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As night falls in Los Angeles, Ridge tells Brooke that Carter betraying him was “like a knife in my heart.” He talks about how Carter is an upstanding man of integrity. Sure, there was that whole Quinn affair — pun intended — but Ridge assumed that was just a slip-up. “Maybe not. Maybe that’s who he is,” the designer reflects, sad that his pal threw everything away “all so Hope can get her revenge on Steffy and the rest of the Forresters. He’s risking everything, all for the love of your daughter.”

Ridge explains to Brooke exactly what went down between him and Carter. “Even with everything he did to me, that he did to us, I still loved him,” admits Ridge, saying he gave him a way out. But instead, he opted to stand by Hope. “That shows where his loyalty lies,” he muses. “It’s not with this company. It’s not to me. It’s with your daughter.”

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Carter arrives at the cabin, telling Hope that he can’t stop seeing the look of shock and disappointment in Ridge’s eyes. Hope apologizes for her mom having run straight to Ridge, but Carter won’t hear it. “That was the risk” they were taking. But he knows his relationship with Ridge will never be the same. Carter says it was one thing to have the paperwork drawn up, but another to deal with Ridge’s reaction. He insists he’s not mad at Brooke. “She loves you, just like I do,” he says, adding Brooke was just behaving as a concerned mom. The worst part of all for Carter? Dealing with Ridge’s disappointment. Carter reveals to his lady love that Ridge gave him a way out: He’d forget everything that had happened on the condition that he end things with Hope!

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“Ridge wants you back,” reflects Hope, saying that shows just how important he is to Ridge and the company. Speaking of the gamble, Carter acknowledges that he thought he was doing the right thing. She, in turn, promises not to hold it against him if he goes back. But Carter says he turned it down. “I don’t want to be in a world without you in it, Hope. This is our beginning, not our end. I told you… I will never give up on you.”

Taylor emerges from the children’s bedroom to tell Steffy that the kids conked out after one story. Actually, four pages into it! They marvel at the energy children have, adding that on the plus side, they, as adults, get to drink coffee! (Speaking of which, your fearless recapper could use a cup.) Steffy’s thankful for her mom helping out, given that Finn is working a late shift at the hospital. Steffy elicits a promise from Taylor that she’s not going anywhere. Steffy says the kids adore Taylor, and Taylor says she adores the kids. Before long, Steffy’s doing her usual not-so-subtle matchmaking by talking up Ridge. Taylor calls her daughter out on it lovingly. Steffy insists that’s not what she’s doing, but then adds that when Ridge and Taylor are together, everybody sees the spark between them… including Brooke. Steffy knows they’re together but asks the million-dollar question: Why haven’t Brooke and Ridge remarried? “I know you don’t need a man in your life,” says Steffy, “but if you did, would it be dad?”

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Look, says Taylor, she’s happy, Ridge is happy,… according to Brooke, anyway. The mother and daughter agree that Ridge will never have with Brooke what he had with Taylor. One thing Brooke and Taylor have in common? “We both love our children and grandchildren deeply,” says TayTay. “Family is as important to Brooke as it is to me.” Steffy points out that it didn’t stop Brooke from turning their lives upside down. Ultimately, however, Taylor cherishes the memories she and Ridge shared, but everyone has moved on. “She’s going to mess up,” predicts Steffy. “She always does!”

How many times, Steffy asks, has Brooke “tried to make a relationship work with dad?” (Let’s just assume that’s a rhetorical question as opposed to trying to do the math on that one.) Taylor takes the high road, saying maybe this time will be the charm. “That’s really cute,” smiles Steffy mockingly, “that you’re trying to root for Brooke and dad!” Taylor admits that “rooting” might be too strong a word, but says her life is full and she’s not standing around waiting for the relationship to fall apart. That said, it’s probably only a matter of time.

In the final moments, Brooke tries denying that Hope was behind Carter’s actions. Ridge, however, points out that Steffy had been suggesting that was happening for weeks. Obviously, he says, they kept it secret so that they could take over the company. “You’re daughter played this perfectly,” Ridge declares. “Hope turned Carter into a person I don’t recognize.” At the same time, Hope is trying to change Carter’s mind, only to be shocked when he reveals that like her, he’s been fired. “You’ve been wronged, and I wasn’t about to back down,” Carter says. “I love you. I am deeply in love with you. So I can lose my job. I can lose my friend. Is it easy? No, Hope, it hurts like hell, it does. But our love is more powerful than anything. I will never give up on you. And I don’t know what the future holds. Are we going to take over Forrester? Are we going to be outcasts? I don’t know. But we’re going to do it together.” As the music swells and we fade to black, the two of them share a passionate kiss…

Next on The Bold and the Beautiful:Get ready, because what Ridge does next will be a total game-changer!