Buddy is a beautiful trash son, and Ford very much regrets not having his own Garbodor with him so they can't get introduced just yet. Later. It's fine.

The reception is also fine. It's as much as he could have hoped for: friendly, but not overly-so. If Fiddleford is convinced that they're being watched then he likely doesn't want to give anyone too much ammunition against him, and friends are ammunition. Ford knows that very well.

"To tell you the truth I'm more interested in that moonshine."