Yes, they will allow one person to stand back with all the carry-ons. We do it the same way. I go through while DH has everything. He puts it in bins, refuses to be hurried (they cannot make you hurry) and waits till I have been cleared before sending everything through.

It has worked very well so far. I am so distractible (and the TSA does everything possible to distract a person, IMO), it would be a bad idea for my stuff to be in the x-ray machine and on the belt with just me watching it.