Katie Plants a Kiss On Carter, and Hope Locks Lips With Thomas… or Does She?

Pulling away from Bill’s hug, Brooke says that he can’t be there. He knows how Ridge feels about him (not to mention Deacon). But Bill knows the deal. “Ridge isn’t coming home anytime soon,” he says. “He’s in Aspen, with Taylor.” An indignant Brooke wants to know who told him that and he refuses to throw anyone (coughOthellocough) under the bridge. Instead, he just drives home the point that Brooke needs to give up on her husband, which she obviously has no intention of doing. (Somehow, she manages to avoid saying the word “destiny.”) As they’re talking, Liam enters and overhears them talking.

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Liam asks what happened. “What do you think happened?” replies Bill. “Forrester happened. He let her down again, and it is killing me to see her this way.” Bill suggests she shouldn’t be alone, but Liam says it might be best if his dad leaves. Before exiting, Bill promises that she will never be alone, as he’ll always be there for her.

Alone with Liam, Brooke continues to spiral. “I just don’t understand,” she sobs to Liam. “I really had faith in Ridge and me. I did. I fought so hard! But Ridge left me for Taylor.” How she doesn’t add the word “again,” I don’t know. But she doesn’t. Brooke and Liam dissect why Ridge might have left, but they can come up with no solid answers.

Thomas is on the phone with Steffy, each of them once again celebrating the reunion of their parents. Okay, sure, we only see his side, but it’s pretty clear Steffy’s on the other end glowing. Just then, Hope enters to hear the tail end of the conversation. He shocks her with the news that Taylor and Ridge have reunited.

Although upset by this news, Hope wisely says that her mom “deserves a man who only has eyes for her. (In a way, this is sort of a nice dig at Thomas’ mom, who clearly doesn’t mind being with a guy who’s ping-ponged for years. Bazinga!) Hope asks Thomas why Ridge did this, but he suggests she should just call it a night and go home. There’s too much work to do, however, for the upcoming fashion show. He says that his latest design is behind the changing screen if Hope wants to try it on, so she slips behind it and changes clothes.

In the main office at Forrester, Katie and Carter catch up. She tells him that Bill wants her back (duh), but adds that she can’t possibly trust him while her sister is still in the picture. And of course, this being Brooke, she will always be in the picture. Noticing the time, Katie wonders why Carter isn’t rushing home to be with Quinn. Looking downtrodden, Carter admits that he has nobody to go home to… Quinn has moved out!

Katie is shocked, asking what happened. “I was ready to marry Quinn, to have a family,” he reveals. But Quinn was on a different path, being newly divorced and having already raised her son. “She can’t give me what I want,” he says. (Can we just acknowledge that this makes no sense whatsoever, given that Quinn and Carter initially bonded over just how badly he wants to be married and start a family. Why would she dump Eric and rush into the arms of Carter if she didn’t want the same things?) “I was ready to risk everything for her and then she just, what, walks out on me?” Carter laments.

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He wonders if maybe it was too much too soon, and that Quinn would never get over Eric. Katie gets it, given that she thinks Bill will never be over Brooke. “I’m going to say something that I probably shouldn’t,” says Katie. “I’m glad Quinn is gone. She never deserved you.” Their commiseration takes an unexpected turn when she declares him amazing and plants a passionate kiss on him. (Okay, fine, totally expected).

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Down the hall in the design studio, Hope steps out in the gorgeous dress Thomas designed. She looks stunning, and things get a bit intimate between them as he touches the bodice, and then runs his hands down her back. “You look beautiful,” he says. She points out he probably says that to all the models, but he corrects her. “I’m a one-woman man, and that woman is you.” Just like that, Hope lunges for his lips, and they begin passionately making out. (Anyone who knows this show, as I do, is probably assuming this is a dream sequence, but we won’t find out for sure until tomorrow… )

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Brooke continues talking to Liam about the end of her marriage, and finally says the D-word, declaring she and Ridge were “destined” to be together. She asks Liam to leave, saying she needs to be alone. He gives a glance to the bottles of booze, clearly concerned she might have a drink. And sure enough, once he’s gone, Brooke makes a beeline for the vodka. But before she can take a swig, Liam stops her. Brooke collapses in his arms, weeping. (Yeah, these two are totally gonna sleep together.)

Next on The Bold and the Beautiful: It could be a whole new beginning for Carter and Katie — whom you’ll recall flirted with the idea of dating — after what happens next!

From the start, Katie’s had a rough go of it, as illustrated in our timeline of the highs and many, many romantic lows she’s suffered!

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