"Yeah... that's th' plan. Really hopin' it'll actually work out that way."
And considering that if it does work, he'll be heading home to get married and make roughly six babies in quick succession before retiring to a wonderful domestic life out in the boons, keeping Jack in the back of his head might be the closest he'll ever get to some male company again. Not that he's complaining. It just... would've been nice, or terrifying, or both.