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When she got within three feet of him, she crouched.

“Remember me? We’re friends now, right?” Jodie held the sausage between her fingers, arm extended.

The dog took two cautious steps forward.

“Come on.”

Another step.

“Good boy.”

He got close enough that she could see the tiny white hairs around his muzzle.

Then he launched forward, snatched the entire breakfast burrito out of her other hand, and bolted.

“Hey!” Jodie stared after him. The dog disappeared behind the barn, a piece of foil fluttering to the ground in his wake. “Oh, you sneaky little goblin!”

“Goblin?”

She turned. Mac stood outside the tent pulling a sweatshirt over his head, hair sticking up on one side.

Jodie pointed toward the barn. “He stole my breakfast.” She looked at the bite of sausage between her thumb and index finger. “Except this.” She popped it into her mouth and chewed. Dammit, it was really good.

“The whole thing?”

“The whole damn burrito.”

His mouth twitched.

“Don’t laugh.”

“I’m not.”

“You are absolutely laughing.”

Mac bent and picked up the two remaining burritos and the coffees. “I’ll give you one of mine, how’s that?”

“It’s a start.”

Mac looked toward the barn. The dog’s head appeared around the corner. Jodie narrowed her eyes at him. “Naughty burrito-stealing goblin.”

The dog vanished again.

“Goblin, huh?” Mac repeated. “That’s a great name.”

“Huh. You’re right. Seems fitting.”

Goblin didn’t leave. For the next half hour, Jodie caught glimpses of him everywhere—behind the barn, beneath a trailer, watching from the edge of the pasture while she checked the observer roster. He never came close enough to touch again.

But he stayed.

By five-thirty, the camp was fully awake, grabbing breakfast and gear. Willow checked names against the observer list while Jodie confirmed vehicle assignments and Sandra loaded her video gear.

They were supposed to leave for Virgil’s in twenty minutes when Harold’s SUV came through Hank’s gate. He got out already shaking his head.

“Well, shit,” Willow said beside Jodie. They met him halfway across the yard.

“Now what?”