Wednesday, April 23, 2008, Episode #5296

Brooke warns Rick that marrying Taylor will be a mistake.

At the court house, Brooke warns Rick that marrying Taylor will be a mistake. Rick accuses Brooke of saying that because his being with Taylor makes her uncomfortable and asks Taylor not to be swayed by his mother's negativity. Taylor doesn't want to argue with Brooke on one of the happiest days of her life and suggests that they go home, so Rick suggests that they go pick up Jack. Taylor tells him that she'd like to do that on her own, so Rick agrees to meet her back at her place. Before leaving, Taylor advises Brooke, "Think about your own family, get your priorities straight." Brooke slams her purse down in anger.

Ridge is stunned by Brooke's news.

Brooke returns home, where Ridge has just put the kids to bed. [Which begs the question: what kind of court hearing runs so late that it's Hope and R.J.'s bedtime by the time Brooke got home?] Ridge asks how the hearing went. Brooke tells him that Taylor regained custody and is at Nick's now picking up Jack. Ridge knows this isn't what Brooke wants to hear, but he thinks it's best that Taylor is fit enough to raise her son. Brooke tells him that she still wants to be a part of Jack's life, so Ridge offers to talk to Taylor for her. He thinks Taylor might welcome a visit from him if she's alone in the house with Jack, but Brooke tells him that Taylor won't be alone for long now that she's engaged to Rick! Ridge is stunned. He can't believe that it's true. Brooke informs him that Rick stood up in court and announced it to the world. Ridge thinks that must have been some ploy for the sake of the court, but Brooke tells him that she nearly begged Taylor not to accept Rick's proposal, to no avail. Ridge guesses that the marriage will never happen, since Taylor has to know how devastated Phoebe will be once she finds out and won't be willing to risk her relationship with Phoebe. Brooke hopes he's right, for everyone's sake, but she's not as sure.

Nick confronts Katie.

At the Marone mansion, Nick confronts Katie and asks if what he overheard is true. "Did Storm shoot Stephanie?" he queries. Katie confirms that it's true and begs Nick not to say anything, but Nick thinks Ashley Abbott should know what Storm did. Katie tries to reassure Nick, but they're interrupted when Taylor arrives to pick up Jack. Nick tells Taylor that they can work out the details once Storm draws up the papers, but he wants her to know that he never meant to keep her from Jack. At the same time, though, he wants to know what her intentions are with Rick. Taylor says she isn't sure, since she intends to focus her attention on Jack right now. She admits she messed up in their marriage, but she wants to put the bad memories behind her and just be the best mother she can. Nick agrees that everything will be fine if they just be the best parents they can to Jack, and they share a hug. Katie comes down with Jack and hands him over to an excited Taylor, who is thrilled to be able to take her son home with her.

Rick welcomes Taylor and Jack home.

Taylor arrives home to find Rick blowing a party horn and holding a big sign that says, "Welcome home, Jack!" Taylor sits down on the sofa with Jack and revels in having him home with her. "Nothing's coming between us ever again," she promises. Rick asks if "us" refers to the three of them. Taylor admits to Rick that the three of them would not be here now without his support, but Rick thinks she would have gotten Jack back even without his help. Still, he's grateful to see the beautiful sight of her being reunited with her son. Taylor is glad that Jack's too young to remember all of this. She just wants to have some peace, without Brooke interfering in her life. Rick finds it funny that she brought up his mom and compares her to Stephanie in the way she stood up to Brooke. Taylor asks if he's serious. Rick says he is, since she's smart and talented and respected. "St. Taylor, right?" she sarcastically asks. Rick says that's right, but he thinks she's even more beautiful if you strip away the perfect veneer she wears on the outside. He may have thought of her as perfect for most of his life, but now he knows better. Rick sits down next to her and holds her hand as he tells her how much he loves her. He then gets down on one knee, takes out a jewelry box and presents Taylor with an engagement ring. "Please say you'll marry me," he pleads.

Rick gives Taylor an engagement ring.

Taylor is stunned by Rick's proposal. Rick asks if she needs to think about this because of what his mother said to her in the courthouse. Taylor concedes that Brooke had a few points, but Rick tells her that his mom was wrong when she said that Taylor was just with him for revenge. Taylor admits that she enjoyed watching Brooke squirm, and Rick can't really blame her given her history with Brooke. But every time he looks at Taylor, he sees love in her eyes, not vengeance. He asks if she's saying that her declarations of love for him were all an act. Taylor assures him that she does love him, but he needs to understand that committing to her also means committing to Jack. Rick says he knows that, and he's ready to accept that responsibility. He know they'll face opposition, but he loves her and wants to make a life with her. "And with Jack and Thomas and Phoebe and Steffy," she adds. Rick agrees and asks her to please say yes, but Taylor says that she needs to talk to her family first, especially Phoebe. Rick sees her point and agrees to hold onto the ring until she's ready. The two of them kiss.

Katie tries to reassure Nick about Storm.

Back at the Marone mansion, Katie assures Nick that Jack will be just fine. Nick tells her that he's not worried about Jack, but he is worried about Ashley, who might be in danger with Storm on the loose. Katie assures him that Storm is getting help for his issues, but Nick thinks she's in denial about her brother. "How do you think Ashley would feel if she knew the man she was dating was guilty of attempted murder?" he asks. Katie tells him that her brother isn't a criminal, but Nick says that she just admitted that Storm shot someone. Katie points out that Stephanie let this go and asked the police to drop the charges, so there's no reason to dredge this up. Nick admires her loyalty to her brother, but Katie tells him that it's more than that. She retorts that her brother deserved a second chance after all the sacrifices he made for her and their sisters, and Stephanie gave that to him. She knows Nick is worried about Ashley, but she's sure Storm would never hurt anyone he cares about.

Ashley is startled to find Storm on her patio.

A bikini-clad Ashley is at home, remembering when Ridge warned her about Storm. She's startled by a noise from the patio and turns to see Storm standing in her patio doorway. Storm apologizes for startling her, but the patio door was open. Ashley asks why he's here, so he explains that he wanted to finish the conversation they had in the lab earlier. He wants Ashley to know that he doesn't give up on people he cares about, and he cares about her. He then notes that she's not wearing the earrings he gave her, or much of anything for that matter. Ashley nervously explains that she was unwinding in the hot tub and was about to head inside to take a shower. When Storm asks where Abby is, Ashley gets jittery and asks if they can talk about this another time. Storm senses her mood and asks what's wrong, so Ashley covers that she got freaked out when he snuck in and asks him to leave. Storm tells her that there's something he has to tell her first and proclaims that he's a flawed man who recently gave in to his rage against his dad and the Forresters. He then admits that he shot Stephanie and framed his father for the crime!