Olivia shook her head again as the engine sputtered. They’d said their goodbyes. Olivia was going back to London to deal with the press and the subsequent fallout of cancelling a royal wedding. But the car gods were plotting against her.

Olivia opened the car window. “Looks like the car is voting to stay in Otter Bay.”

“Instant coffee and cars that don’t start.” Rosie was glad to have Olivia with her a few moments longer. “Royal standards are beginning to slip.”

Olivia gave it a few more tries, but the engine refused to come alive. “You don’t happen to have car repair skills as well, do you?” Olivia said on a sigh. “Mother’s going to kill me if I’m late for this press conference.”

“It goes against all stereotypes, but I’m no good with cars,” Rosie said. She pointed at her Toyota. “I would offer mine, but I’m not sure it’ll get you where you need to be in one piece.”

Olivia got out of the car. She checked the time on her phone. “I’ll have to take the train instead.”

“I’ll take you to the station,” Rosie said, and took the opportunity to draw Olivia into another good-bye hug.

The car shuddered as they turned into the station’s parking lot.

“Your royal behind’s not suffering too much?” Rosie asked.

Olivia shook her head. “And to think I truly believed I was past the age of being teased about my pedigree.”

Rosie put a hand on Olivia’s knee. “I wasn’t teasing. It’s genuine concern.” Just then, the car bumped savagely. “Oops. Didn’t see that pothole. Do you have any contacts in the Otter Bay council? That has been here forever.”

Olivia rubbed her back in an exaggerated fashion. “Do you know the penalties for hurting a princess?”

Rosie parked the car and looked at her. “Nope. But I do hope the punishment is doled out by the princess herself.”

“Wait until I get back. I’ll show you then. Or…” Olivia looked at her watch. “My train doesn’t arrive for another fifteen minutes. I could show you now.”

Rosie glanced around the car park. “Just making sure the coast is clear.”

Olivia grinned, then fell back against her seat with a sigh.

Rosie put her hand back where it had slid off earlier. “Not looking forward to going back?”

“It’s not every day I have to face the press and tell them the royal wedding they’ve been going nuts over for weeks is being cancelled.” She put her hand over Rosie’s. “Even though it’s being cancelled for the best possible reason.”

Rosie scanned Olivia’s face. In the beat-up car, with her hair rioting in all directions, she looked decidedly un-royal. She looked like Charlie. “Come back soon.”

Olivia nodded. “Shall we get out? I’m a little antsy and I’ll be stuck on a train for the next few hours.”

“With a bunch of commoners,” Rosie joked. She gave Olivia’s knee one last squeeze and opened the door. “I don’t envy you.”

“You were much nicer to me before you knew who my mother was.” Olivia grabbed Rosie’s hand and they walked to the empty platform.

“Falling in love with a princess has taken its toll.” Rosie gave Olivia a quick peck on the cheek, lest she think she wasn’t joking. Rosie scanned their surroundings. There was no one on the platform yet, but other passengers would soon be arriving. “Come with me,” she said.

Rosie led them past the waiting room, around the corner of the station’s building. “We should have some privacy here.”

Olivia nodded and stood in front of Rosie. “About what you said earlier.” She drew her lips into a small smile. “Being with me will come with challenges, there’s just no other way.” She inclined her head. “Please know you can talk to me about anything. It’s important that we do.”

“I guess my days of going out in faded jeans are over,” Rosie said.

“It’s not all about appearances.” Olivia paused. “Well, a lot of it is.”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my short twenty-eight years on this planet, it’s that we can’t look into the future. It’s best to take the days as they come, deal with what needs to be dealt with, and get on with things.”

“You’re wise beyond your twenty-eight years, Rosie Perkins.” Olivia stepped closer. “My family could use some of your wisdom.”

“I want to be with you,” Rosie said. “So I’ll focus on the positives of dating a royal.” She looked into the distance for a brief moment, letting her mind wander.

The past two days had been a whirlwind of emotions. She’d gone all the way from heartbreak to this madness. When she brought her gaze back to Olivia, whose pretty face she was going to miss — although she’d be seeing her on the evening news, no doubt — she remembered the last time she’d been at the train station.

“Remember when we first met?” Rosie said.

“Of course, at the cafe. You warned me about Connie. I’ll never forget.” The grin on Olivia’s face betrayed that she knew exactly what Rosie was getting at.

“You almost ran me over at this station and I remember thinking you were just another rude Londoner in an expensive jacket, coming down here to annoy us locals.”

“I believe I’ve succeeded in my mission and have sufficiently annoyed you.” Olivia kissed Rosie on the nose.

“You just swung by and changed my life in the process.” Warmth bloomed in Rosie’s chest.

“How do you think of me now?” Olivia asked.

“As a rude, very posh Londoner,” Rosie joked. She threw her arms around Olivia. “My rude, very posh Londoner.”

“What will it take to make you drop the rude?” Olivia whispered in her ear.

“You’re calling off a royal wedding,” Rosie said. “That should do it.” She pushed her nose into Olivia’s neck.

They stood in silence for a few beats, then Olivia pulled herself back from their embrace.

“I could also… not call it off,” she said.

“What?” Rosie’s brow furrowed in alarm.

“I could still get married… but to someone else.” Olivia’s green eyes sparked with mischief. “Someone I’m madly in love with. Someone who has changed my life as well — for the better.” Olivia squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “I’ve never wanted the life that was laid out for me. I always thought coming out as a lesbian would be the hardest thing I’d have to do as a member of the royal family, but it was a piece of cake compared to the life my parents have tried to push me into. While I’m so very close to what I really want. A simple life with the woman I love. With you.”

Rosie opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

“When we come back from our travels, we can live in the manor house. You can be close to your family and I can be at a comfortable distance from mine.” Olivia threw in a smile. Her eyes still shone. Rosie was getting caught up in her enthusiasm.

Butterflies went wild in Rosie’s stomach. “Are you sure about this?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” A smile spread over Olivia’s face, before she sank down to one knee. “There’s a wedding planned in four weeks’ time. I love you, Rosie.” She swallowed hard. “You would be my perfect bride.”

Rosie’s jaw slackened. Was this really happening? Was Princess Olivia proposing to her at Otter Bay train station? She looked down at Olivia, whose face was the very image of hope — and perhaps a little anguish.

Rosie’s mind raced, but did she really have to think about this? Olivia was the best thing that had happened to her in… her entire life. Rosie loved her and if she’d ever imagined a perfect bride for herself, Olivia would have fit that image like no other.

Rosie started nodding, slowly at first. The intensity of her nodding increased as the smile on her lips spread. She kneeled next to Olivia.

“Yes,” she said. “I think you’re crazy, but my answer is yes.”

Olivia cupped Rosie’s face in her palms and kissed her full on the lips. When they broke from their kiss, she said, “I don’t have a ring.”

“You mean this wasn’t planned?” Rosie gazed into Olivia’s eyes.

“Nothing about you was ever planned.” Olivia kissed her again.

“I do think we should plan to get up now.” Rosie held Olivia tight for one more moment. “You don’t want to miss that train.”

They rose only to fall into each other’s arms again. In the distance, Rosie could hear the rumble of the approaching train.

“Here’s another unplanned question for you,” Olivia said, eyes glinting.

“Be still my quiet Cornish heart.” Rosie held on tightly to Olivia’s hand.

“How about you get on that train with me and meet your future family-in-law?”

Rosie burst out into a chuckle. “I don’t even have a ticket. Or a change of underwear.”

“This is where the perks kick in.” Olivia winked at her. The train rolled into the station with a loud hiss of brakes. “What do you say?”

“I say yes. Again.” Rosie flew into Olivia’s arms.

“I’m sure we can rustle you up a clean pair of knickers.” Olivia shuddered with giggles as she hugged her firmly.