Tuesday, July 08, 2008, Episode #5350

Rick and Taylor enjoy some time in the bedroom.

Rick and Taylor are in bed, basking in the afterglow and talking about how happy they are together. Taylor wishes everyone could be this happy. Rick can think of one person who claims to be: his sister Bridget. They agree that they were really surprised when Bridget called to announce her engagement to Nick again. Rick asks Taylor if she's OK with that. Taylor says she is, since she thinks Nick should be able to move on like she did. "Does it bother you that I can't get enough of you?" Rick asks. Taylor admits she might not be deserving of that kind of attention, but she enjoys it. Still, she sometimes thinks he'd be better off if his life was simpler, since she brings so much baggage to their relationship, and his mother isn't exactly thrilled by their being involved. Refusing to let his mom's preferences run his love life, Rick tells Taylor that what he shares with her can't be shared with anyone else. "Everything I've ever wanted in a woman is right here in front of me," he declares. He tells her that he loves her and they resume their lovemaking.

Bridget tells her parents and Donna about her engagement.

At the Forrester mansion, Brooke yells for Donna to come downstairs, since Bridget is there to share some big news. Once Donna comes down and joins Brooke and Eric, Bridget's ready for her big revelation: "Nick and I are getting married!" she announces, showing off her engagement ring. Eric and Brooke are thrilled for their daughter, but Donna seems a bit wary. Still, Donna puts a smile on her face while Bridget's proud parents congratulate the bride-to-be. Bridget admits that she was a bit surprised that Nick proposed last night, since the timing didn't seem right given Katie's recent health issues. She sees the look on Eric's face and guesses that he's a bit concerned given how her first marriage to Nick worked out, so she tells him that she and Nick have both grown and assures that it's going to work this time. Eric is thrilled to hear that and agrees. He thinks he speaks for everyone in the room when he says how happy they are, but Donna still looks a little concerned.

Brooke talks to Donna about Bridget's engagement.

Donna pulls Brooke to the terrace for a moment to talk about Bridget's announcement. Brooke quickly figures out that Donna is worried about how Katie will react to Nick's engagement. She concedes that Katie developed deep feelings for Nick when they thought Katie was dying, but she thinks Katie is strong enough to handle this. Donna hopes her big sister is right, since she doesn't think Nick or Katie can just forget the kind of bond they forged on Katie's deathbed. Brooke doesn't think that's a basis for a relationship, but Donna suggests that a life or death situation can be the best basis for a relationship. Brooke points out that Nick and Bridget are more suited for each other. Donna understands that Brooke has to support this as Bridget's mother, but she can't help but wonder what this will do to their sister. Donna thinks Katie deserves to be happy. And she will be, Brooke assures, just not with Nick, since he's committed to Bridget.

Jackie talks with Katie about wedding plans.

Jackie arrives at the Marone mansion and asks Katie if the wedding date is set. When Katie tells her that it's going to take place the day after tomorrow, Jackie praises her for all her wedding planning efforts, since she knows it can't be easy. Katie insists that she feels fine, but Jackie says that her physical well-being is only part of her concern. Katie seems surprised, since she thought Jackie would be thrilled that Nick is marrying someone as special as Bridget. Jackie says she adores Bridget, but that's not the point. It's the only point, Katie counters, insisting that the wedding day has be everything Nick and Bridget want it to be. Jackie asks her if she's really thought about that given how much effort she's putting into the wedding. Katie says that she doesn't have to think about it, since she already knows why she agreed to make all the wedding plans. She wants to pay Nick and Bridget back for everything they did for her by making their wedding day the most special day of their lives.

Eric talks with Bridget about her big news.

Back at the Forrester mansion, Eric takes Bridget aside to talk about getting her over to Forrester to be measured, since no daughter of his is getting married in anything less than a Forrester original. With the wedding only two days away, he needs her in his shop in an hour. He also tells her that he wants to throw a big pool party here at the house tomorrow to celebrate her engagement. Bridget thanks him for being such a great dad. Eric tells her that he loves her and is thrilled that she's getting married. Brooke rejoins them, so Eric tells her to make sure their daughter meets him at the shop within the hour and leaves to get ready. Brooke tells Bridget that they should start making wedding plans, so she's surprised when Bridget tells her that Katie is making all the plans. She knows that's usually Brooke's job, but Katie was so insistent that she couldn't say no. Brooke wonders if planning Nick's wedding will be hard for Katie given how she feels about him. Bridget agrees that Katie has feelings for Nick, but she credits Katie with helping to bring her and Nick together in the first place. "Aren't you the least bit jealous or insecure?" Brooke sighs. Bridget admits that she would have been in the past, but now she's confident enough in her relationship with Nick that she isn't. She knows Nick's feelings for Katie, as special as they are, are different from the way he loves her, since she and Nick share a lifetime commitment kind of love. Brooke is glad to hear that, since she just wants Bridget to be happy. "I think your dream has come true," Bridget tells her mom.

Donna tells Katie to fight for Nick.

Donna drops by the Marone mansion to see Katie, who is busy making wedding plans. Katie boasts that she intends to make sure everything's perfect by making all the preparations as a gift to the bride and groom. Donna asks if she's OK with that. Katie asks Donna if Bridget mentioned that she's going to be maid of honor. "You can't be the maid of honor," Donna protests, "because you're in love with Nick." Katie admits that she has feelings for Nick, leading Donna to ask her little sister where this wedding leaves her. Katie supposes she'll have to move out to give the newlyweds their privacy, but Donna says that's not what she's talking about. Katie proclaims that she is just so done with having this conversation. Yes, she has feelings for Nick, but she's accepted that what she shared with him is over now, and she can't understand why everyone else doesn't get that. Donna admires Katie's goodness, but she wants to share the same advice she gave when Katie woke up with Storm's heart inside her: "You have to fight for what you want in this world," she states, telling Katie not to play the martyr. She points out that Nick and Bridget's first marriage didn't work out, so who knows if things will work out now. Meanwhile, she sees that Katie wants Nick for herself, so she tells Katie, "I say you be the bride."

Katie tells Donna how it's going to be.

Katie tells Donna that sometimes, there are more important things in life than self-gratification, and she thinks the way she loves Nick and Bridget is one of those. On top of that, she has to think about Jack, since Bridget is great with the little guy. Donna tells Katie to stop thinking so much and consider her own feelings. She urges Katie to be a participant in her own life, not a spectator, and to think about what Nick means to her. Katie tells Donna that she and Nick have talked about this, and he's decided to chart a course for his life with Bridget. "Where are you gonna chart yours?" Donna asks. Katie isn't sure, but she knows she loves Nick enough to want to see him with someone who makes him happy. But is that person Bridget? Donna asks. Katie points out that she doesn't even know if Nick would choose her if she went after him. If he doesn't, she fears, then she'll have destroyed her wonderful friendship with Bridget for nothing, and she can't live with that kind of guilt. She really thinks that Nick and Bridget are soulmates, while what she and Nick shared was just one moment in time, so she's made up her mind. Donna thinks she's afraid of being hurt, but Katie says that she's afraid of hurting others, since that's not the kind of person she wants to be. This is the right decision for Bridget, for Nick and for her, she declares, so she doesn't want to talk about this anymore. "Don't bring this up to me ever again," she tells Donna.