More than anything

"Only if they join forces," she points out in an amused undertone. "But if worst comes to worst, I will do my utmost to protect you." She's joking, of course. If Jordan and Saoirse actually saw fit to team up and dogpile Sam -- with or without the help of the actual dogs -- Greta would probably take a picture and count the outing a rousing success before it even occurred to her to attempt a rescue.

As if to demonstrate his own trustworthiness, Cu flops over onto his side, exposing his sandy belly and paws. Greta crouches down to scrub her fingers through the less messy fur along his side. Going off the hopeful look Saoirse gives her, she ventures, "Saoirse and I like to look for shells, sometimes. Or..." she opens her bag and pulls out a little soccer ball, smaller than the ones Saoirse actually plays with, but a bit easier to transport (and hopefully still sturdy enough to not fall prey to Cu or Marvin). "Saoirse's just started to play soccer. Maybe you could show Jordan some of what you've learned." She raises her eyebrows at Saoirse, waiting to see what she prefers -- or if she has some other idea.