Bill wakes Brooke from her overnight sleep on the couch. He waves a cup of hot coffee under her nose and says he could not let her drive home alone last night. Rick confides in Hope that he's in love with Caroline and last night she told him that she loved him also. She's delighted for him. He says he has Caroline now and it's only a matter of time before he is CEO since Thomas is a bonehead when it comes to business. Rick tells Hope not to give up. Look at him and Caroline; it can happen to her too. Taylor comes to see Bill and fills him in about Katie showing up again, but she does not know where she is. He calls his P.I. again. Bill tells Taylor that she can't tell him to be patient. Katie took off and came back and now is gone again. The longer she is gone, he's not sure how he is going to feel. Taylor warns him that if Bill tries too hard to find her before she wants to return home, she will hide even more and never confide in Taylor again. And while she is doling out advice, she tells him that he needs to be more careful and not be with Brooke alone so much. Brooke walks in with Will in her arms and hears this and questions why Taylor is saying this. Thomas realizes something has changed with Caroline and she admits that she and Rick are exclusive. He told her that he loved her. Thomas tries to worm his way out by saying that Forrester is his responsibility now; a huge one and he should not even be thinking about dating. He's trying to revamp with a new image and giving more attention to the boutiques and that has to be his top priority. The Caroline Collection will still be their calling card and that won't change because of her relationship with Rick. He has a vision for this company and she is still a large part of it. He runs into Rick later and says he heard Caroline made her decision and considering all that he has going on, it probably was for the best. He has a vision and things are changing and everyone needs to know that. Taylor Forrester's family is running the company now. He and Steffy are gonna take control and raise the company higher than it has ever been before. Brooke tells Taylor there is nothing wrong with her staying and helping Bill. He says Brooke has been a Godsend. Brooke says for Taylor to be saying that she is doing something inappropriate by helping Bill with Will is so wrong. She is just being supportive and will be there for her sister when she does return and resumes her life. Taylor is the one who is dragging all this garbage into the situation. Taylor warns her if she cares about this family, then stay away from it. Brooke asks how many times has she heard Taylor say that. This is not even about Katie. Brooke claims she did not steal Ridge away from Taylor nor is she trying to steal Bill away from Katie. Maybe she needs to examine her own self about how she thinks about and treats people. Taylor says she knows this is how it always starts. She's like an animal ready to pounce. Ridge left her so she is vulnerable. Katie left Bill so he is vulnerable too. They are bonding over Will. Brooke slaps her when Taylor goes into a litany how it was Brooke and Ridge, then Brooke and Eric, then Brooke and Thorne, then Brooke and Deacon, her son-in-law.
Bill: Morning. Brooke: Oh. Mmm. Oh. Bill: [Chuckles] Brooke: I fell asleep on the couch? Bill: You were exhausted. Stephanie's party. Here. This might help. Brooke: Thank you. [Sighs] Thank you for letting me stay here last night. Bill: I couldn't let you go home under the circumstances. [SCENE_BREAK] Hope: [Sighs] I still cannot believe that Ridge didn't show up. Rick: He left mom on their honeymoon. He turned our company over to a guy with zero business experience. Why would he do the right thing now? Hope: Because Stephanie is dying. Mom really thought he'd be at the party. Rick: She'll be okay. And so will you. Hope: [Chuckles] Thank goodness for you and Caroline, right? I mean, at least someone in our family is happy. Rick: That's how it's supposed to feel when you're in love. [Chuckles] Yes. I said it. Hope: Oh, my God! Does she know how you feel? Rick: I told her last night. Hope: And? Rick: And she told me she loves me, too. [Both chuckle] [SCENE_BREAK] Thomas: Caroline. You with me? Caroline: Sorry. Sorry. Thomas: You seem a little distracted today. The designs everything you expected? Because they're gonna set the tone for the entire collection. If you want to make any changes, you just need to let me know. Caroline: No. No, they're good. Thomas: Yeah? All right. That's all I need to hear. Ladies, thank you. The sewing room is expecting you. Model: Thank you. Thomas: I knew we'd make a great team. Caroline: Oh, no. Thomas. No, you can't do that anymore. [SCENE_BREAK] Hope: That's -- it's -- I'm so happy for you Rick: It's not the same as being happy for yourself. Hope: Uh, you know, you're gonna have to give me a little bit of time on that. [Sighs] You know, when my dad showed up to see me again, it was incredible, and I was so happy. And then...he disappeared again, and, you know, I guess it's all I could realistically expect. Not to mention Liam's gone and aunt Katie, and mom didn't come home last night. Rick: She didn't? Hope: No. No. She wanted to go check on Will after she left the party. Rick: You suppose that she crashed at Bill's house last night? Hope: There was no reason for her to come home. I'll bet she's, you know, grateful to have something to keep her mind off of things. Rick: I'm not exactly sure that "grateful" is the right word for it. Hope: Okay, well, no, it's -- it's not. What's happening with Katie right now is...it's terrible. But I'm glad that mom is there. Maybe if I had something to keep my mind off of everything, that'd be good. Rick: What? You do. Our collection. Hope: I do. Rick: Thomas put me on your line to keep me away from Caroline, but you and I, we're gonna make a power play. Not exactly ecstatic about how things are going on around here. Hope: Like not being C.E.O.? Rick: Time, little sister. Thomas isn't gonna be able to pull it off. He's a bonehead when it comes to business. [Chuckles] In the meantime, I've got Caroline. And you and I are gonna put Hope for the Future back on the map. Hope: [Sighs] [SCENE_BREAK] Thomas: Is this because I'm Forrester's C.E.O.? Caroline: Dating the boss is never a good idea. Even if I were available. Thomas: You and Rick aren't exclusive. Caroline: We weren't. Thomas: But now you are? Something's changed, hasn't it? [SCENE_BREAK] Bill: Tell me you heard from Katie. Taylor: She was at my house last night. Bill: Well, is she coming home? Taylor: Bill, I know you have a lot of questions, but I'm her therapist, and -- Bill: I don't want to hear that, Taylor. Where is she? Taylor: She won't tell me where she's staying. Bill: We know she's in L.A., and I'm gonna find her. [SCENE_BREAK] Hope: Hey, I'm gonna go, okay? Rick: Look, I got to go. Get those numbers and get back to me. Where you going? Hope: Back to work. We have a new line to crank out. And I'll keep your mind off things, remember? Rick: Remember what Stephanie said. No moping. No, but seriously, keep your chin up. Things are gonna get better. Look at Caroline and me. Hope: It is so great to see you happy. Rick: But for you boo, down with love, it's not your style. I know. I got it come with me to Bikini tonight no pressure. I just -- I just want to see my sister smile again. Hope: You don't have to feel responsible for my wounded heart. [SCENE_BREAK] Caroline: I don't want to hurt you, Thomas. Thomas: Something's changed with you and Rick. Caroline: Yeah. Thomas: What'd he do? Some big romantic gesture? Caroline: He told me he loved me. You're a great guy, Thomas, and you've got so much going for you. Thomas: No. No, truth is, I shouldn't even be thinking about dating right now. Running Forrester is a huge responsibility, and it requires my full attention. Here I am trying to revamp our image and the boutiques. It has to be my top priority. Caroline: And our line? Thomas: Caroline Collection will be Forrester's new calling card. Caroline: [Sighs] Thomas: What? You didn't think that just because you and Rick... Caroline, that's not the kind of -- Caroline: That's not the kind of guy you are. I know. Thomas: [Chuckles] Look, I made a commitment to this line and donating 5% of our profits to your charity. I didn't do that to make you date me. I told you I have a vision for the future of this company, and you are a big part of it. [SCENE_BREAK] Bill: Right. The P.I. we used. Taylor: Bill, stop. Bill: Set it up, Justin, and call me back. Taylor: [Sighs] If you chase her, she is going to run. And if you make her think that I'm helping you, she is never going to open up to me again! Bill: Look, don't tell me to be patient, Taylor, all right? Taylor: All of Katie's behavior is consistent with postpartum depression, and I know that she just needs a little empathy -- Bill: You can put all the fancy labels on it that you want, but the fact is that she's not here. Things got tough, and she took off. Taylor: And she will come back again. Bill: When? From where? Look, I get that she's scared. I mean, the idea of raising Will by myself... I don't like it, either. But I'm here. And Katie needs to be here. If there are problems, we'll work on them. But, Taylor, the longer she stays away... Taylor: What? Bill: I love my wife. I want to believe that if she walked through that door, I would forgive her and everything would be fine. But I know myself. And the longer she's gone... [Sighs] Taylor: Bill, don't let your frustrations cloud what you know to be true about Katie. Don't let yourself get bitter. Don't...don't get careless. You know, this isn't just a tough time for your baby. It's also a very critical time for you and Katie. Bill: Don't tell me that. Tell her. Taylor: [Sighs] I-I can't talk to you about any of this because she's my patient. [Sighs] All right, you know, I-I'm just gonna be honest about this. I'm just gonna tell you exactly what I think. Um... I-I-I'm worried about the amount of time you're spending with Brooke. Bill: Brooke is helping me with Will. She's his aunt. Taylor: Yeah, I-I have no doubt that she... I'm sure she's worried about her sister and the baby. But you two are not in a very stable place right now. You know, you're on shaky ground. You're -you're feeling confused. And -- and you're very alone. And you know Brooke's history. I-I don't think it's wise or you to be spending time alone with Brooke. [Chuckles] You have got to be careful, really. Brooke: Taylor. What on earth are you saying to Bill? [Baby cries] Taylor: I didn't know you were here. Brooke: Will needed a diaper change. He's going back to sleep. Taylor: I didn't see your car out front. Bill: I drove Brooke to the party last night. Taylor: And you brought her back here? Brooke: Bill was very kind to let me sleep on the couch. Bill: I didn't think she should be alone. Taylor: Yes, it was a very emotional evening for everyone. We were all, you know, sad about what's happening with Stephanie. Brooke: So you could understand why I wouldn't want to go home to an empty house. Taylor: Well, no, I just find it odd that you would want to come back here of all places. Brooke: I was drained. I fell asleep. Taylor: Does that happen often? I mean, has that happened before? Brooke: "Has that happened before?" If you're trying to insinuate something, Taylor -- Bill: She's not. Taylor: Uh, Katie came by my house last night, and she was desperate to find out if Ridge had come to the party. Brooke: Because she knows how much I miss him. Taylor: No, no, she wasn't worried about you and Ridge at all, no. She made that very clear. Actually, she has a different agenda. Bill: What the hell are you talking about, Taylor? Taylor: She doesn't feel like she can be a mother. And you know that. Brooke: Yes, I do. But it's wrong. Taylor: Yes, but Katie believes it's right because she isn't going to live that long. And then she thinks someone will need to take her place when she's gone. Brooke: And I will be here for Will until she gets back. Bill: Brooke has been a Godsend helping me take care of Will. Brooke: I-I could take him till you finish your run. Bill: No. No. Come here. Come here. Come here, buddy. I'll wait till he's asleep I got you. Brooke: Here. If you need that. Bill: Taylor. If you see Katie, when you see Katie... tell her to come home. Come on, buddy. Taylor: [Sighs] Brooke: You do that. And don't you dare tell her to race home to save her husband from me. [SCENE_BREAK] Rick: You got to let him go, Hope. Hope: [Sighs] Rick: Liam is the past. Hope: Maybe that's not possible. Rick: don't. Don't. Don't say that. Hope: What if it's true? What if I just never get over him? Rick: Well, that's why you need to get out there. You need to meet some people. Guys would be a good start. Hope: I don't know. I just -- I think I would just be going through the motions. Rick: Yeah, at first, but then it would be fun. And you'd say to yourself, "man, I'm glad I listened to Rick. That guy's a genius." Hope: [Laughs] Well, you did tell me the truth about Liam. You told me that Steffy would be a problem for us, and she was, and I thought that we could get past it. I-I did, and... I still think that we could have if he hadn't gone to that club with her the night before the wedding and made out with her. (Flashback) Othello: We lied and told her Liam cheated with Steffy. You don't feel bad about that? (Present time) Hope: We were so close to getting married. And then we didn't, and... I don't understand it, and it doesn't make sense, and I'm really confused. Rick: I'm sorry. Caroline: Hey. Oh, I can come back. Hope: I. No, no. I-I'm -- we're -- were done. I-I've had enough sympathy or one day. Okay. Oh, and, um, congratulations Caroline: I didn't know you were one to kiss and tell. Rick: If I want Hope taking my advice, I got to prove I know what I'm talking about. Caroline: You still haven't told her? Rick: I don't want her beating a path back to the guy that's just gonna hurt her again. I know, I know. I'm sorry. He's your cousin. Caroline: You know what? I don't want to talk about Hope and Liam. Rick: Oh? Caroline: Mm-hmm. I talked to Thomas about us. Rick: And how did he take it? Caroline: Hmm.. he's very understanding. He's, uh, a gentleman. Rick: He didn't have a choice, did he? Caroline: [Chuckles] Rick: Not when a woman like you makes up her mind. Caroline: Mnh-mnh. [SCENE_BREAK] Brooke: There is nothing wrong with me being here. Taylor: I didn't say there was. Brooke: You told Bill to be careful around me. Taylor: I will give you the same advice. Brooke: He can't do this alone, Taylor. Taylor: And he should be doing this with you? Brooke: Bill and I understand the situation. We've been dealing with it every single day. Taylor: Listen to you. Listen -- listen to how you were talking to him. You were taking to him like you're a couple. Brooke: I am going to support him until Katie comes back. And she will come back. You are supposed to be helping my sister. Instead you're dragging this garbage into it. Katie is gone. Her family is in a crisis. And for you to be saying that I am doing something inappropriate with her husband? Taylor: If you care about this family, then stay away from Bill. Brooke: Stay away? Leave him alone? How many times have I heard you say that? This isn't even about Katie. I didn't steal Ridge from you, Taylor. And I'm not about to steal my sister's husband. You claim you know so much about people. I think you need to examine yourself. [SCENE_BREAK] Thomas: So, where are we on Hope's latest designs Rick: They're being cut. Then again, you'd know that. One click and you can track any design in our system. Thomas: Told you the new tech would be worth it. Rick: What is it that you really want, Thomas? Thomas: I want to make sure we're on the same page. Rick: Didn't Caroline make herself clear enough? Thomas: Caroline made her decision. Based on everything I have going on, it's probably for the best. Look, I have a company to run. I need to focus on our future. You have a lot more time to give to a relationship. Rick: I've got big, big plans for Hope's line. Thomas: Just make sure you run them by me fist. I'm serious about moving this company forward, Rick, I've had the vision, and now I have the authority to do it. Rick: And you won't let anyone forget it. Thomas: Right. I want to redefine our brand, make Forrester vital and exciting. People need to know that things are changing around here. Taylor Forrester's family's calling the shots now. Rick: A whole new breed of Forresters. Thomas: That's right. Steffy and I are gonna take control, raise this company higher than it's ever been. Rick: [Sighs] [SCENE_BREAK] Taylor: You can see why I have a reason to be a little bit concerned. Brooke: Because I spent the night on my sister's couch? Taylor: You and Bill are going through a lot right now, okay? There's a lot of frustration. Both feeling very alone. Ridge left you. You feel vulnerable. Bill doesn't have Katie. He's feeling vulnerable. The two of you are... [Sighs] You're taking care of Will with him, and -- and you're creating a bond. Brooke: And what is wrong with that? Taylor: 'Cause Katie is coming back. She hasn't abandoned her family. She just -- she's not feeling very well right now, and you need to give her some love and understanding. Brooke: And I will. That's great. All she needs to do reach out to me. Taylor: Oh, my God. You don't see it. You -- you have no idea. You don't see what could happen here. Brooke: Nothing is going to happen. Taylor: Bill took you to Aspen. Brooke: To look for Katie. Taylor: And he escorted you to Stephanie's party. Brooke: Where I was hoping to see Ridge. Taylor: See? You always have the right -- perfect answers. Exactly, you know exactly what to say every time. I even think you believe the things you say. But I know this. I know exactly what's happening. I know the feeling. I've lived it. I know. I know exactly what's happening. This is how it starts. Just don't do it. Don't do it, Brooke. Don't do to your sister what you did to me. Brooke: Stop it. You are so out of line. Taylor: I can see it. You're like an animal. It's like you're ready to pounce or something. It's like an instinct. Brooke: You are wrong, Taylor. Taylor: No, if I'm wrong, then stop. Stay out of her. Leave Bill alone. Brooke: Katie is my sister! Taylor: And Thorne was Ridge's brother and Eric was his father and Deacon was your son-in-law! Brooke: How dare you?