Monday, February 02, 2009, Episode #5492

Brooke asks Ridge to tell her what's wrong.
Ridge and Brooke are in his office, busily fitting designs for the new line. As they wait for the last model of the day, Brooke notes how exhausted Ridge is. Ridge points out that he's been working round the clock to get the new line created in record time. When the final model arrives, Ridge stops dead in his tracks and says that he can't work on that dress. He quickly dismisses the model. After ushering the model out, Brooke asks Ridge what's wrong. He explains that he designed that dress for Phoebe and pulled it after she died. He guesses someone accidentally slipped it back into production with all the recent chaos around here. He grows even sadder as he recalls that the gown was meant to be the "signature dress" in a clothing line intended to complement the Phoebe fragrance. He remembers how excited Phoebe was by all the plans - plans that now will never happen, he laments as Brooke tries to console him.

Rick opens up to Steffy.
At the beach house, Stephanie secretly watches from the bedroom as Rick and Steffy kiss. The pair stop kissing when Steffy gets a call on her cell phone from Brooke. Brooke tells Steffy that Ridge is having a difficult time because he's missing Phoebe and asks Steffy to come over. Steffy says she'll be right there. Steffy then tells Rick that she has to go see her dad. Rick thinks they still have things to talk about, particularly about what he did for Jackie M. He hopes she understands that he only did what he did in the hopes of them getting a fresh start and someday building a family. Stealing the designs as a desperate act of love, he admits, but he was just so messed up. Steffy agrees that his intentions were based in love, even if what he did was wrong. They start kissing again, but Rick reminds her that she has to get going. Steffy says that it's so hard to leave him. Rick is glad to hear her say that, since he doesn't know what he'd do if things were over between them. Steffy points out that she wanted to end things at first, because she thought he was out of his mind. But he was so passionate when he confessed his motives and she just couldn't turn her back on him. Still, she knows no one will accept them, especially not her dad. Rick thinks his mother might accept them and wonders if Brooke could work her magic on Ridge to get him to come around, but Steffy isn't sure it would work. Rick supposes she might be right and agrees that it's best to keep their relationship a secret for now. Rick asks Steffy if she can handle this, because he'll move on if she can't. Steffy won't let him move on, because he has all of her. They declare their love for each other and say their goodbyes, and Steffy leaves to see her father.

Stephanie tells Rick to stay away from Steffy.
Once Steffy leaves, Rick collapses on the couch in relief, only to be startled when Stephanie comes out of hiding and reveals herself. "It isn't enough that you killed her sister? Now you're after her?" Stephanie asks, wondering what Ridge will do when he finds out. Rick asks how she got in, but rather than reply, Stephanie accuses him of stealing and pretending that it was an act of love. Rick tells her to leave, but Stephanie won't let him use Steffy the way he did her sister. Rick says that he's not using anyone and insists that he and Steffy connected over their mutual grief over Phoebe. "We were suffering," he asserts, but Stephanie thinks Steffy was suffering while he took advantage, just like he did with Phoebe, to get back at the girls' father! Rick asks why he would keep it a secret from Ridge if her theory was true. Stephanie guesses that he wants to make sure he has Steffy locked in before he marches over to Ridge and throws it in Ridge's face. Rick denies the charge, but Stephanie reminds him that he already used Steffy once before, and his doing so led to Phoebe's death. Rick points out that Steffy forgave him and insists that he loves Steffy, but Stephanie thinks that he's so consumed with hate that he's incapable of love. Rick tries to convince Stephanie that he would never hurt Steffy, but she's not buying anything he says. Seeing his pleas falling on deaf ears, Rick asks Stephanie what she plans to do. Stephanie tells him to just leave Steffy alone, because she won't let him take another daughter away from Ridge. "There is nothing that I won't do to protect her and keep you from hurting her and her father," she vows.

Ridge confides in Brooke about his pain.
Ridge returns to his office and tells Brooke that he had the sewers put Phoebe's dress on hold. Brooke assures him that Phoebe would have been so proud of the dress, but Ridge laments that just seeing the dress brought all the pain and suffering flooding back. Brooke tries to console him as he recalls how Phoebe died in his arms the night of the rehearsal dinner. He wants to believe Phoebe is in a better place now, but losing her left a dark, cold place inside him and he doesn't know if that will ever go away.

Steffy tries to reassure her dad.
Steffy comes by, and Ridge is thrilled to see her. He turns to Brooke and thanks her for calling Steffy, since seeing his daughter was just what he needed. Steffy jokes about Brooke's "magical powers," and Ridge agrees that his wife always seems to get what she wants out of him. Brooke hopes Steffy finds a man as generous as her father some day. Steffy asks Ridge to tell her about his day, so he tells her about the stress of creating a whole new line. He then recounts how the model came in wearing the dress he designed for Phoebe. Steffy knows how he must have felt, since she's reminded of Phoebe all the times that things that pop up out of the blue. Ridge doesn't want her day to be ruined by his dour mood, but Steffy insists that she's fine and has things to distract her. Ridge warns her not to get distracted while she's driving; he knows she's a good driver, but he can't help but worry after what happened to her sister. Brooke leaves so Ridge and Steffy can talk alone. Ridge apologizes for the way he's acting, but he just can't lose another daughter and feels a need to protect her. Steffy tells him that he couldn't have protected Phoebe from what happened, but Ridge thinks he could have kept her away from Rick. Steffy reminds him how stubborn her sister was and argues that Phoebe chose to get in Rick's car, but Ridge believes that Phoebe was so furious over what Rick did that she lost control. Rick might not have forced Phoebe into that car, but he drove her to feel that she had to do it, and that makes Rick responsible in his book. "I don't want him anywhere near you, ever!" Ridge seethes!