Brooke gives Bill her wedding ring
At Brooke's house, Bill knew Brooke was disappointed with him, but he asked her not to leave him. If she needed more time, he was willing to give it, but he didn't want her to take off her ring. He reasoned that he'd been wrong to order the fire, but doing so hadn't changed their commitment and devotion to each other. Bill hadn't broken his vows, and he wouldn't let Brooke break hers. Brooke twisted her rings.
Brooke recalled that Bill had said she'd changed him, and he'd become a better man due to her. She didn't think she'd taught him anything, and he'd take what he wanted, regardless of the consequences. Bill denied it and said he wouldn't hurt people. She asked if he would have gone ahead with the fire if the building had been occupied. Bill didn't know how she could ask it, but she said he was the same man who'd had Ridge dumped into the sea.
Brooke roared that Bill hadn't changed at all. Bill claimed to be a passionate man and said he'd gotten swept up in his desire to win. He understood that he'd gone too far, and it had been ludicrous to do it over a skyscraper. Brooke responded that he could have killed people, and he could still go to jail. The part of him that had to win at any cost terrified her.
Outraged that he'd set fire to a building just because it had been in the way, Brooke said people had needed to work and make a living in the building. She yelled that Bill hadn't thought of any of it. He'd only wanted a building. Bill thought they should be talking about their marriage. Brooke asked if he didn't think the building was related.
Brooke didn't want the kind of behavior Bill had exhibited in her life or her son's life. She added that Liam had turned to blackmail because of Bill. She loved Bill, but she needed to think of the life she wanted to live. Brooke took off her rings. Bill refused to take them. He said he'd sworn he wouldn't let her down, and he wouldn't again. He said that he loved her.
"Goodbye, Bill," Brooke replied. Placing her rings in his hands, she said their memories would always be special to her. Bill walked out, and she sobbed.
At Forrester, Ridge flashed back on times with Brooke. Eric entered the CEO's office and said he wanted to talk. Something had been on Eric's mind, and he couldn't shake it. Eric explained that when Ridge had visited the hotel, Eric had been upset, and Eric had found it patronizing when Ridge had told Eric to go home to his wife. In anger, Eric had said Ridge wasn't his son.
Eric stated that he'd been lashing out, and it wasn't true. Eric believed that Ridge was his son, and there was nothing Eric could do to change it. Ridge conveyed that Eric had been right about what he'd said about Ridge. Disagreeing, Eric stated that he didn't want to rehash it. Eric was sorry and wanted to get beyond it to reunite the family. Ridge wanted it, too, and Eric asked if that meant they were okay. Ridge replied that they were.
The topic changed to Brooke leaving Bill. Eric asked why. Ridge didn't know, but he was excited for the possibilities. R.J. arrived, and Ridge said he and Eric were talking about Brooke. Though Brooke hadn't said it, R.J. believed it was over with Brooke and Bill. R.J. believed his mother loved his father and always would.
Ridge told R.J. that they'd let Brooke make up her own mind about things. R.J. asked if Ridge would be there for her, and Eric said they all would. Eric explained that Brooke had a special place in the family, and she'd taught them a lot about forgiveness. R.J. just hoped Brooke wasn't feeling that way about Bill. Ridge believed Brooke had her limits. R.J. said Brooke had gotten a wake-up call and would return to the Forresters, where she belonged.
Back at Brooke's house, the somber Brooke flashed back on times with Bill. R.J. and Ridge arrived, and R.J. asked what had happened. Brooke sobbed. R.J. stated that his mother had done the right thing, and he wasn't the only one who believed it.
Ridge said he knew it was hard, and he was sorry. He wanted Brooke to know that he and R.J. were there for whatever was next. Ridge stated that he loved her and always would. Brooke cried in Ridge's arms.
At Katie's house, Wyatt and Katie kissed on the sofa and discussed Liam's gift to Sally. Wyatt didn't understand why Bill wasn't doing anything about it. Katie was floored by the news, but she said Bill was probably too preoccupied with Brooke leaving him. Katie relayed that Brooke had called to talk about it earlier but had refused to divulge what was going on.
Wyatt asked if it had anything to do with Liam. Katie didn't know, but it all had to be linked. She didn't know how it had happened, but something was going on. Katie and Wyatt were shocked that Brooke would leave Bill and that Bill would leave his life's work.
Wyatt and Katie acknowledged that they'd been too preoccupied with their relationship to have paid attention to what had been brewing in their families. Katie remarked that she'd had casual chats with Brooke at work. Wyatt wondered if Ridge had been a topic of conversation. Katie said Ridge hadn't, but Katie could see Brooke going back to Ridge if the marriage was over.
Katie claimed that regardless of what had happened in the past, Brooke loved her sister and only wanted Brooke to be happy. Katie knew what Bill was capable of, and she was certain he'd hurt Brooke. Wyatt asked if it was the way Bill had hurt Katie. Katie said Brooke had taken care of her when their father had left, and it was Katie's job to take care of Brooke.
Wyatt said Bill wouldn't lose Brooke, who was too important to him. Katie replied that it didn't mean Bill wouldn't hurt Brooke. Katie remarked about Ridge being the same way, and Wyatt asked if she really thought Ridge was waiting in the wings.
Katie explained that Ridge had been a constant in Brooke's life, and the two had a lot of history. Wyatt replied that "we all" have someone like that. Katie disagreed. She said there was a pull between Brooke and Ridge, and if it was over with Bill, Brooke would find her way back to Ridge and R.J.
Later, Katie and Wyatt kissed on the bed, and he asked why relationships had to be complicated. He was glad theirs wasn't, but Katie said it was because no one knew about them. He wanted to lock the door because he knew she didn't like surprises. Pulling him back to her, she replied that he'd been the biggest surprise of her life.
Wyatt remarked that Katie had tried to control it, even when they'd still been trying to figure out what was happening between them. Katie said it made her feel safe to control it, and she hadn't known if she had a place for it in her life. "Or a label to put on it," Wyatt joked. She assumed he was saying that she wasn't spontaneous. Before he could dare her to be spontaneous, she kissed him.
At Forrester, Ivy, Steffy, and Ridge met to discuss the new jewelry collection, and Ivy said she had some great pieces in pink gold. Ridge thanked her for stepping up in Quinn's absence. Ivy left, and Ridge and Steffy discussed that Brooke had left Bill.
Ridge was glad that Brooke had walked out on Bill, but Steffy kind of rolled her eyes. She believed Brooke would be back, but Ridge said that Brooke had removed her rings and told Bill they were done. Steffy noted that it could be temporary.
Ridge wondered why Steffy was so sympathetic to Bill. Steffy said she was trying to hold her family together. Ridge felt Bill had done something pretty bad to lose Brooke. Steffy refused to discuss it with him. She left.
At Spencer, an employee thanked Liam for his new benefit plan and said it had made the difference between night and day for her family. Liam was happy to hear it. Bill listened outside the door and entered when the employee left.
Bill surprised Liam and closed the door. Liam asked his father what he could do for him. "Get your ass out of my chair. This ends today, son. I've had enough," Bill said.
Bill reminded Liam of who owned the company. "My office. My company. I will not be blackmailed," Bill said. He wanted Liam out of his office, effective immediately. Bill added that "playtime is over." Liam laughed and said that they were not playing chicken. Liam argued that Bill shouldn't consider it blackmail but rather karma -- something that had never really caught up to him in the past.
Bill changed his tune and said he would not be held hostage. Liam said he wished he had a father who wouldn't destroy people's lives. Bill countered that he wondered how long Liam believed that Bill would put up with his abuse. "I've apologized over and over again," Bill said.
Bill added that he had learned his lesson, and he knew he had to change. He wanted to move forward. "This is my company. It was my firstborn child," Bill said. He felt he had nurtured and protected it and turned it into the powerhouse it had become. He would not allow Liam to run it into the ground.
Liam nodded. He reminded Bill that he could call the police. "Really, son?" Bill asked. He doubted that his son would turn in his own father. "How dare you?" Bill said. Liam answered that he had always respected his father, though he had rarely agreed with him. Liam felt they'd had enough space between them at work that they could remain in the business together. "But then you crossed the line," Liam said. "Liam Spencer -- judge, jury, and executioner," Bill said.
Liam countered that he had done wonderful things in Bill's absence. He had improved benefits, provided parental leave, and made the company better. Bill lectured Liam and suggested that Liam should light money on fire. Liam stopped him. "I'm not the arsonist," Liam said. Bill was suddenly silent.
Bill and Liam argued more, and Bill refused to lose his company. Liam reminded him that he had risked lives. Liam added that he had given Sally the property where Bill had wanted to build Spencer Tower. "Don't you think I know that?" Bill asked.
Bill berated Liam for making bad business decisions and being in over his head. He informed Liam that Spencer Tower would have made a lot of money. Liam told his father that he had given the property to Sally as restitution for what Bill had done. He added that Sally would pay him back.
Bill laughed and angrily shouted at Liam that he was going to take control immediately. He picked up the phone and stuck it into Liam's face. "Do it. Call the police. I dare you," Bill said. Liam tensed and looked determined.
Liam warned Bill not to push him. Steffy entered and broke up the argument. She said that Liam would not turn his father in. "Right, Liam?" she asked. Liam looked angry, but he received a text message from Sally, who asked him to meet her. Liam said he had to leave. Liam glared at Bill and advised his father that if Bill ever threatened him again, he would have security remove Bill. Liam walked out of the office. Bill angrily tried to go after him, but Steffy held him back. Bill slammed the door.
Bill lamented that he had screwed up. "This is what I deserve," he said. Steffy disagreed. She said he had been wrong on many levels. He worried because Brooke had walked out on him. Steffy comforted him and rubbed his shoulders and neck. She promised that he was not alone, and she hugged him.
At Brooke's house, Maya and Rick told Brooke they were glad she was home. They wanted to know what Bill had done, but Brooke didn't want to discuss it. Katie showed up, and Maya and Rick left. Katie wondered what had happened. She noticed that Brooke was no longer wearing her rings. Katie hugged her. "What did he do?" Katie asked. Brooke looked away several times, and Katie continued to ask the question.
Brooke talked about how she had loved Bill and seen the best in him. Brooke didn't want to tell Katie what had happened, but Katie pressed for information because she and Bill shared a son that she wanted to protect. "Brooke, I have a stake in this. I have a right to know," Katie said. Brooke flashed back to her encounter with Bill when he had admitted he had committed arson. She started to cry.
Brooke looked at Katie. Brooke babbled that it had been a tragedy that had happened at Spectra. Katie wondered what that had to do with anything. "Oh, my God," Katie shouted. She realized that Bill had been responsible for the Spectra fire.
Brooke and Katie discussed that people could have been killed and that Sally had been hospitalized. Brooke admitted that Bill's actions scared her -- terrified her because of the things he would do in order to get what he wanted. Katie and Brooke tearfully hugged. Katie said that Bill had "a way of making you believe in him, even when you shouldn't."
At Spencer, Steffy and Bill embraced and he thanked her for listening to him complain about Liam. Steffy sympathized. She told him he was not alone, and she hugged him. Bill lamented that he had lot lost "so much" -- including his son and his wife.
Steffy was convinced Brooke would return. "She's upset," Steffy said, but she urged Bill not to give up on Brooke. Bill said he would do anything to get his family back. Steffy promised to help.
Bill admitted he had been wrong, but his son had betrayed him. Bill worried that Liam had been using his money for frivolous things, but Steffy argued that Liam had done a lot of good at Spencer already.
Bill backed down on insulting Liam's decision to increase employee benefits, but he explained to Steffy that Liam's decision to give away the Spectra property would cost tens of millions in the long run. Steffy understood, but she told Bill he had to find some common ground to negotiate with Liam. Bill agreed, and Steffy urged him to find a way to meet in the middle. Bill understood, and Steffy promised she would not give up on reuniting the family. Bill said that Steffy was an incredible woman, and Liam was very lucky to have her. "That's what family is for," Steffy said.
Bill told Steffy she wasn't half bad to look at, and they had a good laugh. Steffy said she knew that Bill and Liam disagreed on many principles, but they loved each other. They could find a way to reunite because of their father/son bond.Bill hoped he and Liam could move forward. He joked that he had to get out of his office "before the boss gets back." Steffy and Bill smiled, and Bill left.
At Spectra, Sally welcomed Liam and showed off all the improvements. She had gotten her office back in shape and promised Liam that the rest of the building would follow. Liam was amazed at what she had accomplished. Sally attributed all of the success to Liam.
Sally thanked him and said it was the first time she had hope. She promised to get everything up to code. She worried about getting an architect and builder, electrician, plumber ... Liam interrupted and said he could help. He explained that Bill had placed a lot of contractors on retainer because he had planned to use them to build his tower. Liam felt he could help her get up and running again. Sally hugged Liam and thanked him again.
At Katie's, she and Wyatt discussed that Katie had been at Brooke's. Wyatt inquired why Brooke had left Bill, and Katie was evasive. She felt it wasn't her place to explain what had had happened. "Did he cheat on her?" Wyatt asked. He added that it had to be something really bad because they hadn't been married that long. "Did Brooke tell you anything?" Wyatt asked.
Katie replied that she couldn't tell Wyatt some things, but Wyatt argued that he felt they were closer than that. They argued, and Katie shook and started to cry. Wyatt mentioned the word "fire," and Katie lost it. Wyatt figured out that his father had had something to do with the fire at Spectra. Katie admitted it. Wyatt understood that his father would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, but he also complained about Liam taking control. Katie cried, and Wyatt hugged her. She told him there would be things he shouldn't ask about his father because he really wouldn't want to know.
Later, Wyatt visited his father, and Wyatt shouted, "How could you do that?" in reference to the fire at Spectra. Bill lost it and screamed that he had made terrible mistakes and wanted to take it all back. He had lost his family, his wife, and his company. He wanted to go back and start over. Wyatt wondered why Liam was in charge, and Bill explained that Liam was blackmailing him. Liam had recorded Bill's confession.
Wyatt was surprised, but both Wyatt and Bill started a rant against Liam, and Bill called Liam a snitch. Bill wanted to change, but he threatened that Liam would have to pay for what he had done. Wyatt advised his father not to make hasty decisions -- and not to do something he would regret. Wyatt advised his father to calmly call Liam and apologize. Wyatt wanted Bill to find a way to work with Liam.
At Spencer, Steffy had a similar conversation with Liam. Bill called, and he and Liam had a conversation on speakerphone with Steffy and Wyatt listening. Bill apologized to Liam, but he demanded that Liam work with him side by side to renew Spencer.
Bill insisted that Liam had to stop the blackmail. Bill started to order Liam to erase the recording immediately, and Liam grew impatient. Liam played Bill's recorded confession over the phone, and Steffy and Wyatt listened. Bill was shaken. Steffy agreed with Bill and asked Liam to erase it. Liam didn't look like he planned to back down.
On speakerphone at home, Bill told Liam that it shouldn't be father against son. Liam thought he deserved credit for keeping Bill out of prison. "By threatening to put me in it?" Bill contended. Bill felt that they could have a meaningful conversation if Liam erased the recording. Liam said doing so would erase Bill's motivation. Bill disagreed, saying they made a good team.
Liam stated that Bill hadn't thought that way before. Steffy, who was in the office with Liam, said Liam wasn't being fair because Bill had made Liam president. "Yeah, before you went and made yourself CEO!" Wyatt, who was listening on speakerphone at Bill's house, yelled. Liam asked what kind of crowd Bill had, and Bill said only Wyatt, whom Bill had filled in on everything.
Liam asked if Watt thought arson was good business. Wyatt replied that it wasn't, but Liam wasn't making it better with blackmail. In Wyatt's view, Liam needed to erase the recording so they could stop trying to outsmart each other and so they could act like they were a connected family.
Wyatt asked if Liam had ever made a mistake, but Liam replied that Bill had made a calculated move to destroy a business to get a property at a fire sale price. Bill interjected that the building had never been worth what Liam had paid for it. Liam quipped that Bill had written a contract for that price a few months back.
Bill felt that it was enough and asked Liam to erase the recording so they could put the family back together. Liam said he couldn't do it because it would give Bill a license to keep doing what he'd been doing. Steffy shook her head, and Bill hung up the call on Liam.
After the call, Wyatt offered to talk to Liam. Bill huffed that they had Liam's answer. Bill thought he could make peace with it if he still had Brooke.
At Spencer, Steffy told Liam that they might have lost the phone connection, but Liam said Bill was angry. She asked if Liam needed reminding that when the Forresters had turned their backs on Eric and his wedding, it had almost ended the Forresters. Liam replied that it hadn't happened because they had a benevolent patriarch, but a criminal egomaniac ran Liam's family.
Liam claimed to have a lot of work to do, and Steffy gestured to leave. Taking her hand, he stopped her and said he had an obligation to her and their future children to insulate them from whatever damage "that man" could do, and Liam took the obligation seriously.
Later, Liam was alone, playing his recording. He listened to the part in which Bill had said he'd trusted Liam enough to tell Liam the truth because Liam had needed to know it. On the tape, Bill asked if he'd made a mistake. Liam turned it off and noticed Wyatt in the doorway.
Wyatt closed the door and asked if Bill had been mistaken to trust Liam, love Liam, and give Liam everything. Liam said that shaming him wouldn't work. Wyatt supposed it wouldn't work because Liam was morally superior to everyone. Feeling that his family loved to harp on "that," Liam cited that they'd called him "Liam the cat rescue lover, Liam the tofu boy, Liam the tree-hugging planet saver." Liam asked what drove Wyatt and guessed that it might be greed, vanity, or the desire to win at all costs. Wyatt wondered if those things drove Liam at that moment.
Liam asked if Wyatt didn't get that someone could have died. Wyatt agreed with Liam morally and ethically. Wyatt believed that Bill agreed, too, but Wyatt said that life wasn't a game show that gave one all the prizes for being right. Wyatt asked if Liam had forgotten who he was and where he'd come from. Liam bit out that he hadn't, and it would take longer to do that.
Wyatt asked if Liam still wanted to be brothers, and Liam asked how Wyatt could think such a thing. Wyatt replied that Liam had forgotten where he'd come from and who he was, and Liam wanted their father out of his life. Wyatt added that Liam had left Wyatt out of the plans and shut Wyatt out. Liam said it was because Wyatt would side with him.
Claiming that he didn't side with Bill, Wyatt said the real point was that, whether they fell down or burned down, buildings were disposable; people weren't. Liam stated that he'd never said Wyatt was disposable. "You think I'm talking about me? No -- Dad. If you take Dad out of the equation, what connects us?" Wyatt asked.
"Affection!" Liam dubiously stated. He added respect, and Wyatt quipped that they weren't a bowling team. Wyatt informed Liam that blood connected them, and Liam knew whose blood ran through their veins. Liam asked where Bill had been their entire lives.
Wyatt felt that Liam had to be kidding and asked if Liam could see how Bill had tried to make up for it in the only way he knew how. Wyatt cited that Liam had his own high-rise office with a view halfway to Japan. Liam lived in a Malibu beach house with the woman of his dreams -- not to mention that Liam had an electric car that was "so expensive but good for the environment."
Wyatt asked where Liam thought he'd gotten the things from. "And you tell me you feel deprived," Wyatt quipped. Agreeing that they had plenty of money, Liam asked from whence it had come. Liam said it had derived from peddling newspapers full of lies, putting others out of business, rolling back employee benefits, and hiring lowlifes to start fires.
Liam called it blood money. "I don't see you writing a check out of your bank account to cover it," Wyatt snapped. Liam stated that he'd do one better by doing good with Bill's dirty money. "By the way of blackmail?" Wyatt questioned. Wyatt informed Liam that his endless quest for purity didn't exist. Wyatt accused Liam of thinking everything in the world was rotten except Liam. "But guess what -- you stink just as much as the rest of us," Wyatt asserted.
Liam liked Wyatt's loyalty and stated that the only person Wyatt had ever turned against had been Liam. Wyatt admitted to it and said he'd never thought he and Liam would see eye to eye because, for everything good Liam had gotten, "I never did." Liam asked if that was the issue and if Wyatt was saying he'd be hot for Bill to return if Wyatt had the CEO chair.
Wyatt said the only reason Liam could oust Bill was that Bill had given Liam the training and means. Liam added that Bill had given the motivation, too. Liam couldn't stand by while Bill picked on someone without the power to fight back. Wyatt asked if Sally was the soul of innocence in Liam's story.
Liam asked what had happened to Sally's design partner. Wyatt asserted that Thomas had gone to New York to be with Caroline and his son, and Wyatt asked how it was Bill's fault. Liam said Bill had told Thomas that Caroline had had a fatal disease.
"What are you even talking about?" Wyatt asked. Liam revealed that it had been a lie, but Thomas had bought it. Liam explained that Caroline had gone along with it because Bill was persuasive, and she'd wanted her family back. Wyatt said it was crazy. Agreeing, Liam said that when Sally had seemed to be succeeding, anyway, Bill had torched the building for the skyscraper.
Wyatt denounced what Bill had done, but Wyatt said Liam was wrong in what he was doing, too. Wyatt stated that he and Steffy could see it and asked why Liam couldn't. Liam replied that Steffy disagreed with him, but she'd stand by him. Liam believed that Wyatt would, too, if he wasn't so busy being their father's "mini me."
As Wyatt scoffed, Liam accused Wyatt of being scared of Bill. Liam said he was doing good things, and it was a new day at Spencer. He asked if Wyatt wanted to be a part of it.
Back at Bill's house, Steffy arrived with her motorcycle helmet and said Bill's housekeeper, Fiona, had asked if Ridge had sent Steffy. Bill explained that Ridge had been there earlier to get Brooke's things. Bill had remained upstairs, keeping his temper in check. Bill wouldn't hold Brooke's things hostage and said he wasn't a squatter or thief like Steffy's husband.
Steffy said she'd tried. Bill replied that if she couldn't get through to Liam, no one could. She stated that Liam had gotten his stubbornness honestly. Bill thanked her for being on Bill's side, and she replied that she was on the side of doing the right thing.
Bill asked if Steffy had ever heard the saying that doing certain things would stunt her growth. He felt he'd done that to himself. He'd never fully grown up. He'd never felt he'd had to listen to anyone or be accountable for anything. He'd figured out that a father and husband couldn't live that way. Bill stated that real life meant owing someone something, "like the way I owe you for not turning your back on me."
Bill asked if Steffy thought Brooke would go back to Ridge. Steffy didn't know. Bill decided that Steffy should go because he couldn't stand himself "like this." Steffy didn't want to go. She said it was okay to feel sad and be hurt. "Not in front of somebody!" Bill raged. She decided that they needed to try something different and asked when he'd last taken his hog out of the garage.
Later, Bill and Steffy returned to the living room, and as they placed their biker gear down, Steffy said he hadn't been bad. Bill asked if she meant for a guy who hadn't ridden for a year. It had been fun, but it hadn't solved anything for Bill. Steffy said it had pushed away the bad stuff for a while. Bill warned her not to say anything about silver linings.
Bill said he'd lost his company and wife. He asked what was left. "Your sons," Steffy responded, but he countered, "Not all of them." She listed his friends, but Bill didn't think he was well stocked in that department. She replied that, as long as she was around, he had a friend.
At Brooke's house, Brooke arrived back at the house after going to work and discovering that her housemates, Ridge, and Coco hadn't shown up for work. Brooke said Pam had been convinced that there had been a horrible accident. R.J. apologized for the scare and said his father had suggested they pick up Brooke's stuff, which was all squared away.
Brooke rendered a shocked expression. Rick added that they'd partially unpacked the stuff. Maya hoped they were putting it away correctly. Coco entered from the kitchen with a bouquet of flowers she'd arranged. Ridge said they were "from us, from me," but Rick insisted that it was "our" way of welcoming Brooke home. Brooke thanked everyone.
Later, Maya and Brooke arrived back downstairs, and Rick asked how it had gone. Maya believed Brooke liked it. Brooke said they hadn't had to go to all the trouble. Ridge translated it to mean Brooke liked it or would rearrange everything. Rick agreed, and R.J. expressed surprise. Rick said he was taking a day off from sparring with Ridge in honor of Brooke's return. Ridge joked that he didn't have to finish the tunnel he'd been digging beneath Bill's house.
Everyone sat in the living room and ate lunch together. Coco had made quiche for them. They discussed going to work, and R.J. offered to stay behind with Coco to clean up before meeting everyone at Forrester. Before everyone got up, Brooke stated that she wanted them to know she loved them. The others said they loved her, too.
Rick stated that they'd supported her marriage, but the Forrester family was broken without Brooke at its center. Maya said it was true, and Ridge echoed the sentiment.
Alone with Ridge in the living room, Brooke said Ridge didn't have to stay. Stacking empty boxes, he replied that he also didn't have to leave. She thought what they'd done for her had been wonderful. He said he could use her boxes and asked if he could have them. She asked if he was moving again.
Ridge stated that the bad thing about living in a hotel was that it was a hotel. Brooke said he bounced from hotels to temporary rentals. It was almost as if he was running from something. Ridge said he wasn't running. He was back in his loft, but it didn't feel like home. Home to him was either his father's house or there at Brooke's house.
"Oh," Brooke uttered. Ridge said he wasn't trying to do anything. He just wanted to make her happy. He asked what he could do to help with it, and she responded that he was already doing it.
Brooke had lemonade in her living room and thanked Ridge for helping her move. Ridge suggested that it might help to talk about things. She replied that she'd already talked and talked and talked. He clarified that he'd meant talk to a friend, not to the screwup. Brooke believed that she still needed to process it so she could make the right decision. Ridge said he'd support any decision that would lead her home.
Ridge said that all the room Brooke had at the house reminded him of how small his loft was. Brooke thought the loft was good for a bachelor. The commute from the beach to Beverly Hills was getting to him. He said that if she knew anyone who was renting a room, she could recommend him. "I'm very tidy. Very clean," he told her. Brooke said it was too soon for that.
Ridge asked what Brooke was saying or implying. Brooke replied that she knew exactly what he was implying. "You're saying I should move in with you, but it's too soon for that," Ridge responded. He said he probably would visit all the time, even though he'd see her at work. He wanted her to know that he was the person she could lean on.
Brooke appreciated it and said they'd see each other at the house because she wanted to cut her hours at work. Ridge exclaimed that the best thing for her to do was to throw herself into work. He said she wasn't a part-timer; she was a full-time Forrester, and she always would be. Brooke said he made it sound so easy to just work the troubles away. He replied that it had worked for him each time he'd lost her.
Brooke asked if Forrester really needed her with all the young blood there. Ridge stated that the company existed because of four people: his father, his mother, him, and Brooke. He believed that the younger people knew they had their jobs because of "us," and he asked where any of them would be without the BeLieF formula, Brooke's Bedroom, or the Men's Line.
Ridge declared that Brooke was Forrester Creations, and she belonged with them. He didn't know a better place for her to be if she was feeling sad than at a place where people supported her. Ridge didn't care what Bill had done. It was enough to know that Bill had gotten an amazing gift -- Brooke -- but Bill had thrown her away. Ridge was grateful that Bill had shown his true colors before she'd gotten caught in his selfish web.
Ridge said he and Brooke had shared a lot, and their worlds were the same. They shared the love of design and the thrill of the line on the runway. He told her that she was Forrester Creations, and she shouldn't ever forget it. Brooke grinned and rubbed his chin.
Convinced that work was the key, Brooke asked what she should focus on. Ridge suggested lingerie, but Brooke replied that Steffy was doing well with the Intimates line. He was sure that Steffy would be happy if Brooke took over because Steffy was busy being co-CEO. Squeamishly, Brooke asked if there wasn't anyone else who could do it.
Ridge said there was no one else, and the Logan he remembered liked being in the limelight. Ridge believed Bill had taken it away from her because Bill's personality sucked the life out of a room. Ridge wanted her to find her space again. "And it would be kind of nice to see you walking around in lingerie every day," he added.
Brooke announced that the truth was finally out. Ridge joked that she was making it ugly, but it inspired him. She said he didn't have to see her half-naked every day to be inspired. Agreeing, he said he just wanted her around, fully clothed or not. He wanted to be around her passion and determination -- and not just at the office.
Brooke replied that she needed time. Ridge knew it. He just felt he'd wasted a lot of time in being foolish and reckless. He'd learned his lesson, and he wanted her back home. He'd always figured it would be the two of them at the end.
At Bill's house, Bill asked if Steffy had really meant it about being his friend. Steffy affirmed it, and he decided he'd need to keep her around. Patting his shoulder, she noted that he hadn't been so bad out on the bike. He replied that "Motorcycle Mama" hadn't been so bad, either.
Bill fetched some beers from the kitchen. Steffy asked if they were drinking casually or getting drunk. He replied that he could only speak for himself. It was strange to Bill that he'd taken an afternoon ride because he was supposed to be at work, making money. She knew it was hard, but she said it wouldn't be for long. She believed Liam and Bill would work it out.
Bill asked how Steffy could be so confident, and she asked if there was any other way to be. She asked if she and "Slick" would go riding again the next day. Impressed that he'd earned a nickname, Bill pretended to check his schedule, which was wide open for him to ride again with Motorcycle Mama. Steffy said she didn't know if that was the best nickname for her.
Apologizing, Bill realized that he'd been insensitive. Steffy said it was okay, and she and Liam had been trying to get pregnant. "Obviously, no luck," she added, turning up her drink. Bill asked where her confidence was and said it wasn't just for other people.
Bill hoped he'd get to see the kid, and Steffy stated that he and Liam would be made up by then.
Bill had imagined that he'd do the grandparent thing with Brooke. Steffy believed Brooke would be crazy not to return, and if it didn't happen, there would be another woman who'd make him forget that Brooke Logan had ever existed.
Bill asked how forgiveness was so easy for Steffy. He said she'd surpassed forgiveness to go to bat for him. Steffy replied that she wouldn't do it for just anyone. Bill guessed he was special. She repeated the word, and he sensed she wanted to say "special kind of jerk."
Steffy replied that Bill was rough around the edges, but she knew he was just a teddy bear. Bill balked at the comparison, and she changed it to grizzly bear. Steffy said the Spencers wouldn't be a family without his leadership, and she knew it because she was a Spencer. She was grateful to be one and wouldn't let the family implode.
Bill decided that he was the grateful one to have a woman as smart and beautiful as she was in his family and on his side. Steffy grasped his hand, and a strange look washed over him. Steffy stood as if preparing to go. She believed a woman was out there for Bill. In her view, it was Brooke, but if that didn't work out, Steffy was sure someone would cross Bill's path.
At Spencer with Wyatt, Liam asked if Wyatt wanted to do what was right instead of looking the other way and pretending that Bill was someone to emulate. Liam planned to do good things, and he asked if Wyatt wanted to be his right-hand man. "What do you say? Shall we do this?" Liam asked. Wyatt asked if Liam was serious.
Liam envisioned the Spencer brothers running the place and said Wyatt's strengths made up for Liam's weaknesses. Wyatt quipped that Liam had admitted he had weaknesses. Liam said he was going in blind and could use Wyatt's help. Wyatt was leery about screwing over their father. Liam claimed it wasn't about Bill; it was about running the company with decency. Liam claimed that it was a new era, he and Wyatt were at the top, and nothing was stopping them.
Wyatt asked if Liam had really thought through running Bill's empire. "Our empire," Liam corrected. Wyatt didn't want Liam to fool himself, because it was Bill's world. Wyatt said that Bill had groomed them, but they weren't even close to ready. "Speak for yourself," Liam quipped.
Wyatt didn't believe he and Liam had enough experience. Disagreeing, Liam said they did, and they'd figure out what they didn't know as they went. Wyatt retorted that it wasn't a high school club; it was a multi-billion-dollar corporation, and there would be serious consequences if it failed. Liam asserted that Spencer wouldn't fail.
Due to Liam's decisions as CEO, Wyatt wasn't so sure. Liam claimed his choices had been cost-effective. "Dude, I've run the numbers," Liam said. Wyatt asked if Liam had run the numbers on buying Spectra and gifting it back to Sally. Liam believed that some gambles were worth taking for a good cause. "Sally is not a cause," Wyatt replied.
Liam maintained that Sally was a good person who'd gotten run over by their father, and good people deserved to have good things happen to them. Wyatt asked what naive people who betrayed their vengeful fathers deserved. Wyatt assumed it would be payback, and he didn't want to be Liam's right-hand man in that gamble. Wyatt's money was on Bill, who always got his revenge. Wyatt had a feeling that payback would be a "bitch."
Liam asserted that Wyatt couldn't go through life, worrying about Bill's revenge. Agreeing, Wyatt said he couldn't, and he wouldn't. As long as Wyatt didn't approve of Liam's little coup, Wyatt wouldn't be the one Bill lashed out at. Liam stated that it was Wyatt's chance to do the right thing. Wyatt, however, didn't believe blackmail was the right thing.
Wyatt believed that Bill had also been wrong, but Wyatt felt that Bill at least regretted it. "Sure," Liam sardonically quipped. Wyatt insisted that Bill did and said it would be nice to hear some regret from Liam. Chuckling, Liam exclaimed that he didn't regret taking the reins from Bill. Wyatt was sure Liam would regret it because Wyatt had never seen their father so furious. Wyatt was positive Bill would get back at Liam and hurt Liam in ways Liam had never imagined.
Liam claimed he could handle whatever Bill would throw at him. Wyatt expressed worry about Liam, who was in a fantasyland and wasn't making any sense. Wyatt insisted that Bill would never be happy about "this," and Bill would never be proud of Liam for blackmailing himself into control and giving away all of Bill's money.
Wyatt implored Liam to listen to Wyatt and Steffy, who cared about Liam. "What you're doing right now is wrong. So, please, back down. Find a way to make things right with Dad because you do not want to make him your enemy," Wyatt warned.
Liam appreciated the concern, but he wanted Wyatt to calm down. Liam said that Bill could make Liam into an enemy, but there was nothing left for "that man" to do to Liam.
Unbeknownst to Liam, Steffy was at Bill's house. Bill took her hand and smiled. He cupped her face with his free hand. He thanked her and said the day had been just what he'd needed.
