Too Late for Regret (Annalise and Roger) novel Chapter 160

Laney’s POV

Six months later:

Seth is like a dog with a bone; he will not back off. He won both my brothers over that night. They loved his car. He immediately won them both over when he took them for a ride before they helped to unload the SUV. When Charlie showed up with the SUVs and had paid for a year of insurance for not just one, but all three vehicles, he won them over, too.

Since then, it’s been the Seth show. Once he found out where I lived, he would do annoyingly helpful things. The first thing that happened was a month after my makeover. He had the old wood replaced on the outside of our home and then had our entire house painted. I already had a list of things that I wanted to get done, both inside and outside.

I have everything noted, from what color I wanted it painted to all the repairs I wanted done. What I didn’t know was that Micah had taken pictures of my plans and passed them on to Seth. He made it his life’s goal to get things done, with or without my approval. I had no idea of what was going on until I got home that first day. Our home looked fresh and new, and the driveway was blocked off when I arrived home.

Seth also had the driveway repaved. I was angry that he had done it, at first, but decided that I would just tack that onto what I owed him. I thought it was the end of it, but that was when he started working through my list. Every single month, something else got done. I knew that he was trying to win me over, and I was resisting. He stayed calm, giving me charming smiles and doing a great job. He had good ideas for bringing the company into public focus. He honestly surprised me on that. He also had his father send out a companywide email before I left, singing my praises and announcing my promotion.

Angie and Sheila tried to start up, but they were let go, as they were on their final written warning. After that, no one dared to slander me. Seth had really surprised me by actively stepping into the CEO role. He was focused and determined to make the company a success. In just six short months, we were crushing the goals I had set for us to reach by the year mark. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. His whole family was made up of CEOS who did an excellent job; he was now showing me another side of himself.

In the third month, the landscaping job I had always wanted was completed. It was at the bottom of my dream list because it was just for me. A gazebo was built while I was at work. It was the same one that I’d added a picture of to my notebook. It was a cozy place to hang out, to have some coffee, or read. I loved it, as the flowers planted around it looked just like

the picture. A small pathway was poured and stamped, leading from the patio to the gazebo. He even had the front yard landscaped. It was absolutely perfect, and that was completely infuriating. I had confronted Seth about it, but he refused to stop. He always acted as if he wasn’t the one behind it, but who else could it be? My brothers were all in on his pursuit of me. They completely believed he liked me, and ended up helping him at every turn. At the four–month mark, Andrews‘ winter break was spent letting painters inside the house.

They painted his room, Micah’s room, and the bathroom they shared first. I smelled paint, but was too tired to ask what was going on. Two days later, on a Thursday, my room and the entire lower floor were painted. A custom closet was built, and I was completely stunned when I got home. That was when I knew that Seth had a copy of my notebook.

He could have got lucky with the paint color and trim on the outside of the house. It was similar to the original color, but not the same. But the gazebo had been exactly right. He painted the interior in the exact colors I wanted. I was getting really frustrated because I didn’t have the money to pay him for all the work he was doing. Two months later came the biggest change. I came home and everything was different.

Alicia Caldwell was inside my house, instructing people on what to do. She had transformed our home. It went from just being the basics to being warm and inviting. Rugs in the living room and dining room. New curtains and furniture were now in place. A fire was burning in the fireplace, and I knew someone had had the chimney cleaned out. We hadn’t been able to build a fire in years. I loved that it was usable again. She had the couch facing the fireplace, like we did. The TV had rested above it, and it had been changed out, too.

Custom cabinets had been installed on either side of the fireplace. The difference was stunning, especially with the living room freshly repainted. Our home had been transformed. I had worked late the night before, as Seth and I had been out at a networking event. He was my unofficial date, going there together as the CEO’s. Because of that, I missed that the cabinets had been refaced and repainted, and that a backsplash had been installed. We had a new dining room table, and I was shocked.

“You think he’s toying with you. I know what you think. If it were before, I would agree. When he got to college, he and Holden made a reputation for themselves, and not a good one. But Seth hasn’t been out since he dated those two girls from Reid’s company. He admitted to me that he did it to make you jealous. It was a mistake, and I can understand why you would think that he wasn’t serious about you at first. But he’s showing you who he is. He goes to work, and he isn’t dating at all, despite the girls still throwing themselves at him. I know you see it. He’s a handsome man, just like his father. I just wanted to tell you that you need to carefully consider if you want to miss out on someone who loves you. He is heartbroken that you continue to ignore him. That you can’t see the positive changes he’s made,” she responded.

“I can see the changes in him. He is doing very well as the CEO. I do see the other woman approaching him, but I know that we can never be. He only wants me because I didn’t fall at his feet, and that’s not love. I’m scared if I ever let him in, I’ll be the one who’s hurt when he

gets what he wants from me, and moves on,” I replied. I can’t believe I spoke the words I worried about most to his mother. I must have lost my mind.

“Laney, Seth’s a proud man. He has told you over and over that he wants to date you. What harm can one date do? I just wanted to warn you of this. If he honestly thinks that you’ll never change your mind, he might just move on. Please, don’t let it get that far, Laney. I think you two are perfect for each other. You’ve changed him for the better. I believe he loves you; he just doesn’t know it yet. He’s never been in love before, and he’s unsure, but he keeps trying. I see the women who are interested in him. I don’t want anyone else to be my daughter–in–law. I would love for you to marry Seth and give me more grandbabies. Ana is going to be going into labor any day now, with my second grandchild. We would all love nothing more than to welcome you into our family as Seth’s wife,” Alicia answered.

“I’m scared. What if he’s playing with me?” I quietly said.

“I can understand that. But please give him a chance to win your heart. He truly cares for you, Laney. Don’t let fear keep you away from what could be the greatest love of your life,” Alicia replied before standing and walking back inside.