As the family gathers in the conference room, Eric thanks everyone for a nice Christmas - then stuns them with the news that he and Stephanie have made a decision to go their separate ways. Stephanie assures them she'll keep working at Forrester while Eric says he's staying married to Donna.

As Ridge wonders how this happened, Felicia forces Thorne to admit he did something that backfired. Stephanie again insists "no tears" as she and Eric talk about how incompatible they are while unknowingly showing how compatible they actually are.

Eric then announces that he's appointing Ridge as CEO while Rick will stay on as President.

Assuring him that she's happy, Donna leaks to Owen that Pam is back in L.A. but adds that she doesn't know that she and Eric are back together.

When Eric arrives in the showroom, he spots Grace and realizes that Thorne hired her to fool him. He also remarks about the special bikini she's wearing, unaware that Pam crocheted it.

Donna's embarrassed that he likes it. He then assigns her to be in the show tomorrow and stuns her with his decision to make the bikini the showstopper she'll be wearing.

Owen privately urges Donna to go ahead with his request.

Ridge suggests to Brooke that they get married right after tomorrow's show. When Rick tells her how beautiful she is, Steffy reminds him that she's with Marcus and that her father is already in so much pain without having to deal with a relationship between them.

Admitting he made a promise, Rick tells Steffy he intends to stay away from her and her family. But when he wishes that he was the one who was dead and not her sister, she pulls him into a kiss.

Until next time on The Bold and the Beautiful ...