Though it seemed like their marriage could be over, Finn and Steffy are battling back on The Bold and the Beautiful. But Sheila might have other ideas.
Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang) tells Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) and Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) that she can’t believe that Liam rejected Hope’s plea to get back together. Steffy looks on in contemplation.
Thomas (Matthew Atkinson) tells Hope (Annika Noelle) that he never wants to stop kissing her ever again, but she doesn’t look so convinced.
Eric (John McCook) tells RJ (Joshua Hoffman) that he needs his help getting his ideas down on paper. His hands just aren’t working right. “Will you help me?” he asks.
Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) looks at a photo of Finn and Steffy on her phone and smiles. When Deacon (Sean Kanan) comes in with the mail, including a letter for her, she reminds him that her staying there is a risk full of big rewards. She kisses him again.
RJ tries to convince Eric to tell Ridge what’s going on, but Eric isn’t ready. He needs someone with a “steady hand” to help bring his vision to life.
Brooke can’t believe Liam won’t accept Hope’s apology, but Ridge points out that some men can’t handle betrayal. Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor) walks in with something for Ridge. He overheard what they were talking about and tells them that neither one of them turned the papers in to be filed, so maybe there’s still a chance.
Thomas tells Hope she deserves to be with someone who truly loves her. It’s clear that his words are getting through to her.
Sheila really appreciates that Deacon is letting her stay with him. He doesn’t mind but he knows it’s a huge risk if Hope and Brooke find out.
RJ insists that he’s not a designer. Eric guessed he might say that, and he’s prepared. He has one of the birthday cards RJ made for him. Though he’s joking, he says that being a Forrester means that being a designer is in his blood. “So when do we start?” RJ asks.
Brooke knows that Hope understands what she did was wrong. Steffy thinks it might take some time, while Ridge worries that this will lead Thomas to lose track of all the progress he’s made.
Thomas tells Hope that they need to be honest and true to themselves. He’s using designs as a metaphor, saying that using old designs and trying to make them new again is exactly what Liam does. He looks to the past for nostalgia, which means Hope needs to be true to who she is. He tells her that their kiss in Rome lit a fire in him, and being in bed with her was incredible. Thomas isn’t looking to the past like Liam, rather all he sees is Hope. She smiles, but she looks a bit uncertain.
Ridge wants to be sure that his concern for Thomas doesn’t make Steffy think he’s not thinking about her. He agrees that they need Sheila to be back in jail.
Deacon says he loves Hope so much, and after growing up without a family there’s no way he’ll lose his daughter. Sheila promises not to blow her cover and she’s grateful that she could count on him because she’s alone.
Eric is so grateful to RJ for his help. He promises to help RJ every step of the way. He starts giving RJ an idea of his vision. Though he stumbles trying to remember the word “tack” he insists that his mind is as sharp as ever.
Hope tells Thomas that things are moving quickly. He tells her he’s reformed and now he wants to love her the way no one in her world can.
RJ tries his best to sketch out his grandfather’s vision under his guidance. Eric thinks they make a great team and he appreciates RJ’s assistance. RJ appreciates that Eric is entrusting him with something this important. When Eric asks him not to tell his father, he instantly agrees.
Hope says she’s always trying to do the right thing and make sure there were no regrets before they got divorced. She hears Thomas and what he’s saying, but she’s not in love with him and she doesn’t want to take advantage of him. He agrees they moved really fast but doesn’t question that he can show her how much he loves her. He asks if they can go to dinner, but Hope has other ideas that go along with something else she’s “craving.” Once the door is locked, they start kissing.
Brooke notices how quickly Ridge and Carter left the office. Steffy says the meeting wasn’t on the calendar and wonders where they went.
Sheila wants to show Deacon how much she appreciates everything he’d given her. She kisses him and unbuttons his shirt. A knock at the door interrupts them. It’s Ridge and Carter, and they’re looking for Sheila.
Hope is skating on thin ice.
While she now has the clarity she needed about the state of her marriage to Liam, she also knows that she’s not in love with Thomas and she doesn’t want to lead him on.
The problem is that he’s in love with her, and though he’s a reformed man, his issues in the past were triggered by his obsession with her. Knowing that Liam doesn’t stand in his way, and after getting a taste of what life with Hope could be like, well, he might not be able to stop what they start.
Hope clearly likes what Thomas is saying. He’s saying all the right things about being devoted only to her, something she can’t get from Liam. He loves her, pure and simple, and he’s ready to show her.
Will Hope’s decision to skip dinner and go straight to dessert trigger Thomas into thinking that she’s on the same page with him? She made her intentions clear, but her actions and her words don’t exactly match up and this could lead to problems down the road.
The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS and the following day on Paramount Plus. Check your local listings to see when it comes on where you are.
