Some time later, Tawny felt betrayed when Ric admitted to investigating her. They soon made up and started spending more time together. Meanwhile, Tawny didn't get along with her young stepmother, Gretchen, and they frequently exchanged barbs. Ric believed that Tawny's wild streak was an attempt to grab her father's attention. Slowly but surely, their relationship began to deepen.

Soon after getting a job with Tawny's father, Ric started spying on an environmental group called the Blue Sky Brigade. He disappeared during a train ride to a Blues conference, after talking to a blond woman. Cruz was worried about his brother and asked Tawny if Ric's sudden interest in the environment was related to his new job. Harland lied to Tawny that it wasn't. Ultimately, Tawny admitted to Cruz that Ric had been working for her father, prompting Cruz to become suspicious about Harland. Nevertheless, Harland assured Tawny he had nothing to do with Ric's disappearance. While Tawny defended her father, she slowly began to distrust him.

Ric was finally found and went to Mexico to hide, but not before telling Tawny not to trust her father. Feeling Tawny pulling away from him, Harland offered her anything she wanted for her twenty-first birthday. Later, after Harland had the Blues office blown up, killing Nikki Alvarez, he was nearly killed himself by Michael Donnelly, Nikki's grieving fiance. Tawny and Ric stopped Michael, and Harland was arrested for his involvement in Nikki's death.

As if this turn of events wasn't shocking enough, Ric's mother, Carmen, revealed that Harland Richards was his real father. This, of course, meant that Ric was Tawny's half brother. Ric agonized over telling Tawny the truth, but finally did. She was devastated and ran out. Ric left town.