Wednesday, February 21, 2007, Episode #5003

Taylor suggests a game of strip poker...

Taylor is at the Marone mansion with Nick when she gets a call from Ridge that Phoebe is with Rick. As she ends the call, Nick remarks that Ridge didn't sound happy about Phoebe being with Rick. Taylor explains that Ridge is concerned that Rick and Phoebe are becoming more than just friends, which would be inappropriate because they're practically related. But they're not, Nick comments, defending Rick as a decent guy. Taylor admits that she normally trusts Phoebe's judgement, but she's been wary after what happened between Phoebe and Shane. And with Phoebe taking a semester off to work instead of being in college, Taylor's even more concerned. Nick is sure she and Ridge will do right by their daughter. Taylor asks if he has any advice; since he's not a parent, Nick can only offer "The Serenity Prayer" that they say at A.A. meetings that asks for "the courage to do what's best," suggesting that it would apply to kids, too. Taylor agrees that it applies to tonight. Nick suggests that she let Ridge deal with this tonight and forget about it; Taylor asks what they should do instead, inquiring what he'd be doing if she wasn't here. When Nick says he'd invite the guys over to watch a game or play some poker, Taylor thinks poker is a good idea. She asks if he has a "pack" of cards. Nick points to several decks on the mantel. Taylor takes a deck and shuffles. When Nick hopes he's not about to lose his shirt like he did when he played with Hope, Taylor suggests they make it interesting by playing strip poker.

...and Nick loses his shirt - literally- when Taylor wins.

After the first hand, Nick thinks he has Taylor beat with three kings, but she shows off her royal flush and tells him to take off his shirt. Removing the shirt, Nick recalls that Taylor comes from a family of gamblers and wonders if he's being played here. Taylor asks if Nick wants to quit, but he's staying in. Nick asks what happened with her and Brooke the other day after he left them alone. She tells him that Brooke obviously still has feelings for him, but he points out that feelings aren't a future. She asks if a future is what he wants; he shows her what he wants by kissing her. After Taylor wins a few more hands, Nick quips that they'll be in the bedroom if they go any further. Taylor sees his St. Christopher medallion and starts to eye it, but she gets upset when she asks where he got it and he tells her that it was a gift from Brooke. She asks why he's still wearing it; he says he likes it. Bothered by that, Taylor turns to leave, but Nick tells her to wait. He knows that the next thing she'd be asking him to take off if she won another hand would be his pants, but he has an idea for something that makes more of a statement and takes off the medallion. They then kiss again.

Brooke is upset that Ridge is throwing Rick out of the house.

At Brooke's house, Ridge comes downstairs with Rick's suitcase packed and plants it by the door. Brooke asks what he's doing, throwing HER son out of HER house. Ridge tells her that Rick has become a divisive force in the house and has to go, and he wants Rick out tonight! Brooke points out that Rick's truck broke down while driving Phoebe home, so it's not like Rick kidnapped Phoebe. Ridge doesn't like the way Phoebe acts around Rick and wants him out tonight. Brooke points out that this kind of reaction was the reason Rick asked her not to mention that Phoebe was with him. Ridge thinks he has a right to be angry. Brooke reminds him that Phoebe is 18; Ridge tells her to stop justifying this and back him up here. Ridge says that Rick can stay with Eric or Bridget while he's here in town, or he can even get his own place. But he doesn't want Rick around his daughter! Brooke points out that Rick might be going back to Europe in a few months and probably won't be around long enough to get a place of his own, so Ridge offers to put Rick up in a hotel instead. He'll even pay for it to get Rick out of this house. Brooke argues that Rick and Phoebe are old enough to fend for themselves and insists that Ridge is making too much out of a simple situation where Rick is just giving Phoebe a ride home from Insomnia. Ridge wonders if it was coincidence that Rick showed up at Insomnia when Phoebe was there with her friend. Brooke tells him to stop making too much out of this, because she's sure nothing is going on between Rick and Phoebe!

Rick reminisces with Phoebe.

In Rick's beat up truck, Rick pulls away from the kiss with Phoebe and tries to start the truck again, to no avail. He wishes it would just start; he's already missed his meeting anyway, and he wants to get Phoebe home so her parents won't worry. Phoebe says they won't be worried, since her parents think she's with Madison. Rick suggests putting on the radio, but she reminds him that it didn't work earlier. Rick suggests that they talk instead, but Phoebe thinks talk is overrated. Rick thinks back to when they were younger and used to spend time down by the beach, with her building sand castles while he would surf. And he would wreck the sand castles, Phoebe laughs. And she would run way when her mom tried to get the sand out of her hair. Phoebe tells him that she doesn't run and hide anymore after what she's been through this last year. She knows that you can't hide from anything, especially the truth. Rick then gets a call from Brooke, who asks if he got the truck started yet. Rick says he's almost there and hears Ridge in the background at Brooke's, asking where Rick and Phoebe are. Rick is upset when Brooke admits that she saw how concerned Ridge was and had to tell him where Phoebe was. He assures his mom that he and Phoebe will be home soon. As Rick ends the call, Phoebe guesses that she's in trouble with her dad. Rick says he's sorry; he doesn't understand, since his truck usually starts again after giving it a break. Phoebe offers to try and asks if she can try; as soon as she turns the key, the truck starts! Rick laughs that she must have the magic touch and gets them on their way.

Ridge lays down the law with Phoebe.

Brooke and Ridge are still arguing about Rick when the door opens and Phoebe and Rick come in, all drenched from the rain. Phoebe tells her dad that she's sorry she had him worried; admitting that she shouldn't have left her cell Phoebe home. Rick sees his packed suitcase by the door and asks what's going on. Phoebe tells Ridge that he can't throw Rick out, while Rick looks to his mom. Ridge answers Rick instead, saying this wouldn't have happened if Rick had just listened to him and stayed away from Phoebe. Phoebe objects to her father telling that Rick that, especially since he threatened to kill Rick if he didn't stay away from her! She tells Ridge that Rick didn't do anything to her; "it wasn't like that," she states. Ridge asks what "it" was and demands to know if Rick touched his daughter. Brooke and Phoebe both try to calm Ridge down, but Ridge says that he has to put a stop to this right now, since Rick and Phoebe are both Forresters and were raised as relatives. But there's no blood shared, Phoebe argues. Ridge claims that there is more to a family than blood, but Rick finds it funny that Ridge could say that after having feelings for Bridget several years ago.