""I'll be honest," Dixie said no longer evasively. She told Tad that she was ready to tell him why all of his dates were mysteriously disappearing. She claimed that she was worried that Tad was dating "inappropriate" women and that she felt somewhat responsible for leaving Tad in a lurch. So, rather than feeling guilty about the post-Dixie women, Dixie decided to step in as needed to look out for Tad's best interests. Tad squinted and looked closely at Dixie's face. "That was good," he grinned. Tad knew that Dixie was lying, saying that her "home spun homily" blew her cover. Dixie turned and raced towards the door. She began pounding and calling out for help. Tad was surprised and somewhat intrigued by Dixie's reaction. He walked up behind her and grabbed her. He then lifted her off the ground and turned Dixie towards him. Face to face, both Tad and Dixie seemingly melted together. Dixie looked longingly into Tad's eyes and told him that she'd never noticed the gold and silver flecks in his eyes. While Tad knew what Dixie was up to, it still bought Dixie enough time to escape Tad's grasp. She headed towards the other door and resumed her frantic banging. Tad was confident that no one would hear her cries and let her wear herself out. Perhaps he was a bit too confident. A voice called out from the other side---it was Braden. Tad rolled his eyes and let his shoulders drop in frustration.
Raquel continued apologizing profusely for her drink mix-up with Hayley. She'd hoped that she would be able to convince Mateo that she was disappointed in herself and thereby earn some of his comfort. Mateo was sympathetic at first, but Raquel went overboard and eventually drew Mateo's ire. Raquel said that she'd never forgive herself if the liquor blunder was what led Hayley to help Ryan escape. "If it is true, I'll never forgive you either!" Mateo snapped. Raquel's eyes widened as her head dropped. She realized that she wasn't going to get the results she wanted. After a few moments of silence, Raquel asked Mateo why he loved Hayley so much. Matt gave her an awkward glance and asked her why she wanted to know. Raquel said that knowing why Matt and Hayley share such a close bond might help her understand "'teo" a little bit better. Mateo told Raquel that he and Hayley are like "soulmates," and that they are no complete without one another. Raquel, in turn, referred to Mateo as Hayley's "white knight," who had come along to save Hayley from an alcoholic mother and a tyrannical millionaire father. "We're very different people," said Raquel comparing herself to the other woman in Mateo's life. The sincerity in Raquel's voice hinted that an accord might finally be reached between the two women. The sentiment, however, was merely part of another of Raquel's plots. She told Mateo that she now knew why he'd never told Hayley about their marriage---he was afraid that Hayley would fall off the wagon. Mateo vehemently denied hiding the truth from Hayley for fear that she'd resort to drinking. With each additional comment, Raquel asserted more comments about Hayley's battle with liquor. She wondered aloud how hard it must have been for Hayley not to have taken a drink when she found out that Mateo was not only married but a father as well! Again, Mateo was pushed over the edge. He blasted Raquel's coldness, telling her that he loved Hayley. He told his current wife that he wanted nothing more than to be married to Hayley---and to have her out of his life for good. When his anger subsided, Mateo hinted that he'd like to remain friends with Raquel---but only for Max's sake. A phone call came through which deeply concerned Mateo. He hung up the phone and raced out of the house. Raquel waited until she was alone before placing a call to Lynette Neal, her attorney. She told her attorney that some disturbing news had been unearthed since the custody hearing. The news, of course, was of Hayley's alcoholism. But not only was Hayley's drinking a problem---now she was also a suspect in helping a criminal escape from the police.
Down at the hunting lodge, Kit raced inside and locked the door. She jumped when a knocked sounded on the door. Edmund's voice called out from the other side. Kit allowed her friend into the lodge and listened to his concern about her being all alone. Kit assured Edmund that she'd be fine, but that didn't stop him from asking her to move to the main house for added security. Surprisingly, Kit was not receptive to the idea. In fact, she stunned Edmund by announcing that she planned to move back to The Valley Inn. She explained that her decision to move was an attempt "protect" protect herself from Edmund. Edmund took Kit's hand and told her that he understood why she might fear being around men, especially after being raped. But he swore to Kit that she did not have to fear him. Kit told Edmund that she wasn't afraid of him, but she was afraid of what her feelings for him might do. She again repeated that she had developed feelings for Edmund outside of their friendship. Edmund claimed that it was only natural for Kit to have feelings for him considering that he'd always been there for her in times of crisis. Kit shook her head and said that her feelings went beyond mere friendship. She said that she understood that Edmund was not at a point where he wanted anything more than friendship and claimed to admire Edmund for that. "It's not about gratitude and friendship," Edmund responded. He went on to say that he'd been acting "blind and self serving" ever since he and Kit kissed a few days prior. He told Kit that he'd been denying that the kiss was more than "just a kiss." He also admitted that he'd actually enjoyed knowing that the kiss meant a great deal to Kit. For that, he apologized. He told Kit that he'd really asked her to move in to the main house because he enjoys seeing Kit on a daily basis. He called her a "beautiful, funny, complex" personality, who he wanted to get to know better. Edmund confessed that he was still unsure if he'd ever emerge from his shell and be ready for another relationship. Kit was willing to take that chance. She told Edmund that she'd reconsidered her decision to move back to The Valley Inn. She headed off to pack up her few belongings. "It's a lot easier when you don't have a lot of baggage," Edmund commented. Perhaps, just perhaps, he wasn't referring to the kind of baggage that holds one's clothing.
Hayley zipped along the highway and top speed. She was enjoying her stint as a wannabe racecar driver. The only thing that would have made the experience more enjoyable, she said to herself, was if Mateo was riding shotgun and Raquel was hanging on to the tail pipe by her lips. Several glances into the rearview mirror told Hayley that she was all alone on the dark road---the police were not following. She was about to throw a fit when the sirens finally sounded. Hayley kept on driving, ignoring the sirens and flashing lights behind her. She eventually pulled over and almost immediately held her driver's license out the window. A loud voice sounded over a bullhorn telling her to get out of her car. Hayley rolled her eyes, but submitted to the demands. Once outside, Derek was furious with Hayley for getting involved in Ryan's great escape. Derek popped the trunk and looked inside. There was no sign of Ryan or Gillian. A further search of the car also turned up nothing. Trevor scurried over to his niece's side and told her that she had a lot of explaining to do. Derek allowed Hayley and Trevor to have a few minutes alone, but he warned Hayley that she would not get special treatment just because she was Trevor's niece. Trevor tried to convince Hayley that it would be best if she told the police everything she knew. Hayley turned her nose up on the law, saying that she did not regret what she'd done. She let it be know that she was "not exactly sure exactly where Ryan is at this exact moment." It sounded a little fishy to Trevor, but there was nothing that he could do to convince his niece to come clean. Derek returned and listened to Hayley's claim that she did not know where Ryan had gone. Hayley went as far as to state that she'd take a polygraph test. "You wanna know what my lie detector says?" Derek asked. He said nothing more. The next thing Hayley knew, she was locked up in a jail cell down at the police station.
Adrian entered the room and demanded to know what was going on. "Ask your mother," Palmer grinned. He told Adrian that Opal had fended off allegations that she and he were lovers by instead claiming that they were mother and son. Opal was unusually quiet and Palmer called her on her silence. Opal explained that she hadn't said that Adrian was her son---she said that he was like her son. Palmer shook his head and told Opal that she was changing her story. Opal looked at Adrian and told him that she did care for him, but that it was the type of "motherly instincts" that any woman would feel. Adrian accepted the explanation, but Palmer remained insistent that Opal had said that Adrian was her son. Adrian turned angrily towards Palmer and told him that he'd overstayed his welcome. He told the grumpy millionaire that he had a mother living down South and that she was not ready to give up her title of mother just yet. Palmer turned and was about to leave the room until, that is, he remembered that a photograph of Adrian's father was lying on the floor. He bent over and picked up the photo. With photo in hand, Palmer asked Adrian why Opal might have a picture of his father. Adrian remembered seeing the picture before. Still, there was something not quite right about the way Opal had kept the photo hidden. Opal told Palmer that she'd met Adrian's father during a tough time with her first husband, Ray Gardner. "Like father, like son," Palmer chuckled. Palmer wanted to know how old Adrian was during the time Frank was helping Opal. Adrian chimed in that he hadn't been born yet. Palmer nodded his head cockily. Every gesture, Palmer noted, indicated that Opal was hiding something. Adrian became furious with Palmer's insinuation that Opal was his mother. Adrian believed that Palmer was drumming up stories to hurt Opal and was not happy that Palmer was doing so at his expense. Palmer refused to leave, saying that he wanted to see the melodrama unfold. Dixie, Tad, and Braden wandered by the room and asked what was going on. "You're just in time for a family reunion," Palmer smiled. Tad looked around and asked Palmer what he was talking about. Palmer told Tad to say hello to his brother. When Tad said that he didn't see Jake, Palmer told Tad that he was referring to his "blood brother... Adrian." Tad chuckled slightly and jokingly said that the resemblance between him and Adrian was overwhelming. Tad looked to Opal for an explanation, but Opal wasn't saying much. "Who was it that said 'All men are created equal?'" Palmer sassed. His comment, citing one of Thomas Jefferson's more famous quotes, was a reference to the former president's reported adulterous affairs with slaves. The remark didn't sit well with Adrian. Adrian was about to pummel Palmer, but Braden stepped in between the two men and prevented an altercation. Palmer showed Adrian's father's picture to Tad. The picture sent Tad hurtling through time some twenty years. He recognized the man in the photograph as "Uncle Frank." He recalled the when on the run from his father, Ray Gardner, he and Opal had spent time in a cabin with the man known to Tad as Uncle Frank. Tad also recalled the Frank had whittled him a toy soldier out of wood. Adrian was shocked; he remembered that his father had created similar toys for him. Tad continued to reflect on the time he spent at the cabin. For some reason, Opal had tossed away the wooden soldier and asked Tad to never ever mention Uncle Frank to anyone. Tad began to chuckle as he recalled that Frank jokingly called Opal "Fat Mama." Suddenly, Tad's face froze. He realized that Opal had been pregnant at the time. A few moments of careful thought revealed that it was not possible for Opal to have been pregnant with Jenny, his sister. Palmer smiled arrogantly as he announced that he'd been right. "Nothing you said has ever been right," Opal sassed. "But what I said was," Tad interjected softly. Adrian pulled the Bible his mother had given him from his pocket. He asked Opal if she believed in what the Bible said. "AS sure as I hope to see Jesus," she replied. Adrian asked Opal to place her hand on the Bible and swear that what Tad was saying wasn't true. A teary-eyed Opal placed her hand on the Bible. "The truth is," she began, "you are my son.""
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