Wednesday, September 26, 2007, Episode #5153

Brooke tells Nick about Ridge's engagement.

Nick arrives at Forrester Creations, where Meriah tells him that Brooke is waiting in his office. As he enters the office, Nick recalls Bridget telling him how the eggs implanted in Taylor might be Brooke's. Coming back to reality, Nick tells Brooke that he's surprised to see her and asks if she's ready to come back to work. "If I wasn't before," she replies, "I am now." Nick senses some hesitancy in her voice and asks what's wrong, so Brooke tells him how she was blindsided last night by Ridge's proposal to Ashley. Explaining how she misinterpreted things and thought the ring Ridge bought was for her, Brooke admits that she doesn't even know if Ridge went through with the proposal, since she left before Ridge actually popped the question. Still, she hasn't heard from Ridge since, so she bets he did in fact propose. Nick is sorry she had to find out how Ridge felt through a misunderstanding, but he takes Ridge's actions as a sign that Ridge is moving on, and he thinks Brooke should do the same. To explain Ridge's actions, Brooke tells Nick, "It's not because he doesn't love me. It's because he doesn't trust me, because of you." Nick doesn't get that, so Brooke elaborates that Ridge thinks a part of her heart still belongs to Nick. Nick doesn't think he's the issue here. Brooke agrees, because she knows he's committed to Taylor and the baby they're having, but she doesn't think Ridge sees it that way after what happened in Sydney.

Nick offers some advice to Brooke.

Nick reminds Brooke that Ridge punched her son in Sydney, but Brooke reminds him how she ran right back here to him after breaking up with Ridge in Sydney, only to find out that Nick was committed to Taylor. Even so, Nick asserts, Ridge let her down again, and he's worried that she's letting Ridge off the hook for that. Brooke suggests that Ridge is just scared, but Nick thinks she's the one who should be scared, since her life is like a soap opera after everything she's been through lately. (That's because it IS a soap opera [LOL]!) Brooke tells Nick that she still loves Ridge, but she doesn't know if that matters anymore. Even if she gives up on Ridge, Nick advises, she doesn't have to give up on love. "Who said I'm giving up?" Brooke asks. Nick tells her that she has to accept that Ridge is engaged to someone else, just as she accepted his [Nick's] marriage to Taylor. Brooke thinks the two situations are different, since she and Ridge share a child. "I can't stand the thought of another woman mothering my child," she states. Nick tells her that biology doesn't always guarantee happiness for a family, as she should well know. Brooke tells him how closely she and Ridge bonded over the kids at Big Bear, but Nick doesn't think one nice weekend erases all the drama in her relationship with Ridge. Brooke thinks he might feel differently if they shared a child, but Nick still worries about her getting back with Ridge. Brooke tells him that she didn't come here to debate this. She came here to work so she can get her life back on track, a life she still intends to share with Ridge.

Ridge finds Ashley in the lab at Forrester Originals, admiring her engagement ring. He sneaks up on her and starts to make out with her, since he can't get enough of his sexy fiancee. Ashley agrees that she's excited about their engagement and can't wait to tell Abby. That reminds Ridge that he has to make time to tell Hope and R.J. Ashley suggests that Brooke, as the kids' mom, should be there when he tells Hope and R.J. Ridge frets that this whole situation is going to be tough on Brooke, since he knows Brooke had her hopes up about that the two of them might reunite. Even so, he doesn't want Brooke's reaction to interfere with how excited he and Ashley are over this. Given how Phoebe reacted when he told her the news, he's sure everyone else will be just as happy for them. Ashley is surprised that he already told Phoebe about the engagement.

Phoebe tells her mom about Ridge's engagement.

Speaking of Phoebe, she's in Ridge's office with Taylor, telling her mom about Ridge's engagement. Knowing about the past tension between Phoebe and Ashley, Taylor asks Phoebe how she feels about the news. Phoebe says that her dad is excited. "That isn't what I asked," Taylor points out. Phoebe responds that she's happy for her dad. Despite their differences, she knows that Ashley had nothing to do with her most recent break-up with Rick, which happened once she realized that she and Rick are in different places in their lives. Breaking up with Rick was the right decision for her, and she supposes that marrying Ashley is similarly the right decision for her father. "But is it a decision you can support?" Taylor asks. Phoebe thinks it is, because she only wants her Dad to be happy. She thinks everyone else will support this engagement for the same reasons - that is, everyone but Brooke!

Rick offers some advice to Ashley.

Rick pops in the lab to see Ashley after meeting an unusually pleasant Ridge in the hall. He asks Ashley if that means Ridge popped the question. Ashley shows Rick the ring and asks him to please respect it. "Because it's so big, obnoxious and ostentatious?" Rick asks. "Because it's beautiful and I'm proud to be wearing it," Ashley answers. Rick quips that guys who buy rings like that are usually trying to prove a point. Ashley thinks the only point to be proved is that she and Ridge are planning a life together, so she needs Rick to get with the program and stop flirting and sneaking into the sauna. She insists that inappropriate behavior like that has to stop. Rick laughs that she's sexy when she lays down the law that way. Ashley tells him to stop being cute, because she means this. Rick reminds her of her comment when she called him last night that his mom thought Ridge bought that ring for her; he thinks that shows how Ridge is sending mixed signals to Brooke. Ashley disagrees and thinks it shows how Brooke is having a hard time accepting that Ridge has moved on, but Rick counters that his mom obviously doesn't see it that way. He reminds Ashley that no one would love to see his mom get over Ridge more than him, and he once thought that might be possible when Nick Marone was available. But now, Nick's married to Taylor, so Rick suggests that Ashley might want to keep looking over her shoulder until she and Ridge actually say "I do." Ashley doesn't want to talk about this anymore. She tells Rick that she and Ridge are together now, and Brooke will just have to accept it.

Taylor tells Ridge that she's happy for him.

Ridge comes into his office and is surprised to find Taylor there with Phoebe. Taylor congratulates Ridge on his engagement, remarking that Ashley is an extraordinary woman. Phoebe hopes Ridge doesn't mind that she told Taylor. Ridge says he's fine with that, since he planned to call Thomas and Steffy and tell them this afternoon, but he'd just like Phoebe not to spread it around the office for now. Phoebe says she'll keep quiet and excuses herself to get back to work. Now alone with Taylor, Ridge asks how she feels about the engagement. Taylor tells him that his taste in women is definitely improving. Ridge laughs that he won't say anymore after hearing that from his ex-, but Taylor quips that she wasn't referring to herself. Ridge tells her that he knows who she's referring to. Taylor says that she always knew he could do better, so she's glad he found someone as stable and intelligent as Ashley. Ridge points out that he's fallen for a woman like that before, but Taylor retorts that he often falls for women with lots of drama in their lives. That's why she's glad he found someone like Ashley, and she hopes he's as happy with Ashley as she is with Nick.

Ridge reflects on recent events involving Brooke.

Ridge hopes Taylor will be as confident in Popeye once Brooke accepts his [Ridge's] engagement to Ashley; he explains how Brooke had her sights set on getting back together with him, so the news of the engagement hit her pretty hard. In hindsight, he wonders if it was a good idea to go up to Big Bear with Brooke and the kids recently, even though he knew the kids needed that time with him and Brooke. Taylor tells him that sacrificing his own happiness won't make R.J. happy. Ridge reminds her that he was ready to make a life with Brooke. Until Brooke ran back to Nick, Taylor recalls, wondering if that's what this engagement is about. Ridge insists that he loves Ashley. Taylor similarly asserts that there's nothing between Nick and Brooke now. Ridge doesn't completely buy that, but even so, he knows he's made his choice and wants a future with Ashley. Taylor is glad he's putting the chaos behind him. Ridge reminds her that he'll still have ties to Brooke. But no matter how good Brooke is in the boardroom or the bedroom, Taylor reminds Ridge, she's still a bit "bonkers" when it comes to him, so he wants Ridge to be happy and enjoy his life with Ashley, finally leaving the insanity behind.