In the Nick of Time


Chapter One


Brooke Logan wiped the latest river of tears from her eyes and softly blew her nose. She reached down and absently stirred her margarita. How did it all come to this? She wondered. Her daughter and the man she loved, the man who once raised Bridget as his own, how did it come to this, how? “Oh Ridge.” She sighed aloud. Today was her wedding day and instead of being at a beautiful reception she was sitting alone at Los Olas trying to figure out what she was going to do with her life. The day had begun with some trepidation, she had been so frightened and so confused since overhearing Ridge and Bridget talking at he party, but she loved Ridge and she believed in their love so she had put it all aside. Then on the day that should have been the happiest one in her life they had betrayed her yet again. Would anything ever be right again? She wondered. “No.” She sadly answered her own question. “Nothing will ever be okay, ever again.” She looked down at the large golden stone on her hand, the promise ring that had been more than just a promise to her, it was her destiny, it was what she had waited for all her life. “No more.” She said as she removed it. She placed it next to her glass and stared down at it.
“Nice rock.” The masculine voice said. Brooke looked up at the handsome face looking down at her.
“Captain Payne.” She said with a soft smile.
“Can I join you?” He asked, but sat down without waiting for her reply. He placed his whiskey glass on the table and looked up at Brooke.
“I’m not very good company.” She warned him.
“I can understand that, and it’s Nick.” He smiled at her. “I heard you had a pretty hard day.”
“Bad news travels fast.” Brooke sighed.
“Bad for some.” He replied with a wink.
“I take it you agree with your bosses assessment of me then. Oh well, he won, I lost.”
“If you mean Massimo Marone, no Brooke, I don’t listen to idle gossip from fools. And as for who won and who lost, I can tell you who lost, the dressmaker, that’s who.”
“I suppose I won?” She sighed.
“You may not think so today, but some day soon you might.”
“Have you ever been in love Captain Payne?” She asked him.
“Nick,” He reminded her again. “And I’ve come close, maybe been there.”
“Oh you’d know if you had been.” She seemed lost in thought as a far-away look came over her eyes.
“Good memories can’t make up for all the pain he caused you.” Nick advised her.
“What do you know about that?” She asked.
“I’ve heard stories.” He picked up his drink and took a gulp. “What do you say we blow this joint?”
“I’m fine right here.” She declined his offer.
“No you’re not, but you will be.” He put down his glass, got up and helped Brooke out of her seat.
“Hey, I didn’t eat yet!” She protested.
“Who are you trying to fool? You’re not hungry, come on.” He held onto her elbow. “Believe me, this is the best offer you’re getting today.”
“I’m sure it is.” She gave him a laugh. “Alright Captain Payne, you win, Calgon, take me away.”


“Where could she have gone?” Ridge asked Bridget as he paced back and forth in Brooke’s foyer.
“She needs time to be alone.” Bridget told him. “She’s clearing her head, she’ll be back Ridge.”
“We did this! We did this to her! Damn it Bridget! How could I be so stupid?” He walked to the door, opened it and stared out. “Where is she?” He shouted.
“Ridge calm down.”
“How can I calm down? I blew it Bridget! I blew it!”
She saw the desperation and hurt on his face and it instantly dawned on her, he didn’t love her, not like she loved him. It was all a dream, a fantasy. She couldn’t hold back her own tears. “I ruined your life and her life and my life.” She said softly.
“Bridget no.” Ridge walked up to her and took her into his arms. “You were confused, that’s all.”
“No I wasn’t, I love you. I wanted a life with you Ridge.”
“Sh*t.” He muttered under his breath. He didn’t know what to say to her because despite all his protesting, he felt something for the girl too, something that may well have cost him the woman he had loved for so many years.


“Is this your boat?” Brooke asked as Nick helped her on board.
“Nope, I’m stealing it.” He answered with a sarcastic grin.
“Well then, let’s move fast, I already had an aborted wedding today, I don’t think I want to end up in jail.”
“I don’t think that will happen.” He laughed. He helped her down into the cabin. Brooke frowned at the mess and gave a squint as her nose turned up slightly. “Not up to your standards I see.”
“Sorry.” Brooke reddened and turned away. “Actually it’s, er, nice. But maybe I should lend you my cleaning lady.”
“I admit, I am not much of a housekeeper, but it’s just messy, not dirty, promise.” He moved a pile of clothes from an old lumpy couch and threw them into a ball on the closet floor. “I know, I know.” He laughed. “No fashion sense either right?”
“Now I didn’t say that did I?” Brooke couldn’t help from smiling.
“Let’s start over.” Nick took her hand. “This isn’t about my mess or my clothes, it’s about making you feel better.”
“Impossible.” She let out a deep sigh.
“Oh, I don’t think so. I’ve seen a few smiles. Now how about a drink?”
“Okay.” She agreed.
“Now mind you, I don’t have any of those frou-frou ladies drinks.”
“Do I look that type?” Brooke asked.
“Um, you look the champagne type.”
“I like it, but I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
“Bourbon, neat.” He said with a wink. “Or a bottle of beer if you’re prefer.”
“Bourbon sounds just right.” She said in a strong voice.
“Are you sure? You did say you didn’t eat.”
“Don’t worry, I promise not to get drunk and take advantage of you.” Brooke teased.
“Damn.” He laughed and snapped his fingers. Nick grabbed the bottle and poured them each a large glass. He handed one to Brooke. “Wanna sit down here or up on the deck?” He asked.
“Here, it’s more private.” She walked to the couch, sat down and leaned back. “Nick, why did you bring me here? I mean you don’t know me, why do you even care about my problems.”
“When I met you I liked what a saw Brooke, you seem like a good woman.”
“You liked my underwear.” She laughed.
“That too, but you’re a nice person, someone I took an instant shining to and someone shouldn’t be alone right now.”
“A charity case?” She wondered.
“Nah, just someone who had a bad day who needed a friend.”
“I had a bad day for sure. But I’m not so sure you’ll think I’m that friendly.”
“I’ll take that chance.” He said as he settled down next to her. He took a sip of his drink and put his glass down. To her shock his hands landed on her shoulders and he began to gently massage her. “You’re as tense as hell.”
“What a shock.” She laughed. “Oh that feels good, but I’m not so sure I want to feel good right now.”
“You want to wallow in your misery?” He asked.
“Would that be so bad?”
“Just a waste.” He told her. “Life’s too short and too precious to waste on misery. I think I’ll keep making you smile.” His broad smile brought on one of her own, even against her better judgement. She leaned back and let him continue to massage her.
“I can’t believe he did that, I just can’t believe it Nick. Why would he do this to me?”
“The man is a fool.”
“It’s bad enough that he would do it to me, but Bridget? How could he? How could they?”
“I don’t understand how a man can go from seeing someone as a sister to a, well lover.” Nick shook his head in disgust. “I’m not a fan of the dressmaker Brooke, I think you’re the lucky one, you got out in time.”
“His sister. Nick, he was her father, her father!” Brooke protested.
“What?” His eyes widened in shock.


“Do you have any idea what happened?” Amber asked her husband. “I was so shocked to see your mother run out like that.”
“She was really upset over something.” Rick responded.
“But this was Ridge Rick, this was the wedding she wanted all her life. It had to be something really big, something wild. Bridget seemed to know. Where is she?”
“I think she and Ridge went after Mom.” Rick responded. “I hate to interfere, but I really think we ought to go home, if Mom IS there maybe she could use our support.”
“You’re right.” Amber agreed. “Let’s get Little Eric from Helen and go home. Hopefully Brooke and Bridget are there.”
“And NOT Ridge.” Rick said angrily.
“Now it’s not fair to blame him Rick, you don’t know the facts yet.” Amber protested as she defended Ridge.
“The facts are that Ridge has let my mother down over and over as long as she’s known him and I have no doubts at all that he did it again. I WILL get to the bottom of this Amber, and I will protect my mother too.”


“I guess you don’t know as much about us as you thought.” Brooke said with a sad smile. “Ridge and I go back forever Nick, I can barely remember a time when I wasn’t in love with him.”
“Fine, but how does this make him Bridget’s father? I thought he was or at least thought he was her brother.”
“That happened later.” She sighed and put her head back and closed her eyes.
“You can’t just stop there.” Nick prodded her.
“Sorry, I was just remembering.” She sat up straight again and looked into Nick’s compassionate blue eyes and smiled. “I fell in love with Ridge before I ever met him.”
“Ah, the money? The glamour? The style?” He asked.
“All that I suppose, but it was more. He just was like a Prince Charming to me. I remember how I always watched him when he was around and then I started a scrapbook about him.”
“An obsessive fan.” Nick laughed.
“You could say that.” Brooke agreed with a smile. Nick was captivated. This sad woman was so beautiful, so vulnerable and yet so strong. He was finding himself more and more attracted to her by the moment.
“So how did you two get together?” He asked.
“My mother catered a party for the Forresters and of course, I volunteered to help.” She once more smiled as the memories seemed to float in front of her eyes. “Anyway, to make a long story short, we both were attracted, though he was engaged to Caroline. But that ended and Ridge and I started dating and then there were complications and he married Caroline and I married Eric.”
“That’s what I thought.” A confused Nick scratched at his beard. “So you cheated on Eric? Not that I’m judging you, I’m just trying to understand.”
Brooke blushed and nervously brushed back a strand of hair. “Yes, yes we did. But it wasn’t quite that simple. I don’t want to go into all the details but we were led to believe that Eric still loved Stephanie and of course I never stopped loving Ridge and then I knew he still loved me and yes, we made love.”
“I’m not condemning you Brooke.” He reassured her. “I’ve not exactly led an exemplary life. Go on.”
“We had a very brief but very passionate relationship. I was going to divorce Eric and Ridge and I planned to be married, but then things happened and Ridge couldn’t hurt Eric, so he left me.”
“Fool.” Was Nick’s single comment. This brought another brief smile to Brooke’s face.
“Maybe not. He married Taylor, they were happy, very happy. Anyway, on the day of his wedding to Taylor I found out I was pregnant and I knew it was Ridge’s child, I’d not been with Eric since Ridge and I had declared our love so it was impossible for the baby to be anyone else’s.”
“Bridget is Ridge’s?” Nick gasped. This made the entire situation more horrible than it already was. He reached for Brooke’s hand and took it into his own strong hand, gently stroking it.
“I thought she was. But it seemed that I had forgotten one drunken business meeting. Eric had taken me home and I took him into my bed. I won’t make excuses, I was wrong to do so, but it happened. So there was a paternity test.”
“But wait.” Nick stopped her. “Did Ridge marry Taylor? Knowing that you were carrying his child?”
“I didn’t make it on time.” She sighed. “I didn’t have a chance to tell him until after the honeymoon. By then it was too late.”
“When did you find out she was Eric’s?” He asked.
“You’re getting way ahead of yourself.” Brooke explained. “Once I told Ridge about the baby and it was all out in the open Eric reminded me of our night. So as soon as Bridget was born we did a paternity test. Oh Nick, I just knew she was Ridge’s. That’s why we called her Bridget, for us, Brooke and Ridge.”
“But the test said she was Eric’s?” Nick wondered.
“No, the test confirmed what I knew in my heart, she was Ridge’s.” She picked up her drink and downed the rest of it. “Can I have another?”
“Sure.” He got up and returned with the bottle. He refilled both of their glasses. “So what happened next?”
“Ridge wouldn’t leave Taylor, even though we shared a child. But he loved her Nick and he was a good father to her. Bridget adored him too. They spent the first six years of her life as father and daughter and then that horrible, horrible day.” She took another huge gulp. Nick watched her but didn’t say anything. He knew how sometimes memories could be very painful. Brooke was going to have a hard time tonight and many nights to come. She was entitled to let go, to drink to oblivion if she wanted to. And he decided that under no circumstances would Brooke retrieve her car and drive home.
“If this is too hard for you.” He said, giving her an out.
“No, it’s good, it’s good reminder, at least it makes my anger and disgust seem more justified.”
“Okay, but you don’t owe me anything Brooke, I’m a shoulder to lean on but you have a right to your secrets.”
“Secrets are the cause of all the upsetment Nick.” She said wistfully. “I think I’ve had enough secrets to last a lifetime. Anyway, what happened was someone left a note in a book saying that I had paid to tamper with the results. That I wanted Bridget to be Ridge’s no matter what and that I paid a million dollars for this to happen. I supposedly didn’t even want to know the truth, just that Bridget was his. It was crazy but it made everyone suspicious, even Ridge who was at that time my fiancé again.”
“He doubted you?” Nick asked with a frown. “Brooke I’m sorry. This really seems like a horrible thing to make you have to remember.”
“I’ve never forgotten, I never will. But apparently Bridget and Ridge have.” She sighed. “Anyway, we did another test, three tests and they all came back saying that without a doubt Eric was her father. So we were all pretty devastated.”
“So he left you?” Nick challenged.
“At first, but we reconciled, for a time at least. Somehow it seems Ridge and I are destined never to quite make it.” She picked up her glass and downed it again. Then she held her glass to Nick for another refill. “Will you drive me home?” She asked.
“Without a doubt.” He grinned at her. “Do you want to change the subject?” He asked.
“I think so.” She told him. “I think I’ve talked enough about Ridge and Bridget for tonight. And I’m sure you’re bored to death with my sad little stories. I’ve talked your head off and I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. That’s why we’re here Brooke.”
“You’re a very nice man.” She smiled at him and gently touched his cheek. “Fuzzy, but nice.”
“Let’s go get some air.” He suggested.
Brooke started to stand but stumbled back onto the couch. “I don’t think so. Maybe I can just sit here a moment.”
“You rest, I’m going to go up and have a smoke. I won’t be long.” He leaned over and kissed her softly on her forehead. “Yell for me if you need me.”


“What the hell are you doing here?” Rick accused Ridge as he and Amber entered Brooke’s home, carrying their sleeping son.
“I’m waiting for Brooke.”
“Obviously she doesn’t want to see you.” Rick said angrily. “I think you better leave Ridge.”
“Stop it!” Bridget shouted at Rick. She ran to Ridge’s side and grabbed his arm. “Don’t go Ridge, he has no right to tell you to leave.”
“I don’t know what the hell is going on here Bridget, but it’s obvious that Mom doesn’t want to be around Ridge. I want him to leave, I want him to leave now!”
“Where is Brooke?” Amber innocently asked.
“Isn’t she in bed?” Rick turned to face his sister.
“She didn’t come home.” Ridge informed them.
“Amber, get Eric to bed, I’m going out to find her.” Rick told his wife. “And when I come home, you better be gone.” He said, pointing at Ridge.

Nick returned to find Brooke curled up like a baby and snoring softly on his couch. “Poor kid, you’ve had one hell of a day.” He said to her sleeping figure. He kneeled over and removed her shoes. Then he pulled out a blanket and covered her up. “Your baby.” He remembered. He reached for his cell phone. “Damn, I don’t know your number.” He softly cursed. “Well, hope you’ll forgive me.” He retrieved her purse and searched through it until he found her own cell phone. He punched the buttons until he found one for Rick Forrester. “This will do.” He smiled and hit the send button. On the second ring Rick came on.
“Mom!” He almost shouted.
“No Rick, but she’s fine. This is a friend of hers, Nick Payne.”
“Nick Payne from Marone?” Rick asked. Nick could hear the frown in his voice.
“One and the same.”
“Is my mother with you? Put her on!” Rick demanded.
“You’re mother had a little bit too much to drink and she’s sleeping. Don’t worry about her Rick, she’s fine and I’ll get her home first thing in the morning. I just didn’t want you to be worried. Can you make sure someone is with her baby?”
“We live with her!” Rick said indignantly.
“Then that solves the problem.” Nick told him. “Tell your family that Brooke is being taken care of and she’ll see you all tomorrow.”
“Where are you? I’m coming to get her!” Rick shouted.
“Goodnight Rick.” Nick said and then he hung up. “Sorry kid, but she’s just fine where she is right now.”

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