At Bill's Aspen house, Thomas and Steffy were on the phone, but Steffy had nothing new to report. Thomas was sure that the only reason Ridge would have gone to Aspen was to reclaim his life with Taylor. Steffy said she couldn't handle it if Ridge went back to Brooke again, and Steffy was worried that Taylor wouldn't agree with Ridge. Thomas suspected that she would, and he ended the call because Donna and Eric had arrived.
At Eric's house, Eric and Donna questioned Thomas about Ridge's trip to Aspen. Thomas said he'd known that someday, Ridge would open his eyes to what was right in front of him. Donna asked if Thomas meant her sister, but Thomas asserted that Taylor was Ridge's past and future. Eric said he understood Steffy and Thomas' desire to have their parents together; however, Eric, a big champion of Ridge and Brooke, warned Thomas not to get his hopes up.
Donna added that Brooke and Ridge always ended up together. Thomas replied that it wouldn't be that way that time, and Ridge and Taylor's time had finally arrived. Donna replied that she could only hope that Thomas was wrong. Thomas, understanding that Donna was team Brooke, said it would be a blow to Brooke's ego, but she was resilient and would find another guy. Thomas believed everyone would be happy, and Ridge would be with the love of his life.
Donna concluded that Thomas didn't think much of her sister. Thomas agreed, but Eric said not to do that. Thomas asked if Eric wanted Thomas to lie. Thomas was adamant that Taylor would have the future Brooke had stolen. Donna replied that Brooke hadn't stolen anything; Ridge had chosen her. Eric replied that Ridge always did. Thomas insisted that he could feel it in his gut that it would be different; Ridge was ready to be with someone he could trust, and Brooke was Ridge's past. "One thing I've learned. It's never too late for Brooke and Ridge," Eric said.
In Aspen, Ridge said he and Taylor were back together, and he'd never leave her again. Taylor chose to believe him because he was right there in her arms. They said they loved each other and kissed again. On the way back to the house, Taylor said their kids were right. Ridge asked her not to let him lose sight of it again. Taylor marveled that they'd really done it.
Walking hand in hand, Taylor and Ridge said they'd take a mental picture of the moment. As they kissed, the stunned Steffy approached. Ridge told her that he'd arrived for a moment with Taylor, and after a lot of running and convincing, it had turned out to be the first moment of the rest of their lives together. Steffy exclaimed that it was a landmark moment for their family.
Ridge thanked Taylor for being patient and giving him another try. He said that she was his life, his love, and his home. They hugged, and Steffy hugged them.
Inside the house later, Steffy grinned as Taylor sat with her legs in Ridge's lap. Steffy still couldn't believe the reunion and said Taylor had pledged to turn Ridge down if he'd asked. Ridge was surprised to hear it, but Taylor said things had worked out the way they should. Steffy felt that it was a dream come true. Ridge said that everything was in balance.
Steffy decided to video-call Thomas, and she showed him their parents nestled on the couch. Ridge and Taylor announced that they were back together. Thomas expressed happiness for them. He wished he was there, and he was glad that they weren't hiding their love. He congratulated Ridge for finding his senses. Ridge said he'd spend his days grateful that Taylor had given him another chance.
Back at the mansion, Thomas was alone when he heard Eric say that Douglas didn't have to do his homework. Douglas appeared and laughed, waving a cell phone. He said he'd gotten Thomas again with the app. Thomas admonished Douglas for playing with that thing.
Eric and Donna entered, and Douglas again played the recording of Eric saying Douglas didn't have to do his homework. Thomas once again told Douglas to stop doing that, but Douglas said it was just an app. Thomas sent Douglas upstairs to do his homework.
Eric and Donna wondered if there had been word from Aspen. Thomas said they wouldn't like it, but his parents were back together. Donna replied that it couldn't be, and Eric assumed Brooke hadn't gotten there in time. Thomas thanked Eric for revealing that Brooke had followed Ridge to Aspen, but Thomas guessed it didn't matter. "She's irrelevant, anyway," Thomas said.
Thomas decided that it was about his parents, not Brooke. He stated that he and Steffy had known it, and after a little detour, Ridge was back with Taylor. Thomas said he had never seen Ridge happier. Donna shook her head in disbelief as Thomas concluded that the weight of Brooke had been lifted off his family.
On the jet, Brooke had no Wi-Fi. "I'm coming, Ridge," she uttered. Brooke couldn't believe that Ridge had gone to Aspen for Taylor. Brooke flashed back on times with Ridge. The pilot announced that they were descending to Aspen. Brooke said that she'd be there soon, and Ridge would return home with her.
The jet landed, and Brooke disembarked. She took a white Jeep to Bill's Aspen house.
Back at Bill's house, Ridge and Taylor talked about how Steffy had refused to let her parents give up. Taylor stated that she'd run, which was what she had a tendency to do. Taylor said she was still scared, but Ridge promised to protect Taylor's heart from then on, and Ridge and Taylor kissed.
Taylor and Steffy went upstairs, and Ridge walked outside. Brooke approached him by a pond. He asked what she was doing there, and she asked why he was there. Ridge replied that he and Taylor were back together. Shocked, Brooke asked what it was -- if it was Bill or Deacon. Ridge said it was all of that and his family with Taylor. He stated that he was seeing things clearly, and he was where he needed to be.
Brooke responded that she didn't care what promises had been made. She said she felt he could take it back. "It's you and me. We are meant to be together," she told him, adding, "This isn't the end of our love story."
Inside Bill's Aspen house, Taylor's head was spinning. "Just when I was giving up on us," she said. Steffy replied that the world had a funny way of working things out. Steffy claimed that Taylor deserved Ridge. Glancing out the window, Steffy said, "Oh, my God. Brooke!" Steffy wanted to go outside, but Taylor said they'd trust Ridge to handle it.
By a pond in Aspen, Brooke asked why Ridge would be making promises to Taylor when he was married to Brooke. Brooke asked if he still loved her. Ridge said nothing. Brooke stated that, no matter what it was about, she refused to give up on them. She asked if she'd done something to upset him. She couldn't imagine what could cause him to do what he'd done. In his head, Ridge heard her voice on the CPS recording. Brooke asked what was going on.
Brooke asked Ridge to say something. She said she didn't like that he'd hopped on a plane without telling her about it. She insisted that Taylor, Thomas, and Steffy had worn Ridge down, but Ridge claimed they'd had nothing to do with it. Brooke refused to let it happen. She said the promises to Taylor didn't matter because Brooke could see the way he looked at her. She said she believed it would always be that way for them, and she asked him what the problem was.
Ridge didn't answer, and Brooke decided that whatever it was, they'd work through it. Ridge stated that they wouldn't work through anything because his mind was made up. He asserted that everything had caught up to them, and it was complicated. Brooke yelled at him to tell her what had brought him to that point, so they could deal with it.
Ridge apologized and said "this" was where he needed to be. She replied that he needed to be home with her. She admitted that she didn't know what she'd done, and she didn't intend to pressure him. She said they could fly home together and work through it together. She stated that it was what they did, and they could get through anything. She asked him to say he believed it, too.
Brooke was sure that Ridge still believed in their love. She said it held them together and helped them overcome challenges. Brooke didn't care what he'd said to Taylor. Brooke respected his pull toward his other family. "But you are my husband," Brooke said. She said they'd work through it like they always did. She wished he'd just say what it was.
Ridge asked why Brooke was pretending not to know what it was. He wished she'd just say it. Brooke had no idea what he meant and asked him to say what she'd done. Ridge flashed back to listening to the CPS recording with Thomas.
At Eric's house, Thomas cooed that it was one of the best days ever, but Eric wondered if Thomas had misunderstood something. Thomas stated that he'd seen it on the video call. Donna and Thomas quibbled about it, and Eric said they weren't going to do that.
Thomas guessed that defending Brooke was a hard habit for Donna to break, but Brooke and Ridge were over. Thomas said he and Donna understood each other, and he knew that she'd always defend her sister. Donna disagreed but said Brooke wouldn't stand by and let Taylor take the man Brooke loved. Thomas quipped that it was a game for Brooke. Donna decided that they should just agree to disagree for Eric's sake.
Eric said that he understood Thomas' desire to reunite his parents. Thomas responded that Eric had a soft spot for Brooke. Eric admitted that he was fond of Brooke, but he was fond of Taylor, too. Donna believed that Brooke was with Ridge as they spoke, and Brooke had every right to defend and protect her marriage.
Thomas replied that Logans would always stick together, but Eric stated that Donna and Brooke were sisters. Thomas asked whose side Eric was on. Eric, who didn't think it was about sides, said they shouldn't interfere. Thomas claimed that Brooke was interfering with Taylor and Ridge, but Donna asked what Thomas didn't get about Ridge and Brooke being married.
Thomas received a call from Steffy, and he put it on speakerphone. Eric asked how things were in Aspen, and Steffy claimed that they'd been going well until Brooke had gotten there. Donna admitted telling Brooke where Ridge was, and Steffy asked why Donna had to get involved with everything. Donna replied that her sister was family, and Steffy claimed that she had family, too. Steffy stated that Ridge and Brooke were over, but Donna warned Thomas and Steffy to never, ever discount Brooke and Ridge's love for each other. Steffy clicked off the line.
Later, Thomas said Brooke's desperate attempt wouldn't work. Donna said it wasn't desperation; it was love. Eric added that Ridge always forgave Brooke, but Thomas stated that at some point, Ridge had to decide he was done with the lies. Eric said that he admired Taylor and didn't diminish her. "But I agree with Donna. You cannot count out Ridge and Brooke," Eric stated. He believed that Taylor and Steffy would learn the same thing.
Eric and Thomas continued to debate about what would happen with Taylor, Ridge, and Brooke. Donna asserted that Taylor was a remarkable woman; however, the true love of Ridge's life was and always would be Donna's sister. Flustered, Donna asked if she and Eric could go for a ride.
Alone, Thomas said that calling Child Protective Services on Ridge's son was something Ridge wouldn't forgive. "Only it wasn't you, Brooke. It was me," Thomas stated. He pressed a button on his phone and an app mimicked Brooke's voice, saying "'Only it wasn't you, Brooke. It was me.'"
Back inside Bill's Aspen house, Steffy was still worried and blamed Donna for telling Brooke. Taylor said Ridge had to talk to Brooke at some point. Steffy decided that Taylor was right, but it wouldn't work no matter how hard Brooke tried.
Steffy joked that Taylor probably wished she could lock Brooke in a gondola, and Taylor agreed. Taylor decided that she believed Ridge. Taylor said Ridge had chased her all over the mountain and had convinced her that he wanted her forever. "The thought that he might be returning to Brooke..." Taylor said. Steffy insisted that it wouldn't happen.
Steffy asserted that Ridge's eyes were open, and Taylor brought Ridge a love Brooke knew nothing about. Steffy claimed it wasn't Brooke and never had been.
In Los Angeles at the Forrester mansion, Thomas replayed the audio recording of the call that had been made to Child Protective Services. He smiled evilly as he said aloud that he had been the one to make the call, not Brooke. "The app changed my life," Thomas said icily as he fiddled around with the voice-altering program on his phone.
Thomas thought back to a conversation he had had with Douglas in which Douglas had shown him how the app worked. Douglas giggled and said that the app was "so cool" because it "fools everyone." According to Douglas, a user needed only to record a sample of someone's voice, and the app could then use the sample to recreate that person saying anything.
Thomas then reflected on how he had placed the call to CPS, using a message he had prerecorded and altered into Brooke's voice.
At Il Giardino, Deacon and the bartender prepared to close up for the night. The bartender told Deacon that a few bottles of whiskey and some steaks had gone missing.
Later, Deacon returned home and learned that Sheila had been the one to steal the items from the restaurant. Sheila assured Deacon that she had been careful, and no one had spotted her -- not even Nikki Newman. Sheila asked Deacon what Nikki had been doing in town. Deacon wondered if Sheila had been following him. Deacon explained that he had owed Nikki a favor and that Nikki's presence had been "no big deal."
Sheila disagreed. She asked Deacon why he was keeping secrets from her. Deacon began to laugh and suggested that Sheila was jealous. "That is so cute," Deacon chuckled. "I want every inch of this for myself," Sheila said as she moved her hand in a circular gesture toward Deacon.
In Aspen, Steffy and Taylor peered out the window at Brooke and Ridge. "I hate that I even have the slightest doubt that your father is not ready to move on from Brooke," Taylor said with a groan. Steffy insisted that things would be different "this time," but Taylor wasn't so sure. Taylor noted that once again, she was waiting to see if Ridge would change his mind and go back to Brooke. Taylor said that she needed some fresh air and left the house.
Outside, Brooke agreed to tell Ridge whatever it was that he needed to hear her say. "What I need to hear is the truth from you," he replied angrily. He demanded that Brooke "take some responsibility," but Brooke insisted that she had no idea what he wanted her to take responsibility for. Brooke reminded Ridge that she was his wife. "I know. What a beautiful [love] story, huh?" Ridge responded.
Ridge acknowledged that he and Brooke had shared "so many wonderful years" together. Even though he had never wanted that time to end, Ridge proclaimed that their life together was over. "You wouldn't do this to me," Brooke responded, refusing to believe what Ridge had told her. Brooke reiterated that she had no idea what she had done to upset Ridge. "I love you. I'm your Logan," she said.
Ridge let go of Brooke's hands and took a step away from her. Nodding his head slightly, Ridge said, "Goodbye, Logan." He turned and walked away, leaving Brooke alone and sobbing. "Don't leave," she cried.
Somewhere nearby in the woods, Othello listened in on the conversation.
Ridge returned to the house and asked where Taylor had gone. Steffy grumbled that Taylor had gone for a walk because she "couldn't stomach" seeing Ridge and Brooke together. Ridge was surprised that Taylor had known that Brooke was in Aspen. Steffy could barely contain her glee upon learning that Ridge had ended things with Brooke. Ridge set out to track down Taylor.
Steffy stepped outside and sat in a chair next to a visibly distraught Brooke. "You know he left you because he wants a life filled with happiness and support. Not lies and betrayal," Steffy said. Steffy noted that Ridge's decision to leave Brooke was one that he had made on his own. Brooke questioned why Steffy felt the need to gloat. Steffy replied that she wanted to make sure that Brooke respected Ridge's wishes.
"My mother never stooped to your level," Steffy continued, asserting that Taylor had always held on to her "dignity and principles." Steffy looked skyward with a smile and expressed how happy she was that "goodness and dignity" had won. Steffy repeated that it was "the end" of Brooke and Ridge.
Steffy returned inside the house and called Thomas to give him an update. When Thomas learned that Ridge had ended things with Brooke, Thomas replied, "Brooke will never bother us again."
On his trek through the woods, Ridge watched a pair of deer stroll along a path. Later, he sat down on a large rock along the side of a stream and looked out over the water. Ridge eventually caught up with Taylor and told her that he had chosen a life with her. He pulled Taylor close, and the two shared a kiss.
Due to CBS News coverage of the House Select Committee hearing, The Bold and the Beautiful did not air. While this was not a planned preemption, there were no "lost" episodes as a result of the programming change. Regular programming resumed on Friday, October 14, and picked up where the Wednesday, October 12, episode concluded.
In Aspen, Taylor and Ridge made jokes about Ridge's pinecone of destiny revelation. Steffy wished Thomas was there, and Taylor and Steffy decided to call him.
Ridge seemed preoccupied as, on the phone later, Thomas and Steffy talked about Donna's gall to defend Brooke. Thomas was sad that Eric had been in the middle. Steffy stated that Brooke was gone and out of their lives. Steffy announced that she'd soon leave Aspen to give Taylor and Ridge time alone. Thomas told Ridge that he'd done good reuniting with the family.
Taylor went upstairs to help Steffy pack. Thomas called Ridge back to ask if Brooke had confessed to calling "Child Services." Ridge replied that she had not, and he asked if Thomas had heard from "Child Services." Thomas hadn't heard from them, but he assured Ridge that Ridge had done the best thing for their family. Thomas thanked Ridge for standing up for Thomas and Douglas and urged Ridge to focus on his life with Taylor.
Later, Taylor and Ridge went into a bedroom that Steffy had lit with candles. They said they loved their kids, but it was good to be alone. Taylor said they'd waited a long time for it. Ridge apologized. Sitting on his lap, she said he was there at that moment, and they kissed.
Later, Taylor and Ridge were breathless in bed after sex. He said he was a lucky man. She asked if she was dreaming. He said he didn't think so. They said they loved each other. As Taylor nestled in bed, Ridge had a far-off look on his face.
At Eric's house, Thomas flashed back to his memories of making the CPS call using the voice app to mimic Brooke.
At Il Giardino, Bill and Katie met for a meal. Bill thanked her for meeting him and noted that it had been a long time since they'd seen each other without Will. Bill apologized, but Katie told him that he didn't have to keep doing that. She'd already accepted his apology. Feeling as if he hadn't earned her trust back, Bill said it was killing him that he'd hurt her and torn their family apart. He said he hadn't given her what she'd deserved, but he was able to "now." He said he loved her and wanted his Katie back.
Katie replied that they'd been through it, but Bill insisted that he'd learned that it was his responsibility to make himself better, not Katie's. He believed that she'd see that he'd changed, and he'd love her the way she deserved to be loved. Katie was speechless, and he said it probably sounded as if someone had written his words for him. She agreed that it did.
Bill promised that it was all him. Katie admitted that she'd dreamed of hearing it, and she believed that it was true at that moment. She wondered if it would still be true if Brooke was available. He said they needed to move forward, but Katie said she didn't know how they could do that without dealing with his love for Brooke, the thing that destroyed them each time.
"Katie, come on," Bill replied. Katie replied that he'd said Brooke was the love of his life. Katie wondered what that made her. Bill explained that he'd once had deep feelings for Brooke; however, he was there with Katie, trying to find a way back to what they had. Bill said Will and Katie were his focus. "But what about Brooke?" Katie asked.
Bill said there was no Brooke, and she was married to Ridge. Katie asked if Bill could stay away if Brooke was not married to Ridge. Katie explained that she was trying to be realistic. She said she'd always wanted to reconcile with Bill. She knew he loved her, but he also loved her sister. That was something Katie couldn't live with. "Goodbye, Bill," Katie said and walked out.
Bill received a call from Othello, who alerted Bill that Brooke and Ridge had been at the house. Othello said they hadn't arrived together, and he'd seen an intense scene between them. Othello asserted that their marriage was over. Othello said he had seen a lot of crying, and Ridge was in the house with Taylor and Steffy like one happy family. According to one of Othello's contacts, Brooke had gotten on the jet and was probably imminently landing in Los Angeles.
Later, Katie was at work. Carter brought in some budget information for her but said that she was in a reflective mood. Katie divulged that Bill wanted her back, but she said she still had to wonder if he'd be on Brooke's doorstep if Brooke were available. Katie didn't want to go through that again.
On the jet, the morose Brooke was stretched out on the built-in sofa, flashing back to Ridge walking away from her in Aspen. She cried gazing at a screensaver of herself and Ridge. The pilot said they'd landed. He welcomed Mrs. Forrester to Los Angeles, and Brooke sobbed.
Brooke arrived home later. She flashed back to the first time she'd seen Ridge after their separation in Paris. She recalled Ridge saying he couldn't lose her again and the time he'd asked her to marry him one Christmas.
Someone knocked on the front door. Brooke dried her tears and answered it to find Bill on her doorstep. Brooke uttered that she wanted to be alone. Bill said he was sorry that Ridge had let her down again. She asked why Bill was there. Bill replied that he'd said he'd always be there for her, and he'd meant it.
Brooke let Bill into the house. She revealed that Ridge had left her for Taylor, but Brooke didn't know why. Bill hugged Brooke.
