At Brooke's house, Liam stormed in. He hadn't slept all night, and he wanted to talk to Hope. Brooke argued against it, but he asked if Hope was at the office or upstairs. Brooke stated that she didn't know where Hope was, and Hope hadn't been home at all the previous night.
Brooke asked what Hope had seen at the cabin. Liam claimed that nothing had happened, but Brooke doubted Hope would take off on her wedding day over nothing. Liam revealed that Steffy had visited to share the news with him that she could conceive again. Brooke said she was happy for Steffy. He replied that he was, too, and after he'd hugged Steffy, she'd left.
Brooke asked if Steffy wanted Liam back. Liam said it had been pretty clear that it wouldn't happen, but Brooke concluded that Steffy probably did want him back. He wondered why it mattered -- as long as Hope didn't think Steffy did. Brooke reminded him that Steffy was a sensitive subject, and Hope was done with constantly worrying that something could happen.
Brooke found it convenient that Steffy had popped up on Liam's wedding day and advised Liam to leave Hope alone and let her be with someone who made her happy. Assuming that Brooke meant Wyatt, the frustrated Liam said he thought that Wyatt had been good and gone.
Brooke was upset because Liam should have known not to have Steffy there. Liam said he hadn't known Steffy would be there, and since the wedding hadn't been a secret, Steffy could have found out about it. He exclaimed that he'd told Steffy that he was committed to Hope. Brooke asked if Steffy had been okay with it. "Yes, because she'd heard me say it a million times before!" Liam replied.
Liam wondered why Hope had even been at the cabin. Brooke replied that he'd written a note asking Hope to break tradition and meet him there. "I asked her to come?" Liam asked. He scoffed and stated that he hadn't written any note. Brooke figured that Steffy had done it. Realization washed over Liam. "That damn woman," he said and concluded that Quinn had set him up again.
Brooke asked if Liam really thought Quinn would write the note, and Liam declared that Quinn would do anything to put Hope and Wyatt together. Brooke didn't think it mattered because Hope was done after finding Liam in an intimate situation with Steffy right before the wedding.
Liam said he wasn't going to accept that the incident had caused the end of him and Hope. He figured that Hope was hiding out at the moment, but he'd eventually be able to explain things to her. Liam decided that, in the meantime, he had something he needed to do -- have it out with Quinn.
At Forrester, Donna was dismayed to see Quinn in Eric's office with a glass of champagne. Donna was ready to call security; however, Quinn quipped that it would be foolish, and it would piss her off. Quinn relayed that Liam's wrong had been righted, and she was working with Forrester again.
Donna assumed it had something to do with Hope's failed wedding. Quinn said it was Hope's story to tell, but Hope was away with Wyatt. Quinn was certain they'd return as an item, which would secure Quinn's position at Forrester. "So you really don't want to get on my bad side," Quinn warned.
Pouring more champagne, Quinn relayed that she was in a celebratory mood due to the success of her and her son, but she doubted that Donna wanted to celebrate the return of "the dreaded Quinn." Donna guessed "this" was about Eric. "He likes me," Quinn smugly replied. Donna retorted that he didn't know Quinn.
Quinn warned that it wouldn't be wise to sabotage her, but Donna replied that Quinn didn't need any help with that. Quinn said it wouldn't happen, and things were finally paying off for her and Wyatt. Donna cited that Liam and Hope had been down before, but they'd always wound up back together and stronger.
"Well, there is a last time for everything," Quinn quipped. She said that Hope and Wyatt were in Hawaii, and it was the perfect opportunity for her convincing son to get Hope to choose him. Donna said that Wyatt was funny and handsome, and one day, he'd make a young woman very lucky.
Quinn declared that the woman would be Hope. Donna felt that Quinn was underestimating Hope and Liam's connection, and even the likes of Bill hadn't broken them up. Quinn insisted that Wyatt and Hope were at the beginning of their connection and starting the life they'd been prepping for personally and professionally. "I'm a fact of your life, Donna. Deal with it," Quinn asserted.
Later, Quinn was alone and still enjoying her champagne when Liam rushed in and accused her of writing the note that had been left for Hope. Quinn guessed that Liam was upset and looking for someone to blame for yet another derailed wedding. Though she looked more smug than afraid, she decided that Liam's look was threatening, and until he cooled off, she had no intention of talking to him.
As Quinn strode out, Liam told her that she wasn't getting away with it. Quinn passed Donna in the hallway, and as Donna glared at her, Quinn told Donna to shut up.
Donna went into the CEO's office, where Liam filled her in on his suspicions about Quinn sending Hope to the cabin to see Steffy there. Donna said she wouldn't put it past that awful woman. "Thank you!" Liam exclaimed. Donna relayed that Quinn had been bragging about Hope and Wyatt going to Hawaii. "I owe you one, Donna," Liam said and took off.
In Hawaii, Wyatt arrived at Hope's hotel room door with an orchid. Hope wasn't in the mood for breakfast, and Wyatt noted that she hadn't talked much the previous night. Shrugging, Hope conveyed that she'd found Steffy in Liam's arms, and Hope hadn't hung around to see the smug look on Steffy's face that would have said, "'See? I can have him back whenever I want him.'"
Wyatt asked what Liam and Steffy had been doing. Hope said it had been the same as always; they'd been locking eyes as if they were the only people on the planet. Wyatt asked why Hope had gone to see Liam, and she relayed that Liam had sent a note to meet him.
Wyatt didn't think it made sense for Liam to do that if he knew Steffy were there. Hope called it classic Steffy. Hope believed that Steffy had engineered it so that Hope could see that Steffy would always be in Liam's life, and Hope said she'd finally learned the lesson. She just wished she wasn't learning the same one again and again.
Wyatt thought that Liam was an idiot, and it was a good thing that Hope wasn't home, where Liam would be beating down her door, trying to explain. Hope said she'd heard of all the reasons that Liam would choose to be with Steffy before, and though Liam's explanations always seemed logical, "to me, it will always be unacceptable," Hope concluded.
Hope called her mother to say that she was okay. Brooke said she knew about Steffy, and Hope guessed that her mother understood why she'd left. Brooke tried to tell Hope what had happened, but Hope was too exhausted with the whole matter to even talk about it.
After the call, Wyatt proposed that he and Hope spend the holiday in Hawaii. Hope readily agreed. She said she should have known something was wrong when the wedding had been a part of an ultimatum, and Steffy in Liam's life would never be okay with Hope. Wyatt suggested that Hope put Liam in the past and let Wyatt make her happy.
Hope sighed, and Wyatt said he'd been patient. He loved Hope, and he asked what better place than Hawaii to start the rest of their lives together. He promised that, if she gave it a chance, she wouldn't regret it, and he kissed her deeply.
At the Forresters, Eric made two martinis and toasted the portrait of Stephanie. Ridge entered and quietly left after he noticed that Eric was deep in thought, but Eric had heard him. Eric told Ridge how happy Stephanie would have been that Ridge had returned home. Eric headed to the kitchen.
In the living room, Thorne greeted Ridge and welcomed him home. Kristen and Felicia entered and interrupted with joyful seasons' greetings. They greeted Ridge with welcoming hugs and kisses.
Kristen and Felicia said that it was a nice surprise that Ridge had returned home. Ridge said that everyone would be surprised to see RJ as well.
In the kitchen, Pam sang as she cooked. Eric joined her. Pam said that she had seen a sign of Stephanie. "The bluebird on my shoulder," Pam said. Pam claimed that Stephanie was always with them.
In the living room, Aly entered with Kristen's husband, Tony. They greeted everyone, and the doorbell rang again. Ridge opened the door to Brooke, and they looked at each other longingly. Brooke stammered that she had presents in the car, and Ridge promised to help her. He told her that she had to open his present first.
Brooke agreed. RJ greeted Brooke, and they all embraced. Brooke said that RJ was the best present ever.
In the guesthouse, Rick helped Caroline get dressed. He gushed at how happy he was to be married to her. They kissed. Caroline lamented that she hadn't had time to go shopping. She worried that Rick would be disappointed, but Rick scoffed.
Rick teased that on their first Christmas together, he had hoped for something more memorable. Caroline kissed him passionately and asked if that qualified. Caroline noticed a package, and Rick encouraged her to open it. She emotionally paged through a photo album from their honeymoon that Rick had made. She pulled out her gift to Rick -- a second photo album from the honeymoon. They looked at photos and laughed that they had given each other the same gift.
In the Forrester living room, Aly asked Brooke if Hope had been okay after another failed wedding. Brooke acknowledged that Hope had been hurt, but Hope needed time away from the family for a while. Brooke said that Hope would be fine.
Thorne asked if Brooke had planned to get together with her sisters. Brooke said that the Logan sisters had had a tough year. Rick and Caroline entered and teased that they didn't recognize RJ because he was a grown man.
RJ said that he had planned to go to a boarding school in California rather than in Europe. He was glad because he would be closer to his friends and parents. Ridge congratulated Caroline and Rick on their wedding. Ridge added that Rick had been a lucky man in more ways than one.
In the kitchen, Pam, Kristen, and Felicia wore aprons and antlers while they cooked. They all tearfully remembered Stephanie. They joined the group in the living room.
Eric called everyone together to enjoy a toast of his homemade eggnog, and he asked Stephanie's portrait to humor him with a toast to the holidays. Eric acknowledged that they were missing some family members but adding new members. Eric, Ridge, and Brooke gathered behind RJ, who placed the baby Jesus in the nativity scene.
The family gathered around the piano. Eric played the piano, and the family sang Christmas carols. Outside, a bluebird in a tree chirped.
Eric played "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and reminisced about the previous year's Christmas that he had spent at a concert because he had missed Stephanie. He recalled that the entire family had joined him. The family finished decorating the tree and exchanged hugs and kisses.
Eric encouraged Ridge to remain in Los Angeles because the family needed him. Ridge promised that he would not leave again. Eric asked everyone to say what Christmas meant to them in five words or less.
RJ said presents. Rick said mistletoe, and Caroline added "more mistletoe." Felicia said ski boots. Thorne said daughters, and Aly added, "Daddies and grandpas." Pam said sisters. Tony looked at Kristen and said, "Each other."
Brooke said sons. Ridge added, "Family," and he noted that three generations of Forresters were around the Christmas tree. Thorne teased, "Not exactly five words."
Eric said there was a lot of joy in their family. He started to play "Joy to the World" on the piano, and the family sang along.
Due to the Christmas holiday, The Bold and the Beautiful did not air today. This programming change was accounted for in scheduling, and there will be no "lost" episodes as a result of the pre-emption.
Regular programming will resume on Thursday, December 26, and pick up where the Tuesday, December 24 episode concluded.
On behalf of everyone at Soap Central, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a holiday filled with peace and love.
At Brooke's house, Brooke was rushing to leave for a meeting at Forrester, but Bill asked Brooke to slow down because he hadn't seen her since the wedding. Brooke said that they'd spent enough time together, and he inferred that nothing had changed between them.
Bill asked if Hope knew that Liam was flying to Hawaii, but Brooke said she hadn't been able to get Hope on the phone. Brooke told Bill that someone had sabotaged the wedding, and he hoped she didn't think he'd done it. She suggested Wyatt; however, Bill said that, instead of leaving a note, Wyatt would have escorted Hope to the cabin to see Steffy. Brooke guessed Liam might be right about Quinn.
Brooke received a call from Ridge, who asked when she'd be at the meeting. Brooke wasn't sure she'd make it, but Ridge urged her to try because he wanted to take her to lunch. After the call, Bill assumed that it had been Eric calling. Brooke revealed that it had been Ridge, who'd returned home.
"Ridge showed up here?" the surprised Bill asked. Brooke claimed not to have the time to get into it. She told Bill to stop calling, text-messaging, and sending videos to her. Instead, she wanted him to focus on Katie. Bill said he didn't want that, but Brooke replied that it was what she wanted.
Brooke wasn't interested in following her heart into disaster, and she urged Bill to go back to Katie. "So you can go back to Ridge?" Bill asked. Brooke said it wasn't the first time she'd told him to go back to her sister. Suspecting that it wasn't about Katie, Bill asked Brooke to tell him that she wasn't still vulnerable to Ridge.
At Forrester, Rick's smile faded when he arrived in the CEO"S office for a meeting and saw the family taking welcome back pictures with Ridge. Quinn also arrived for the meeting, but in the hallway, Donna said she hadn't sent Quinn the memo. "Eric did," Quinn replied and proceeded to ask Donna for her coffee without cream or sugar. "There's nothing sweet about you, huh, Quinn?" Donna quipped.
Quinn went into the CEO's office, and Eric arrived in the corridor. Donna conveyed that something didn't seem right about Quinn's sudden return to Forrester. Donna shared her suspicions that Quinn had sabotaged Hope and Liam's wedding.
Later, Donna received a call from Liam, who was on a jet. He asked Donna to check the Forrester jet's flight manifest for the last flight back from Paris. He shared his belief that Quinn had flown Steffy to Los Angeles to interrupt the wedding. Donna did a quick check and confirmed that Quinn and Steffy had been on the jet together.
Inside the CEO's office, Eric introduced Quinn to Ridge, and when she remarked upon Ridge's work at International, Ridge replied that he was back home where he belonged.
Rick called the meeting to order, but Ridge seemed to naturally take over, thanking everyone for the work that they'd done and complimenting Caroline on the youth line. "It actually isn't the youth line..." the confused Caroline politely responded.
Rick cut in to explain to Ridge that it had begun as the youth line, but the designs had become a lot more sophisticated. Ridge stated that it was still a younger demographic, and Rick asked if Ridge expected them to let their older demographic die with the couture line. Rick explained that they'd cultivated a new demographic and were leading the industry with younger clientele.
Eric remarked that they'd done well under Rick's leadership. Rick felt that having Ridge back would boost the couture line, but things had changed while Ridge had been gone. Rick asserted that his wife was the lead designer, and Eric had put his faith in Rick to lead the company forward.
Ridge told "Ricky" that Ridge had been in Paris, not the North Pole, and their father had kept him in the loop. Carter asked if Ridge had seen the latest sales figures, and Donna and Pam scrambled to find the sales report among stacks of files on the desk. Ridge recalled that the desk had never looked that way when he'd sat at it, and Rick quipped that they'd never been as busy back then. "We're busy now, and luckily, I'm here to help you," Ridge responded.
Quinn slipped out of the meeting to call Wyatt. Wyatt said Hope was still dazed about seeing Steffy with Liam. Quinn figured it was best that it had happened before the wedding. As Quinn ended the call, she noticed that Donna was in the corridor, glaring at her.
After the meeting had ended, Quinn returned to Eric's office to again thank him. She was grateful that Liam hadn't gotten his way. Eric relayed that Donna had said that Hope was with Wyatt in Hawaii, and Hope and Liam's relationship appeared to be over. Quinn said she wasn't heartbroken for Liam, and she took it personally when someone messed with her business and her son's happiness.
Back at Brooke's house, Ridge arrived. Smiling at Brooke, he said that he'd found the woman he had been looking for. He ushered in some caterers with a table setup and said that since she'd missed the meeting, he'd decided to bring lunch to her. Brooke replied that it wasn't the best time.
"Look whose Eurorail pass expired," Bill said, entering from the kitchen. After the men awkwardly acknowledged each other, Ridge asked what Bill was doing there. "Chillin', having a little conversation with Brooke," Bill replied.
Ridge said that it was time for Bill to hit the road because there was only enough food for two. Bill pretended to be hurt by Ridge's unfriendliness and asked for a nicer greeting. Ridge rendered a nicer one, but it, too, ended with him telling Bill to hit the road. Guessing that Ridge had wax in his ears, Bill repeated that he and Brooke were in the middle of something.
At the Honolulu airport, Liam landed, and the pilot asked if Liam knew where Hope was. "I have an app for that," Liam responded, holding up his phone, and he rushed off the jet.
In Hawaii, Hope emerged from her hotel bathroom in a bikini, and Wyatt's mouth dropped open. He asked what they'd do that day, but still sullen about running from her wedding, Hope wasn't sure she was in the mood for fun. She also didn't want to be in public because her failed wedding was all over the social media.
As Hope and Wyatt lounged on their private patio with drinks later, Wyatt said he'd never been happier in Hawaii than at that moment. He was sure she'd soon feel the same, but Hope said she was supposed to be on her honeymoon. She was sad, and because of all the faith she'd put in Liam, she had expected that time in her life to be different.
Wyatt relayed that Hope's faith in Liam had almost made Wyatt give up on her; however, she'd spent enough time waiting for Liam, and it was time to move on. "Maybe with me," Wyatt hinted.
Hope asked Wyatt to put suntan lotion on her back. As Wyatt complied, he kissed her shoulder. He said that ever since they'd met, he'd envisioned them together in a place like Hawaii.
Later, the pair returned to the hotel room and discussed Liam and Steffy. Hope didn't understand what Steffy had been doing at the cabin, but Wyatt said Liam should have known Hope wouldn't have wanted Steffy to be there. Wyatt thought it was a sign, and Hope replied that Liam and Steffy would always be connected. Wyatt stated that Hope didn't have to play their games any longer.
As Wyatt pecked Hope on the lips, the two heard pounding on the door of the hotel room. Liam announced himself, and opening the door, Hope asked Liam how he'd found her. Liam stormed in, saying, "Oh, hey, Wyatt. How are you doing? Get out."
Wyatt looked offended, and Liam asked if it was Wyatt's room. Hope said Wyatt's room was next door, but Wyatt wasn't leaving. Liam told Wyatt that Quinn's plan had worked. Liam announced that he hadn't sent any note, but Quinn had. Liam relayed that Quinn had been the reason that Steffy had been at the cabin, because Quinn knew what the sight of Steffy would do to Hope.
At Brooke's house, Ridge asked Brooke if she and Bill were in the middle of something. Brooke abruptly said they weren't, and Ridge figured that he hadn't interrupted anything. Bill grimaced, and Ridge asked why Bill was there. "Why are you here?" Bill shot back.
Ridge explained that he was there for a surprise lunch. Bill said Ridge had risked that Brooke might be unavailable, and it had turned out that she was. Brooke interjected that she and Ridge had things to discuss. Because he had another appointment, Bill relented, but he said he'd see her again.
Later, Ridge and Brooke sat down to a candlelit lunch with food from the new Café Russe. Ridge made a toast to new beginnings, but Brooke said that they needed to discuss Bill. Ridge replied that Steffy had told him that Katie and Bill had gotten a divorce, and Ridge had assumed that it had been because Bill had found another woman.
Brooke said there had been another woman, and Ridge asked if the other woman had known all that Katie had gone through to give birth to Will. Brooke stated that the woman had known it all, and Ridge asked if anyone had confronted the woman. Brooke replied that people had, and she'd done it herself many times. Ridge asked what the woman had said for herself.
Brooke sadly replied that the woman had said something about being lonely and something about love. Scoffing, Ridge replied that love didn't take what it wanted while destroying everyone else. Tears rolled down Brooke's face, and she quietly revealed she'd been the woman.
Brooke explained to Ridge how things had been when Katie had pushed Bill and Brooke together. Brooke had never thought she'd feel for anyone after Ridge had left, but "suddenly, this man..." Ridge asserted that the man had been her sister's husband. Brooke said she'd tried to make excuses for herself, but she shouldn't have been in the situation.
Brooke recalled that Katie had had it all, but she'd been morose and mishandling things with Bill. Ridge uttered that it was what people did when they were in love; they mishandled things. Brooke said she'd never stopped loving Ridge, but she'd also never thought they could have a chance again. She asked if that had been why he'd returned -- to reunite their family. Ridge just silently stared at her.
At Spencer, Katie busily worked and fed Will, who was dressed up to spend time with his father. Katie asked Adele to get Bill's favorite coffee ready, and Adele expressed surprise that Bill would have Will's visitation at the office. Katie replied that it was just for the time being because Bill's last address had been unsuitable.
Later, Bill arrived and expressed an interest in taking Will to the park. Katie said it wasn't a problem to stay there because she'd cleared her schedule. Bill promised he wouldn't take the boy to Brooke's, and Katie figured that Brooke wouldn't let Bill in even if he tried. He revealed that he'd just been at Brooke's, but she'd put him out. He said there was a new situation, and its name was Ridge.
Katie played with Will on a palette, and Bill smiled as he flashed back on times with Katie and the baby. Katie asked how Ridge had responded to Bill and Brooke's affair. Bill doubted Ridge knew about it, and Katie replied that Brooke never learned.
Bill was sure that once Ridge figured out that Brooke hadn't been sitting around waiting for him, he'd go someplace else. "What if he doesn't? If he wants my sister, he'll have her. That's the way it's always been," Katie replied.
In Eric's office, Donna organized the desk, and Quinn entered, looking for Eric. Donna asked if it was okay that Eric had taken the jet to San Francisco -- since Wyatt hadn't needed it. Quinn warned Donna about how she treated Quinn, but unworried, Donna said that Quinn didn't understand loyalty.
As Quinn turned to leave, Donna asked if, during Quinn's call to Wyatt earlier, Wyatt had mentioned Liam's arrival in Hawaii. The shocked Quinn accused Donna of giving employee information to an outsider. Scoffing, Donna said Liam wasn't an outsider, and he'd been in love with Hope for years.
Donna asked if Wyatt knew how Quinn operated or if he actually thought he'd won fairly. "Or if he even cares?" Donna pondered. Quinn decided to give Donna a pass because Donna hadn't done much damage, and Liam wouldn't be able to figure out where Wyatt and Hope were staying. Donna, however, remarked that Liam had put a clever app on Hope's phone that would tell him where Hope was at all times. Donna's guess was that he'd already found Hope by then.
In Hawaii, Liam explained to Hope how nonsensical it would be for him to have walked all the way to the house in the middle of getting dressed just to leave her a note asking her to walk all the way to the cabin to see him. Hope said no one cared about the note because the bottom line was that he'd been with Steffy.
Liam asserted that Quinn had been the only one who'd known Steffy had been in town, and Hope asked how that could be. He explained that it was because Quinn had flown Steffy back from Paris to cause Hope to wind up with Wyatt. "Congratulations," Liam mirthlessly told Wyatt.
Wyatt saw nothing wrong with Quinn and Steffy flying together, but Liam asked how Steffy could have known exactly where Liam would be and when. Hope recalled seeing Quinn in Brooke's bedroom on the wedding day, and Liam asked if Hope had told Quinn where he'd been.
Wyatt admitted that he'd told Quinn; however, he hadn't known that she'd been with Steffy or about any note. Wyatt was sick of Liam playing Sherlock Holmes, but Liam wondered if Quinn thought marrying Wyatt off to Hope would create job security.
Wyatt was willing to suppose his mother had done it, but he said the solution would have been for Liam to send Steffy away. Liam told Hope that he'd be happy to explain why it hadn't been that way, but he wanted to do it in private, so Wyatt wouldn't report it back to his mother to use against them.
Hope asked for a moment alone with Liam. Wyatt said that it was her call if she thought Liam was worth one more moment of her time. Wyatt left, and Liam explained to Hope that Steffy probably would have talked to him at some point, but the choreography of their wedding day had been all Quinn.
Liam explained to Hope that Steffy had gotten the news that she could conceive and take a child to term. Because the barrenness had been the reason that his marriage to Steffy had ended, she'd wanted to tell him about the reversal of her condition. He said it had liberated them both from past regrets. Hope flatly said it was great, and she understood it.
Liam asked why Hope had run instead of joining him and Steffy and finding out what they'd been discussing at the time. Hope figured that she should have done that, but the bad and familiar feelings had been overwhelming.
Liam was surprised that, after all they'd been through, it had only taken one look to cause her to throw away their future and run to Wyatt. Hope explained that she hadn't heard the conversation, but she'd seen things that he hadn't. Liam said it had been simple; he'd congratulated Steffy, hugged her, and kicked her out.
Hope thought it was apparent that Steffy wanted to have kids with Liam. Liam agreed that it had probably been in the back of Steffy's mind that he'd leave the wedding to start over with her; however, it had become evident that it wouldn't happen, and Steffy had accepted it.
Wyatt returned to the room. He'd decided that he'd let Liam trash-talk his mother and him enough, and Wyatt wouldn't let Liam put Hope through any more agony.
"Hope, marry me. Come with me. Marry me," Liam said, ignoring Wyatt.
Wyatt couldn't believe that Liam didn't know when to stop. Still looking at Hope, Liam said they could find a justice of the peace and do it right then. He didn't care how it happened, as long as it happened "now." He said she knew he loved her, and she loved him. He asked her to take his hand and make it right for once and for all.
