He nodded slowly, knowing that he should have expected the answer but disheartened for allowing himself the hope anyway.

At least Kaylee had not-Jayne company in his absence. "Right. So if they're here now, the rest of us have to be."

"Us" of course, meaning the remainder of the crew, River included. Looking for reassurance from Jayne was probably not the smartest move, but hey, a familiar face was a familiar face.