In the Nick of Time

Chapter Two


“I thought I told you to leave!” Rick said in anger, seeing Ridge was still there.
“I’m not leaving until your mother and I talk Rick.” Ridge calmly told him. “I know you don’t understand and I’m sorry about that, but I need to work this out with Brooke before I concern myself with you or anyone else.”
“Budge?” Rick challenged his sister. “Are you going to tell me what’s happening?”
“Rick it’s not important, what matters is finding Mom. Why are you back so soon? Did you find her?”
“Until I get answers from you two, you’re not getting any from me.” He frowned at Ridge and then at Bridget.
“Hey honey.” Amber said as she came down the stairs. “Did you find Brooke yet?”
“Well Rick?” Ridge parroted Amber. “Answer your wife. Did you find Brooke?”
“She’s safe.” He told them. “She’ll be home tomorrow. So you might as well leave Ridge, leave now.”
“I’m staying Rick.” Ridge answered. “If I have to wait all night long I am staying until I see Brooke.”
“What about the children?” Bridget asked. She gently stroked his arm. “It’s not a good idea to leave them all alone, they’re confused, they don’t understand either. You need to be with them.”
Ridge was torn at this point. Bridget was right, but he also knew he needed to talk to Brooke, before Rick or anyone else got to her. “Catherine is with them, Mother is too, I know she’ll stay. I need to see Brooke, you all have to understand that.”
“If she wanted to be with you she wouldn’t have walked out on the wedding.” Rick growled. “Go home Ridge! You’re not welcome here!” He walked to Ridge and started to push him towards the door.
“Why you little punk.” Ridge pushed back. “I told you, I’m not going anywhere!”
“Whoa, hold it!” Eric said as he walked in. “What the hell is going on here?”


“The children?” Massimo asked Stephanie when she came down the stairs.
“In bed, almost asleep. Today was very trying for them.” She looked around the room and smiled. The caterers had removed all traces of the wedding, it was almost as if it had never happened. “They did a good job.” She commented.
“It never should have come this far. I can’t believe that woman was actually going to go through with it!”
“But she didn’t.” Stephanie said softly. “Mass, she didn’t.” She took his hand. “But we have to talk.”
“It’s done, our son is safe.” Massimo sighed.
“Is he? I don’t think so Mass.” Stephanie walked to the couch and sat down. “We need to talk about Bridget.”
“She’s a fine woman Stephanie, and she is NOT his sister. This can work! This will work! She will make him the perfect wife! I know it! I know it!”
“Wife? Are you crazy?” Stephanie screeched. “She’s a girl, she’s a girl with her entire life ahead of her. Yes, she is ten times the woman Brooke will ever be, but she is his sister!”
“She’s not!” Massimo objected. “Stephanie, believe me, they are meant for each other, this is the woman that Taylor would have wanted to raise her children, not Brooke, never Brooke!”
“No, not Brooke.” Stephanie agreed. “But not Bridget either Mass. I will fight you on this, I will fight you to the end of time if I have to.”
“Stubborn woman.” He growled. He walked to the door, opened it and looked out. “Where is he? He should be home with his children.”
“Probably trying to talk to Brooke.” Stephanie replied.
“Why?” He pounded his fist against the door. “It’s over, he doesn’t need that tramp!”
“Because he thinks that she is what he wants. It will pass, we need to give him time, we need to be patient.”
“And if she changes her mind?” Massimo wondered.
“Then we have to take other measures, but not with Bridget. No Mass, not with Bridget.”


Eric had gotten Ridge to sit on the couch and Rick to sit on a chair, but the two men were still glaring at each other. Bridget was nervously biting her nails and Amber was looking on in a combination of confusion and amusement.
“Now Rick, I think you’d better tell us what you found out.” Eric said calmly. “We’re all worried about Brooke and I think you can help with this situation.”
“Mom doesn’t want Ridge to bother her.” He informed his father.
“Rick you have no clue what your mother wants!” Ridge shouted. He turned to face Eric. “Dad we can work this out if he just tells me where Brooke is!”
“We’re not going to settle anything this way. Ridge, you go home, you can talk to Brooke tomorrow. Rick, are you sure Brooke is safe?” Eric asked.
“She’s fine.” Rick said with another hateful look at Ridge. “No thanks to him!”
“Bridget? You seem to know something. Do you want to tell me?” Eric asked her.
“Nothing, nothing, nothing.” She repeated in a soft whisper.
“Dad I am not leaving until I talk to Brooke!” Ridge insisted.
“Come on son, this is not getting us anywhere.” Eric protested.
“Rick, if your mother is okay then maybe we should just go to bed.” Amber suggested. “We can work the rest out tomorrow. At least then we’ll be in shape to help Brooke.”
“I want HIM gone!” Rick pointed as Ridge.
“Go to bed son, I’ll talk to Ridge.” Eric assured him.
“Gone! You hear me Ridge, I want you gone!” Rick grabbed Amber’s hand and led her up the stairs.


Jackie Payne laughed heartily into the phone. “Yes, yes this was the best move for me. I just hope that Nicky decides to take that job, I’ve truly missed spending time with him. Yes, that’s true but the ocean can’t wrap it’s arms around him and keep him safe. No, true, very true.” She laughed. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m holding him back. I’d love him to find a lovely woman and start a life and a family. He’s not getting any younger.”
She listened to the other voice for a few minutes, taking time to sip her glass of Merlot. “You know the problem is he seems to turn away or he finds unavailable women attractive. I know he has shown interest in one woman, but she just got married today.” She laughed. “That’s my Nicky. Maybe soon he’ll find someone, I may just have to play matchmaker. No, he probably wouldn’t appreciate that.” She smiled as she picked up a framed photo of her son. “But I’d like to see him happy, I really would.”


Eric had finally given up trying to get information from his children. He was tired and upset and worried about Brooke, but pushing Ridge, Rick and Bridget was getting him nowhere. He had left to go home to Stephanie, leaving Ridge and Bridget downstairs in Brooke’s house. Ridge was still pacing and Bridget was still biting her cuticles. “It’s not your fault.” Bridget told him.
“Of course it is Bridget. I don’t know how I let things go so far, go so crazy. I hurt Brooke, I let her down and I need to fix things, I need to prove to her that I love her.”
A single tear slid down Bridget’s cheek. “And us?” She asked.
“There can’t be an us Princess, too many people will get hurt.”
“Mom is already hurt Ridge. Maybe it was meant to happen, maybe this is our time, our chance.” She gazed at him longingly. “Dad isn’t going to quit till he finds out, Mom will tell him, you know she won’t lie to him.”
Ridge walked to Bridget and pulled her into his arms, he gently stroked her hair. “Princess, I love her, you know I love her.”
“And me? How do you feel about me Ridge?” She asked hopefully.
“I don’t understand what happened.” He shook his head. “It’s wrong Bridget.”
“If it’s wrong, then why does it feel so right?” She looked him deeply in his eyes. “Ridge, all I want is to make love to you. I want to be yours in every way. I want you so badly it hurts.”
“Princess.” He gasped. And then, unable to deny his feelings his lips took hers in a deep, soulful kiss.


“Damn, my wallet.” Eric reached in all of his pockets. “I must have left it at Brooke’s when I gave Little Eric that five dollar bill.” He sighed. He looked down at his watch. “Oh well, it’s not that late, I’ll go back for it.” He put his key back into the ignition of his car and started it up.


Nick took a sip of his drink and looked down at Brooke again. “You’re so pretty, and so sad. I wish I could wipe those tears away.” She gently moaned in her sleep and rolled over. “I wonder if you’ll give me a chance.” He walked to her and adjusted the blanket. “Sleep well Brooke, things will get better, I promise they will.” And then he leaned down and gently kissed her sleeping lips.


“Oh Ridge, Ridge.” Bridget moaned.
“No, don’t talk, don’t say anything.” Ridge implored her. His hands reached to her waist and pulled her blouse from her pants, then they crept up underneath, caressing her soft young skin.
“Take me, please take me.” She begged.
“Princess, God Princess.” He moaned as he felt himself growing more impatient to comply.
“Yes.” Bridget sighed. Her hand reached down to stroke him through his trousers. “Please Ridge, please.”
“Princess.” He moaned louder and started to open the buttons of her silk blouse. Bridget pulled her arms free until she was only wearing her demi bra. Ridge couldn’t stop himself, he reached down and freed one pert breast then lowered his mouth, taking her hard nipple into his mouth.


“Good, they’re still up.” Eric said as he turned the doorknob. “Ridge, I forgot my, what the hell are you doing?” He shouted.
Bridget jumped from Ridge’s arms, her hands reaching to cover her bare breasts. Ridge pulled at his fly that Bridget had opened. Both of them flushed with shame and embarrassment. “Dad, it’s not what you think!” He reached down and scooped up Bridget’s bra and blouse, handing them both to her. She struggled into the blouse, abandoning any hope of getting the bra back on.
“She’s your sister! My God Ridge, she’s your sister!”
“Dad wait.” Bridget started sobbing. “I’m not, we’re not, Dad please.”
“What the hell?” Rick stood at the top of the stairs, looking down from Ridge, to Eric to his half nude sister. “I’ll kill you!” His eyes glazed with hatred towards Ridge.
“Oh my God, my God, what are you doing?” Eric reached for his chest and held it tightly.
“Daddy!” Bridget screamed, running to him. “Daddy are you alright?”
“I’ll never be alright again.” He managed to gasp.


“You’d better leave.” Stephanie said to Massimo. She looked at the tall grandfather clock. “It’s late, Eric will be home soon.”
“He has to know eventually Stephanie. We won’t be able to keep it a secret, I don’t want to keep it a secret and you know that bitch is not going to keep it a secret.”
“She will, she will to protect him.” Stephanie told Massimo. “As angry as she is right now Brooke will always want Ridge, and she will do anything to protect him.”
“Eric has to know, the world needs to know that Ridge is my son. It’s unfair to me Stephanie, it’s unfair to Ridge! How can you deny our son his heritage? You want him to spend the rest of his life thinking he is nothing but a dressmaker?” He asked with disgust.
“That’s what he is Mass, he is Eric’s son, you may have sired him but Eric raised him, he made him the man he is today.”
“Man? Ha! My son will become a man, under MY tutorage.” Massimo promised. “I’ve given you time Stephanie, way too much time. I will not deny my son, no longer. You tell Eric, you tell him, or I will!”


Bridget blew her nose and looked up at Eric. He was pale with shock, his hands were shaking as he looked from Bridget to Ridge.
“How can this be? How could you have hid this from me? Why Ridge? Why? And how could the two of you? It’s disgusting! It’s incest!”
“We’re not related.” Ridge halfheartedly argued.
“You raised her as you daughter! Your child! You changed her diapers! You delivered her! And what I saw, my God what I saw! You both disgust me.”
Amber squeezed Rick’s hand and held it tightly. He was also in shock, so many secrets had spilled, so much pain. Hope was Deacon’s, Ridge was Massimo’s and Ridge and Bridget were in love. He pulled Amber to him and held her. “No wonder Mom did what she did. I can’t believe this is happening, I can’t believe it.”
“It was a mistake, we were both confused.” Ridge protested. “I love Brooke, I want to marry Brooke.”
“What?” Bridget gasped. “After tonight? You can still say that Ridge? You still want her?”
“Bridget STOP IT!” Eric shouted at her. “This is wrong, it’s so wrong!”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry but I love him.” She looked from Ridge to Eric as she sobbed. “It’s not fair! She took Deacon from me, she can’t have Ridge too! She can’t!”
“Bridget come with me, I’m taking you home now!” Eric commanded her. He turned his attention to Ridge. “I will talk to YOU tomorrow.” He shook his head in disgust.
“Dad?” Rick called out.
“Rick, are you going to be all right?” Eric asked him.
“I’ll be fine Dad, but what about you?”
“I don’t know son.” He sadly admitted. “Please you two, be here for your mother when she comes home, she’s going to need you. I’ll be back when I can.”
“We will Mr. Forrester.” Amber promised him.
“Come on Bridget.” He grabbed his daughter’s hand. “Let’s go.” He said as he led her out of the house.
Rick walked over to Ridge. “You’re disgusting.” He told him.
“Rick, it was a mistake, it was wrong, you can’t imagine how much I’ve gone through. First Taylor, then learning that Massimo was my father.”
“And you thought you could just use my mother to help you?” Rick said in disgust.
“No Rick, I love her, I do. I can’t excuse what I did, but I will make it up to her.”
“She knows.” Amber reminded him. “How can you make it up to her now Ridge?”
“If it takes the rest of my life, I will.” He promised. He sat down on the couch and looked at Rick and Amber, begging for their forgiveness.


“Ohhhhhh.” Brooke moaned and held her head. “What time is it?” She asked Nick. He had been sitting on a chair, watching her sleeping. He smiled and looked at his watch.
“It’s early, only six AM, why don’t you try and go back to sleep.”
“How much did I drink?” She asked.
“Not too much, but you didn’t eat and you were a wreck to begin with. Alcohol has a way of hitting you hard when you have the least resistance. ” He reminded her.
“It’s like it was a bad dream, but it’s real isn’t it Nick?” She asked him.
“Yeah, it is.” He got up and walked to the couch and sat next to her. “But it will get better.”
“Optimist.” She said with a laugh.
“It’s a good attitude.” He told her.
“It’s going to take time.” She sighed. Suddenly she sat up straight. “Oh my God! Hope!”
“She’s fine.” Nick assured her.
“They must be frantic, no one knows where I am!”
“I called your son.” Nick informed her. “He knows you’re safe and he knows you’re with me.”
“You called Rick? How did you know how to get in touch with him?” She asked.
“I used your cell phone.” He winked.
“Oh.” She sat back. “He must think I’m terrible.”
“I’m sure you can explain it all.” He told her. “How’s your head?”
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mack Truck.” She rubbed her temples. “I don’t suppose you have aspirin.”
“I do, and I have something even better.” He got up, went to the refrigerator and returned with a tall glass of a reddish, orange colored liquid. “Drink up.” He handed it to her.
“What’s that? Nick I don’t want more liquor.”
“It’s not.” He assured her. “It’s something guaranteed to help you clear your head though. Tomato juice with a kick.” He nodded as Brooke brought it to her mouth.
“Hot. Spicy.” She said as she took a tiny sip.
“Here.” He handed her two aspirins. “Take these too.”
“Thanks.” She took them and washed them down with the juice. “Are you sure there wasn’t any liquor?” Brooke frowned.
“None, but if you want, I can make you one with some.”
“No.” She smiled again. “Hey, you’re good.” She told him.
“I’ve been told.” He winked again.
“Captain Payne, you KNOW that is not what I meant.” She laughed. “You make me laugh. In fact, I can almost forget my problems.”
“Almost?” He asked. “I’m going to have to try harder.”
“Nick.” She giggled. “You’re really like a breath of fresh air.”
“Can I ask you something?” He wondered.
“Sure, I owe you.”
“It’s personal, so if you don’t want to tell me.”
“What is it?” She asked.
“Did you ever find out who left that note in that book?” He asked.
“Wow, you don’t pull punches.”
“Hey, if it’s too personal.”
“No, I brought it all up, you were kind to me to listen. No, we never found out who it was, but I had my suspicions.”
“Someone who wanted you away from Ridge?” He asked.
“Yes.” She said. “And the thing that still bothers me is that they believed it, and it was so impossible.”
“Well, it wasn’t impossible was it? I mean if you loved the guy and you wanted him to be that father.” Nick stopped. “I’m not accusing you, I’m just saying that I guess I can see where someone would believe it.”
“If it was just a case of lying, fine. Yes, I wanted her to be Ridge’s, I believed she was Ridge’s, but Nick, I didn’t have a million dollars! I mean I could have gotten it, but only with Eric knowing about it. I hadn’t won my 51% for BeLieF yet, and I didn’t have that kind of money. Yet they believed I could do it. Sometimes I get so angry thinking about it.” She finished her juice and handed him the glass. “I guess I stopped caring who did it when Ridge believed me. I didn’t care what Stephanie thought and I think Eric believed me. Oh Nick, it was a bad time in my life, but it almost worked out too. Ridge and I, we almost made it.”
“I didn’t mean to open old wounds, I just wondered if there was some enemy out there.” He gave her a crooked smile.
“Would you protect me?” She asked softly.
“With my life.” He answered quickly. The honesty in his voice touched Brooke and her eyes welled with tears.
“I almost believe you.”
“I meant it Brooke.” He said. Then, to her shock he leaned over and kissed her. It was a soft kiss, one of desire and promise. It was gentle, just lips meeting lips, innocent and yet sensual. Then Nick’s hands cupped her face and pulled her closer to him. The kiss deepened and Brooke sighed as she parted her lips slightly, enjoying the feeling, the closeness and the newness. It was like a sudden, electric shock when their tongues touched and that shock made Brooke jump back. She stared at him, confused by his actions and by her own desires. “I’m not going to apologize.” Nick told her.
“No.” She whispered. “You don’t have to.”
“There is life after Ridge.” He assured her.
“And you think that life is you?”
“You could do worse.”
“I’m not ready for this.” She shook her head.
“But you will be, and I’ll be right here. All you have to do is call.”
“I don’t have your number.” Brooke meekly protested.
“Ah, but you do.” He laughed. “I took it upon myself to program it into your phone.”
“Presumptuous.” She smiled, but in all honesty was flattered.
“Perhaps.” He grinned at her. “Again, you could do worse.”
“Yes.” She agreed. “Nick?” Her eyes were sultry with desire and Nick knew in her vulnerable state that he could have her. She wanted him. At that moment she wanted him and he knew it.
“No, not now, not like his.” He leaned back in and gave her a short but tender kiss. “Breakfast. I don’t have any food so you get a choice.”
“Oh I do?” She smiled.
“I can fish.” He grinned. “But that could take a while.”
“Yes.” She agreed.
“Or I could go and pick something up and bring it back, or we could go out together.”
“Or I could go home and eat with my daughter.” Brooke said, sitting straighter.
“Yes, you could do that. But then you’d have to agree to a rain check.”
“Are you asking me out on a date?” Brooke asked him.
“I guess I am.”
“Nick, I’m not ready for dating.”
“A friendly meal? Come on Brooke, you can handle that can’t you?”
“I’m not sure I want to be out in public right now. You don’t know what you’d be setting yourself up for. The press has a habit of following my moves, especially when I am down and out.”
“RIDGE is down and out.” He corrected her. “You’re just smart.”
“And they wonder why I left him at the altar. We’d be hounded.” She protested.
“I can handle that.”
“Nick, really, this was sweet of you but I’m just not ready for this.”
“I’m not taking no for an answer.” He warned her.
“Then you have to compromise.” She informed him.
“I can do that. What do you have in mind?” He asked.
“I don’t like smoking.”
“I won’t smoke near you.”
“I’m not ready for kissing.”
“You were.” He told her. “But I’ll respect that. For now.” He added.
“I have a thing about facial hair.” She frowned and crinkled her nose.
“So do I, it’s attached to my face.”
“Well, I guess it’s not like I’m going to marry you or anything.” She laughed.
“So the compromise is no kissing and no smoking?” Nick asked.
“And I cook.” She informed him. “Dinner at my house, not out.”
“Hmmmm, I’ve heard about your cooking.” Nick teased.
“I’m a good cook.” Brooke laughed. “Well, sometimes.”
“I was kidding. It sounds great, what time shall I be there? Eight? Nine?”
“Time? I didn’t mean tonight.” Brooke gasped.
“Too late, I already accepted.”
“Make it seven, I have a baby and she needs sleep.”
“I won’t keep her up.” Nick laughed. “Don’t be so scared Brooke, we had fun last night didn’t we?”
“Fun? True confessions time?” She smiled. “But wait, you didn’t tell me any of your secrets.”
“Tonight.” He winked. “Now THAT should be incentive.”
“It is.” She laughed.
“The shower is in there.” Nick pointed. “I put some fresh towels out for you. You clean up, I’ll go get us some coffee and bagels, then I promise I’ll drive you home. Deal?”
“Deal.” Brooke agreed with a broad smile.


“She had a bottle and she’s sleeping again. I don’t think she realizes Brooke isn’t here.” Amber informed her husband.
“You’re good with her Amber, she loves you, she trusts you.”
“I can’t believe she’s Deacon’s.” Amber sat down next to him on the bed. “I can’t believe your mother and Deacon had an affair.”
“Me either. I can’t believe anything that happened last night.” He told her. “Ridge and Bridget? It’s so disgusting Amber. What’s wrong with them?”
“It could be revenge, at least on Bridget’s part.” Amber suggested.
“I thought that too, but she took it too far, she was half naked.”
“I know.” Amber blushed at the thought. “Do you think that they ever, you know?”
“No!” Rick said too quickly.
“They seemed kinda, um, familiar.” She twisted a strand of hair with her finger.
“No, no, I think that everything just went crazy yesterday. I’m sure that Budge regrets it all. But Ridge?” He frowned.
“He seems determined to fix things with Brooke.” Amber reminded him.
“Not as long as I’m alive.” Rick said angrily. “He better not show his face around here ever again.”


Stephanie jumped up from the couch as the door opened. A disheveled Eric walked in and went straight to the bar. He poured a shot of whiskey and gulped it down, then turned to face his wife.
“You know.” She stated flatly.
“I know? That’s an understatement isn’t it?” He asked her. “What is it that I know? That Ridge isn’t mine? That Massimo Marone is the father of my son? That my wife has lied to me for over forty years?”
“No, that’s not true. I didn’t know Eric, I only found out when Ridge was hurt and your blood, your blood didn’t match.”
“And that fact was something you felt I had no right to know?” He asked with an angry snarl.
“I was upset, I was confused, I was in denial Eric. I never wanted anyone to know.”
“Massimo knew!” He shouted. “Ridge knew!” He threw the shot glass against the wall, shattering it.
“He, he only found out after Portofino, Bridget knew and well.” She stopped when she saw the shock on his face.
“Bridget knew? Why the hell did Bridget know? No, don’t tell me, this was all your idea wasn’t it? Set up MY DAUGHTER with OUR SON to keep Brooke away! That was it wasn’t it? Wasn’t it?” He screamed.
“Massimo told her. He shouldn’t have but he did. Eric I don’t approve of her crush, I’m working to stop it, I am.”
“Crush? Is THAT what you call it? She had her clothes off! His mouth was on her breast! You’ve perverted my children Stephanie! You and Massimo Marone have perverted my children!”
“No. No.” Stephanie paled and fell back onto the couch. “They couldn’t, they wouldn’t.”
“They did!” Eric growled.


“Are you sure you don’t want me to come in?” Nick asked Brooke as they sat in front of her house.
“I’m fine Nick.” She assured him. “Thank you so much for, for everything.”
“Thank me by not burning dinner.” He teased.
“Yes, dinner.” She remembered.
“I’ll see you at seven.” He said with a smile. Brooke reached for the door handle but Nick pulled her back to him. His lips captured hers in another kiss. “Seven.” He repeated when he finally let her go.
“Yyyyes, seven.” She stammered.
“Bye Brooke.” He smiled and waved as she got out of the car. He watched her until she was inside and then with a laugh he drove away.


Brooke looked around the living room. She hadn’t expected to spend the night away, especially not with a strange man. She wondered what Rick was thinking. She’d have to talk to him and to Amber. She needed to explain things and then she needed to talk to Eric. She couldn’t keep this a secret, not any longer. But maybe not today, maybe she could enjoy one carefree evening with Nick. She wondered how she could be so excited about it, so soon after the disaster of the wedding, but she was. She touched her kiss-swollen lips and smiled. “You’re one good kisser Captain Payne.” She whispered with a giggle. Brooke then walked up the stairs and opened the heavy door to her bedroom. As she reached to turn on the light she was thrown immediately back into reality.
“Logan, we need to talk.” Came Ridge’s voice from her bed. “We need to talk now.”

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