.

"The Irish Volunteer," he whispered back. "Kate's having fun with us now. Listen."

The song told of the famed 'Fighting 69th' Irish Brigade from New York which had fought in the American Civil War and as Kate moved to the microphone to join Chris in the last verse, she glanced across at them. Jed put his fist to his heart again and Kate smiled as she started to harmonise with Chris' rich voice:

Now fill your glasses up, my boys, a toast come drink with me,
May Erin's Harp and the Starry Flag united ever be;
May traitors quake, and rebels shake, and tremble in their fears,
When next they meet the Yankee boys and Irish volunteers!'
God bless the name of Washington! that name this land reveres;
Success to Meagher and Nugent, and their Irish volunteers!"

Jed was shaking, trying not to laugh out loud, as everyone joined in the repeat of the chorus and at the end he tilted his head in a smile and slight nod to Kate. Abbey too was smiling. "Definitely sassy and very very smart," she whispered as she joined in the applause.

"An' now we'll come back to Ireland again," Kate was saying. "To Galway – and the Fields of Athenry."

Jed stopped in the middle of reaching to pick up his glass again as Kate started singing the slow and plaintive song, and Abbey put her hand up to the back of her neck. The lively tones had given way to a beautifully pure voice that stilled the whole bar.

"She has the most amazing voice," Jed said as the song ended.

"The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end." Abbey breathed. "That was just beautiful."

Kate sang several more songs, some of which they knew like 'Rose of Tralee' and 'Cliffs of Doneen', and some they didn't but still enjoyed because the girl's voice was so captivating. They both listened and watched as gradually several couples stood up to dance in the small area near the bar, in front of the group.

Then, as Kate started 'If you ever go across the sea to Ireland', Jed stood up and held out his hand to Abbey. "C'mon, they're playing our song."

Abbey followed him and he put his arms round her, pulling her towards him so that his face was resting against her hair and they moved on the spot on the small dance floor. As one song followed another, there was no need to talk. Kate's beautiful and sensuous Irish voice was enough to lull them both into a sense of total contentment in each other's arms.

When she and Chris started to harmonise 'Wild Mountain Thyme', Jed drew Abbey even closer, quietly singing the words into her ear:

'Will ye go, lassie go,
And we'll all go together,
To pull wild mountain thyme,
All around the purple heather.
Will you go, lassie, go?'

He moved his leg slightly so that it was between hers and his thigh pressed against her, sending quivers through her. "Jed, stop it," she whispered.

"Stop what?"

"Turning me to jello."

"I like turning you to jello."

"Okay, but not here. If you go on like this, my knees are gonna melt."

Jed smiled and kissed her hair. "I love it when you melt."

She tried to pull away from him. "Not here, Jed."

"Why? Nobody knows us."

"The agents do – and so does Kate."

He eased her back to him and whispered into her ear. "I like turning you on like this, I love it when you're trying to pretend that you're not getting hot."

"You know damn well that I'm getting hot!" she muttered.

"I love you, Abbey."

Just something in his voice made her turn her head and she looked into his eyes. The overpowering love she saw in his blue eyes shot through her like an electric current and she caught her breath. For a few seconds she struggled to speak, then "Let's go home," she whispered.

Jed half turned and caught Charlie's eye. He gave a slight nod and the agent nodded back. "Couple of minutes, sweetheart. We gotta let the agents go first."

"Okay."

Abbey laid her head against his shoulder and he held her tight as Kate sang the beautiful song 'How can you buy Killarney?'

When the song ended, he released his hold and looked round at the girl. She had stepped away from the microphone and perched herself on a bar stool as the musicians started to play another melody and Chris came up to the microphone. Jed caught hold of Abbey's hand and led her across to where Kate was sitting.

She stood up and smiled at them. "I hope ye've both enjoyed the evening."

"We have – and thank you for keeping the secret."

"I think I learned enough from Zoey to know how much you need the privacy to be yourselves."

"I can't tell you how much we appreciate it. Thanks, Kate." Jed bent over to kiss her cheek lightly.

Abbey took the girl's hand in both of hers. "This has been a very special night for us, Kate – we won't forget it."

"And you really should think about turning professional with that voice of yours," Jed added. "You have an extraordinary gift there."

Kate blushed. "Thank ye – it's just something I enjoy doin' – but my degree will be in Law and that's important to me too."

Jed smiled. "If you ever want a job in the White House Counsel Office, let me know. I think I might still have some influence there."

"Thank ye, sir, I'll remember that. An' it's been so good to meet you again."

"The pleasure's been all ours, Kate."

"Oh, I nearly forgot–" Quickly Kate leaned over to a box on the bar, and pulled out a CD. "Here ye are – a little reminder of Ireland for ye."

Jed looked at the front of the CD and saw that it was one made by the group. He scanned the list of songs and smiled, "You've got all our favourites on this." Quickly he dug into his pocket. "Here, I must pay you–"

"No – no, sir, I don't want anythin'. Think of it as my apology for – well, for teasin' you earlier on."

Jed laughed. "We did notice that! But thanks, Kate, thank you very much, we'll treasure this."

"Oh, and ye'll give my love to Zoey, won't ye?"

"Yes, of course."

With smiles they took their leave and hand-in-hand headed for the door. Outside Charlie and Mike were waiting in the car.

"Give us a few minutes, Charlie," Jed said through the open window.

Holding tightly to Abbey's hand, Jed led her the few yards until they stood across the road from the Post Office. "Mary said that they parked up outside here," he said quietly. "I wonder what they talked about?"

Abbey squeezed his hand. "Everything, Jed, they talked about everything – just like we did when we first met."

Jed nodded. "Politics, religion, literature, music, the world and its problems, their future together–"

"It's so sad to think that they didn't get that future together."

"Yeah. I can't help wondering what my life would have been like with a father like Eddy – just as I can't help wondering what it would have been like if my Mom had decided to come back here to Ballykane when he died."

"I'm so glad that she didn't," Abbey said quietly.

"I might have had an easier childhood," he said ruefully.

"Yes, that's true – but then we'd never have met, would we?"

Jed turned to her. "Yes, we would. There's a Chinese proverb that says 'An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance.' We were destined to meet, Abbey, we'd have found each other somehow."

She smiled up and him and he leant forward to kiss her lips gently.

Then she said, "I just realised something, Jed."

"What?"

"The assumed names we always travel with when we want to go under the radar."

Jed frowned for a moment, then his face cleared. "Of course," he breathed. "Our second names."

"Edward and Ann – Eddy and Annie?"

Jed drew in a deep breath, then put his arms round her. "I love you so much, Abigail Ann." And in the main street of Ballykane, heedless of anyone who might be watching, he kissed her deeply.

TBC