Pearce's enticing fourth Millers of Morgan Valley romance (after The Rebellious Rancher) highlights the relationship between a small-town cowboy and a big-city attorney. San Francisco lawyer Julia Garcia returns home to Morgan Valley, Calif., to help care for her father, Juan, whose multiple sclerosis is worsening. There she becomes reacquainted with Kaiden Miller, her brother's childhood friend and the rancher/carpenter hired to remodel her father's ranch. Their mutual attraction is undeniable, but good-natured Kaiden, who uses humor as a coping mechanism to deal with his mercurial father, worries that Julia will return to San Francisco and leave him in the lurch. Meanwhile, Julia's brother, Miguel, teams up with Julia's work rival to convince Juan to sell his ranch--and when the scheme comes to light, it creates a rift between Julia and Kaiden just as their relationship is blossoming. Pearce effortlessly draws readers in to Kaiden and Julia's romance, using the characters' shared past to ease their transition from friends to lovers. Series fans will be entranced. Agent: Deidre Knight, Knight Agency. (Jan.)