She tucked her head down between her knees again.
In and out.
Suddenly, the door at the top of the stairs rattled.
Her heart stuttered. The door cracked. Light blinded her, but in a good way.
It was open! She wasn’t trapped! And the fresh air—God, it filled her lungs, clear and crisp.
The relief was so intense, black dots started to haze her vision.
“Polly?” A calm familiar voice called from the top. Footsteps sounded on the stairs. “Hey. You’re okay.” Someone crouched in front of her, then warm hands touched her arms. “Thank God I found you. Everyone’s so worried.”
“Deputy Cox?”
“Yeah. We’re all looking for you. Especially Joel. Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
Relief thickened her throat to the point she could only nod.
The deputy helped her up. She was shaky, and she allowed him to shoulder a lot of her weight up the stairs.
“Easy,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”
“Someone pushed me.” Her voice trembled. “They locked me down there.”
“I’ve got you now.”
When they reached the top, instead of walking through Bloom, he took her around the back of the shop to his waiting patrol car.
The second she was in the passenger seat, she closed her eyes, finally letting the panic ease from her body.
She was okay. She was safe. And soon, she’d be back with Joel.
The driver’s door opened and closed.
“You okay?” Cox asked.
“Just ready to get home. Can you take me to Joel?”
“Going now.”
“Did you message him and let him know you found me?” If he thought she was missing, he’d be losing his mind.
“Everything’s under control.”
Was that a yes?
It couldn’t be. If Cox had texted to say he’d found her, wouldn’t Joel call? Wouldn’t he want to hear her voice? “Have you seen my phone? I’d like to call him.”
“I’m not sure where it is, sorry.”
She sat up a little straighter, trying to force her muddy mind to focus. “How did you know to check the cellar?”
“When we couldn’t locate you or Jonah, I decided to loop back to Bloom and do another check. It’s just lucky I remembered there was a cellar.” He took a right turn.
She frowned. “This isn’t the way to Joel’s house.”
Cox’s fingers tightened on the wheel.
