A basic road bike, steel if you can get it with a SRAM Apex rear d and cassette and a compact crank. You said hills so are we talking West Virginia hills, Colorado Hills, or the hills of Nebraska?
The SRAM gives you the option of mountain gearing on a road bike. If you can handle a 6 to 9% grade on a 27 tooth cog in the rear with a 34 or 39 up front then great. You can go to shimaNO.