Thursday, March 06, 2008, Episode #5264

Rick wants to be there for Taylor.

At the Bel Air mansion, Taylor pulls away from a kiss with Rick, stating that she must have lost her mind to have kissed him. Rick offers to kiss her again to remind her of what they both just felt, but Taylor frets that she doesn't understand how she went from wanting to find comfort in a bottle of booze to actually being comforted by her enemy's son. She finds it bizarre that she's finding solace from the son of her hated longtime rival, but Rick doesn't find it odd at all, since his presence brought her to a better place than where she was when he arrived. After Taylor admits he's right, Rick decides that she needs to be taken care of and tells her to call him if she feels the urge to drink. To make sure she can reach him, he puts his cell number on her cell's speed dial - and when he notices that she doesn't have anyone else on speed dial, he quips that he's now "number one" for her. Just as he hands her back the phone, the front door opens and Phoebe walks in.

Phoebe is surprised to find Rick at her mom's house.

Surprised to see Rick, Phoebe asks why he's there. He explains that he came to check on her mom after the tough day she had. Phoebe admits she came back for the same reason and asks Taylor how it went when Nick picked Jack up. Taylor tells her daughter that it was one of the hardest things she ever had to do, but she's sure she can pull herself together with support from people like Phoebe and Rick. Phoebe thanks Rick for coming to her mom's defense when he didn't have to. He says it was his pleasure. Taylor reminds Phoebe that she has midterms to study for. Phoebe agrees to get back to studying trig (although I don't remember anyone in my college class taking trig) as long as Taylor will promise to call her if she needs anything. Taylor promises and sends her daughter on her way.

Taylor promises to call Rick if she needs him.

Once Phoebe is gone, Taylor tells Rick that the reminder she needed just walked out the door. Rick asks what she means. Even though he and Phoebe broke up some time ago, Taylor explains to Rick, she's sure her daughter would freak out if she knew about the kiss she and Rick just shared. Rick claims it was just a kiss, but Taylor tells him that she's not willing to place her relationship with Phoebe at risk over him. "I've already lost one child," she laments. "I don't want to lose another." Rick tells Taylor that he'd never hurt Phoebe and suggests that she might be overreacting just a bit, but Taylor disagrees. While she's grateful to him for all his help since she has her meltdown, his past with her daughter complicates things, which is why they can't let anything like their kiss happen again. Taking her hand, Rick assures Taylor that he's not trying to complicate things. He's just there as a friend to help her. He asks her again to promise to call if she feels the urge to drink, or even if she's just feeling vulnerable. "You call me and I'll come running," he vows. Taylor thanks him and promises to call if she needs him.

Nick tells Ridge to let Brooke speak for herself.

At the Marone mansion, Ridge asks Brooke if she's coming home with him. Nick orders Ridge not to push Brooke, but Ridge thinks Brooke already decided and asks her if they're going home. Nick tells Ridge that he's wrong, but Ridge thinks Nick was wrong to take Jack from Taylor and wrong to think that Brooke will be Jack's mother. Alleging that everything spun out of control over Nick's refusal to let Brooke go, Ridge reminds his half-brother that Brooke already committed to a future with him and R.J. Nick tells Ridge to shut up and let Brooke speak for herself. Ridge counters that Nick had the life he always wanted with Taylor and Jack, but it just wasn't enough. Brooke tries to hush Ridge, but Ridge accuses Nick of using Jack to lure Brooke back to him. Nick suggests that Ridge wouldn't be here demanding that Brooke leave if he wasn't worried. Ridge admonishes Nick for creating all this tension and predicts that neither Brooke nor Taylor will be with Nick, leaving Nick all alone. Ridge then tells Brooke that they should be going. Brooke follows Ridge to the door, but she pauses in the doorway for a moment. Nick tells her, "I guess I'll see ya, kid," but Ridge motions for Brooke to come with him and she follows him out the door.

Katie gives Bridget some advice.

Katie drops by Bridget's beach house and finds Bridget looking at her box of mementos of Nicole. Bridget holds the pink blanket she knitted for Nicole while she was pregnant. Seeing how sad Bridget looks, Katie reflects that she can't imagine how hard it must be to lose a child. Bridget explains that seeing Nick and Taylor today in court made her think of Nicole, so she came back here to look at Nicole's things. Thinking of Nick being alone with Jack in that big mansion makes Bridget think about everything she and Nick had and then lost when Nicole passed on. Katie suggests that what Bridget had with Nick might not be lost, since Nick needs help with Jack now. "Be there for him and his son," Katie advises, "and let him know he's not alone."

Bridget drops by to see Nick.

Soon after, Bridget shows up at the Marone mansion. Nick's dour mood brightens when he finds Bridget at his door. Bridget tells him that she thought he could use a friend. Kissing her on the forehead, Nick thanks her for coming and invites her in. Bridget offers to help with the baby, to lend a shoulder for him or Jack to lean on, or just to make him a plate of scrambled eggs. Nick thanks her for being such an angel, wondering what he'd do without her. Bridget admits that she wondered the same thing. Nick tells her that her mother was there until the dressmaker came by to drag her off. Bridget isn't surprised given Ridge's reaction earlier when she told him about Nick's getting custody of Jack. Nick makes some hot chocolate and takes advantage of the chance to chat with Bridget, who suggests he look at this as a whole new beginning. Nick laments that it's going to be hard for Jack to be raised by a single parent, but he wants to do what's best for his son. As Bridget drinks her hot chocolate, she notes how Nick has changed from the bearded, beer-swigging, cigar-smoking sailor she met years ago. Nick recalls that the guy Bridget met on that boat was happy. Bridget disagrees. She thinks that guy thought he was happy, but deep down, he wanted to have a son and raise a family. Nick finally has that, she remarks, and he just needs someone to share it with now.

Brooke asks Ridge to understand her feelings.

Brooke and Ridge return home to her house. Brooke sees that he's annoyed, but he thinks that's to be expected after he had to track her down at Nick's place. Brooke asks him to understand that this is about Jack and not Nick, since she needed to be there for Jack on this very important day in his life. Ridge notes that their lives have centered around her concern for Nick and Taylor's child for some time. Brooke wants to talk about it, but Ridge would rather talk about their future - that is, if they still have one. "Of course we do," Brooke answers, asking if he's had a change of heart that would make him think otherwise. Ridge states that he would never have a change of heart about her, but he can't help but question how she feels when she sends him mixed signals by getting involved in a life where she doesn't belong. She contends that she does belong, since she's Jack's biological mother, but Ridge reminds her that Taylor is Jack's mother. He admits that he drew a line in the sand when he found out about Jack to save and protect their family, but he feels like he doesn't have all of Brooke's attention, and he, Hope and R.J. need to have all of her if they're going to have the life they always dreamed of. He warns Brooke that she'll lose him if she keeps running when Nick calls and asks if that's what she really wants. "Is it really worth losing everything that we've ever dreamed about?" he asks.