Jake fell hard for Vicky's twin, Marley (then Ellen Wheeler), but she dumped him after learning he was sleeping with her sexy sis on the sly. Jake perservered, and eventually they reunited when he rescued Marley from Carl Hutchin's evil clutches, "We went on location to Arizona," relates Eplin, who just laughs thinking about his '80's-style 'do. "What the hell was I thinking? Was that ever 'in' or did I just invent the look myself?" For Jake, Marley's appeal was her innocence. "She was a person who had this blind trust in humanity and it was refreshing." Determined to keep Jake and Marley apart, Donna faked a heart attack, forcing the couple to put their wedding plans on hold.
1986 Unable to shake his hard-luck upbringing, Jake was consumed by his quest for the alimighty dollar. McKinnon attempted to steal some of the sought-after Egyptian treasure, per Vicky's suggestion. Their big bucks scheme was almost a big bust: While Jake and Vicky were trapped in a cave, an avalanche trapped them inside. Believing they were goneers, the two admitted they still cared. Nevertheless, Jake returned to Marley after they were rescued. Despite Vicky's best efforts, Jake and Marley married. "It was a very small wedding, because [Ellen and I] were leaving the show," recalls Eplin. "So they just sort of threw it together in somebody's living room."
1988 After a year-and-a-half hiatus, Eplin returned to AW. Things were rocky on the homefront for the newlyweds, due in part to Jake's indiscretions and Marley's infertility problems/ When she left town to get a divorce, he sought comfort with Vicky, who turned up pregnant. One problem: She didn't know if the dad-to-be was Jake or her new hubby, Jamie. Vicky was a little relieved when Jake was told he had infertility problems. "Jake's sperm did have trouble swimming in the late '80's," quips Eplin. Marley returned, and the couple tried to address the state of their shaky union.
1989 While stranded on the Frame farm during a snowstorm, Jake delivered Vicky's baby -- a boy, names Steven -- with a little coaching from Doc Jamie on the phone. Stubborn Jake insisted on a paternity test to prove he was not the baby's father. "Jake is a character who has not had alot of healthy relationships," notes Eplin, about Jake's decision to fight Vicky for custody. "I think that was akin to, 'If I can't have you, you can't have anybody.' He thought, 'That's got to be my child!' " It wasn't
1990 While wooing Marley yet again, Jake slept with Paulina (then Cali Timmons) and bugged her phone to prove (for Iris) that Paulina wasn't Mac Cory's daughter. After being threatened by most of Bay City, Jake was shot, launching a dramatic whodunit. "I was tired at the time and they were going to give me a little rest and put me in a coma," Eplin recalls. "And -- damn! -- I worked more in that coma than I did regularly. They started flashing back and I had to lie down and get all strapped up to those machines...." A comatose Jake dreamt he played poker with all the women in his life "It looked like a production nightmare, but I remember [those scenes] went smoother than I thought."
After an exhaustive investigation, Marley (Anne Heche) was charged and stood trial for Jake's attempted murder. Her motive? Jake raped her after she refused tro marry him. "As I remember it, the rape was an afterthought," muses Eplin. "The scenes in the video loft happened, there was weirdness between Marley and Jake, then six or eight weeks later, we came back and shot the rape." Did Eplin rebel to having Jake commit such an act? "I try not to be protective in that way because I find the most interesting character you can play is the one who is in the most trouble."
1991 It was finally revealed that Pauina (now Judi Evans Luciano) was the trigger woman. Although she was in love with Grant, Jake blackmailed Paulina into marrying him by threatening to reveal her dirty deed. In return, Jake could get his hands on the inheritance. "Judi gives it her all and she is very committed to playing Paulina; it is very easy to work with her," comments Eplin. "And she's and extremely funny person in real life." Months later, Paulina confessed to her crime; she and Jake broke up.